Powerful or Very Hilarious Shakespearean Monologues

[aces25]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 5:16pm

I'm looking for some real, real opposites with this one. Something very moving and powerful (for a young actor, no Prospero haha!) or something very hilarious and lots of potential. I'm searching around but if anyone has anything to share that would help me out too. I know lots of actors are out there so it's always fun to share repetoire.
Thanks all!

[aces25]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 9:51pm

bump

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/31/07 at 10:01pm

PUCK: My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented in their sport,
Forsook his scene and entered in a brake,
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass's nole I fixèd on his head.
Anon his Thisbe must be answerèd,
And forth my mimic comes. When they him spy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky—
So at his sight away his fellows fly;
And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls.
He “Murder!” cries and help from Athens calls.
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong,
Made senseless things begin to do them wrong.
For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch,
Some sleeves, some hats—from yielders all things catch.
I led them on in this distracted fear
And left sweet Pyramus translated there.
When in that moment so it came to pass,
Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.

A classic.

Updated On: 10/31/07 at 10:01 PM

[stage_door76]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 8:25am

Launce in Two gentleman of Verona...

Beginning:
"Nay, twill be this hour 'ere I have done weeping..."

and ending:
"But see how I lay the dust with my tears"


Brilliant for physical comedy.

[masterthes]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 4:20pm

For the powerful side, can't go wrong with Hamlet, or maybe one of Henry V's monolouges (particularly the st. Crispin speech). As for funny, you could do Mercutio's Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 4:38pm

7 eras of man, from As You Like It

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 4:39pm

Well, if not Prospero, how about Trinculo's monologue upon his first appearance in "The Tempest"? It's rather humorous, and I had a lot of fun with it.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 11/1/07 at 5:34pm

I've always been a fan of Romeo's dying monologue

Eyes look your last
Arms take your last embrace
And lips, the doors of breath,
seal with a righteous kiss
*thud*

Hit up some sites on Google
http://www.theatrehistory.com/plays/shakesmono.html