In drama what is soliloquy?

In drama, a soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone on stage, typically to express their inner thoughts and feelings. It is a device used to communicate information directly from the character to the audience, without other characters present to interact with. Soliloquies can be used to reveal the character's motives, inner struggles, or plot-related information.

Soliloquies have been a common dramatic convention since ancient Greek theatre. In Shakespearean plays, soliloquies are often used to explore the complex emotions and motivations of the main characters, allowing the audience to gain insight into their thoughts and feelings.

Some famous examples of soliloquies include Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech, Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech, and Mark Antony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech.