Shakespeare and the History of Soliloquies. By James Hirsh. Madison, Teaneck: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003; pp. 470. $75 cloth.

Extract

The first complete study of the dramatic conventions that governed soliloquies in Western drama throughout history, Shakespeare and the History of Soliloquies reveals a drastic and heretofore undisclosed shift in those conventions after Shakespeare's death. In theatrical history there have been three types of soliloquy: speeches that are addressed directly to the audience, speeches that are self-addressed, and interior monologues. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, one type of soliloquy occupied a place as the dominant convention during each major period of theatrical history. Hirsh argues that during Shakespeare's lifetime, soliloquies were meant to represent self-addressed speech. The implications of this argument are profound.