Shakespeare "meltdown" monologue?

[mjohnson2]

Shakespeare "meltdown" monologue?#1

Posted: 5/11/14 at 8:33pm

Hello all,
Does anybody know of a really good monologue from either a Shakespeare play or a monologue from a play pre 1800 that involves a character just completely melting down on stage and just losing it? It can't be from Macbeth (as that is the show I am auditioning for) but anything else works. Either gender is fine too.
Thanks.

Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

[FindingNamo]

Shakespeare #2

Posted: 5/11/14 at 9:27pm

Is "Get thee to a nunnery" melty enough?

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[henrikegerman]

Shakespeare #2

Posted: 5/11/14 at 10:06pm

Cassandra, AGAMEMNON
Lear, KING LEAR

[mjohnson2]

Shakespeare #3

Posted: 5/11/14 at 10:22pm

Care to be more specific henrikegerman? Act? Scene? Starting line(s)?

Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

[Queen of the Night]

Shakespeare #4

Posted: 5/11/14 at 10:46pm

I think one of the most poignant ones is the monologue of the title character in Richard II. In act 3 , scene 3, he has a painful speech renouncing his crown ("what must the king do now?"). It can be done as a tragic breakdown. He feels betrayed by his subjects and humiliated at being stripped of what he feels is his God-given right to be king, plus he knows that as an ex-monarch he is a threat to the new King Henry, and as a result, this is probably a death sentence. It can be played with madness, anger, despair or a mix of all three emotions. A great scene that has a lot of dramatic possibilities.

Or if you want a woman's scene, I have always like Katherine of Aragon's address to Henry VIII in the play of that name, (act II scene 4) where she kneels before him and pleads for him not to divorce her. It's sad and touching and a desperate act by woman still in love with her husband and wanting to save her marriage, her honor, her crown and her daughter's legitimacy and place in the royal succession.


Updated On: 5/11/14 at 10:46 PM

[PianoMann]

Shakespeare #5

Posted: 5/11/14 at 11:42pm

This might be a less popular suggestion, but I would definitely look at The Two Noble Kinsmen by Shakespeare and John Fletcher. The character of The Jailer's Daughter is certainly a tragic figure, and many of her scenes are alone on stage; she's certainly emotionally unstable for a majority of the text.

Even if it doesn't suit this particular needs of yours, definitely read it. It's a terrific play!

[henrikegerman]

Shakespeare #6

Posted: 5/11/14 at 11:44pm

Lear: "blow, winds, and crack your cheeks" Act III, scene 2

Cassandra: "Ah, ah, the fire!" app. line 1448