/səˈlɪl.ə.kwi/

Soliloquy is defined in Encyclopaedia Britannica as "passage in a drama in which the thoughts or feelings of a character are expressed aloud while the character is either alone upon the stage or with the other actors keeping silent. This device was long an accepted dramatic convention, especially in the theater of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries." ("Soliloquy").

Soliloqyuies were popular during the Elizabethan times, for example Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. Jean Racine used them for the dramatic effect, William Shakespeare as "a true indicator of the mind of his characters, as in the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy in Hamlet." ("Soliloquy").

However, they became unpopular with their overuse in the plays of the English Restoration (17th century).

Some useful links:

https://www.britannica.com/art/soliloquy

https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/soliloquy

Used sources:

“Soliloquy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/soliloquy

Author of the page: Linda Šimková