A soliloquy occurs when a character alone onstage reveals his or her thoughts. Study the use of the soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (3.3.73–96, 4.4.32–66) and in Tennessee Williams’s The Glass...

A soliloquy occurs when a character alone onstage reveals his or her thoughts. Study the use of the soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (3.3.73–96, 4.4.32–66) and in Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie (Tom’s opening speech; Tom’s long speech in scene 5; and his opening speech in scene 6). What do these soliloquies accomplish? Is their purpose diff erent in these two plays? Are soliloquies helpful in all drama? What are their strengths and weaknesses?