Monologues for the "Hero / Lead" type
Classic monologues matched to the "Hero / Lead" acting type.
14 monologues
Richard III
Richard III · William Shakespeare
«Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd…»
'Now is the winter of our discontent…' — the charismatic villain makes the audience his accomplice. Play wit and relish, not 'villainy'.
Portia
The Merchant of Venice · William Shakespeare
«The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it…»
'The quality of mercy is not strain'd…' — intellect, dignity and moral force.
Henry V
Henry V · William Shakespeare
«Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace…»
'Once more unto the breach…' — a leader rallying his men. Power from an inner anchor, not from force.
Isabella
Measure for Measure · William Shakespeare
«Could great men thunder As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er be quiet, For every pelting, petty officer…»
A blazing rebuke of earthly authority abusing its power — build on rising righteous indignation.
Brutus
Julius Caesar · William Shakespeare
«It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He…»
A model reasoner's soliloquy: an honest man talks himself into murder step by step — play the thought, not the rhetoric.
Mark Antony
Julius Caesar · William Shakespeare
«O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins…»
Alone with the corpse the mask drops — from grief to a prophecy of vengeance; build the rage, play the turn from mourning to war-lust.
Hotspur
Henry IV, Part 1 · William Shakespeare
«My liege, I did deny no prisoners. But I remember, when the fight was done, When I was dry with rage and…»
Hotspur defending himself before the king — a hot-tempered, contemptuous account of the foppish lord; great for temperament and biting irony.
Prince Henry
Henry IV, Part 1 · William Shakespeare
«I know you all, and will awhile uphold The unyoked humour of your idleness: Yet herein will I imitate the…»
The 'I know you all' soliloquy — the heir's calculated confession of his pretence; play cool self-control and a hidden plan.
Hermione
The Winter's Tale · William Shakespeare
«Since what I am to say must be but that Which contradicts my accusation and The testimony on my part no other…»
The slandered queen's courtroom defence — dignity and clear reason against tyranny; hold quiet strength, not complaint.
Duke Orsino
Twelfth Night · William Shakespeare
«If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and…»
The famous opening on love as appetite — play the indulgent melancholy, not just pretty verse.
Duchess
The Duchess of Malfi · John Webster
«The misery of us that are born great! We are forc'd to woo, because none dare woo us; And as a tyrant doubles…»
A high-born widow woos her own steward — play it as courage, tenderness and vulnerability at once, never coy.
Valentine
Two Gentlemen of Verona · William Shakespeare
«And why not death rather than living torment? To die is to be banish'd from myself; And Silvia is myself:…»
Banished by the Duke, he equates his very life with Silvia: to be parted from her is death itself. A lyrical lament of exile.
Petruchio
The Taming of the Shrew · William Shakespeare
«Thus have I politicly begun my reign, And 'tis my hope to end successfully. My falcon now is sharp and…»
Alone, Petruchio lets the audience in on his taming method — conspiratorial charm laced with cruelty.
Vittoria Corombona
The White Devil · John Webster
«Humbly thus, Thus low to the most worthy and respected Lieger ambassadors, my modesty And womanhood I tender;…»
A woman on trial for her life refuses to grovel: she turns the courtroom into her stage and makes her accusers look small.