I've been studying drama for most of my life, although I didn't start studying it seriously until University. Even so, I have been analyzing monologues for quite some time, so here are my 5 favorite techniques for analyzing monologues.
I recommend starting off by reading through the entire monologue without any input just to get the words in your head. Once you've read it two or three times. Try these 5 techniques to delve deeper into the meaning and power of the words you're saying.
The Techniques.
1. Identify the 3 main emotions or actions.
Once you've read through the entire monologue identify the 3 main emotions or actions that stick out to you. Some examples could be, desperate, lonely, joyous, dreamy, strong, depressed, or determined. Once you've decided on 3 main emotions or actions then you can start to break down the monologue.
2. Place the scene in the larger context of the show.
Before delving further into the monologue, make sure you know the larger context of the scene within the entire show. What got your character up to this point? what have they been through? What do they want? What do they need?
3. Break the monologue into thoughts or beats.
When speaking we don't always know the next thing we're going to say. Thus it is important to break the monologue up into your character's thoughts. A lot of the time a thought will be evident by the punctuation, however, that isn't always the case especially if the character is scattered or unstable throughout the monologue. Once each thought is defined, focus on what leads the character from one thought to the next.
4. Assign an action to each thought.
Throughout each monologue, every character has a goal, you as the actor can portray this goal through actions. I personally like to use verbs that help me connect to the other characters in the scene. To do this I use the phrase "I ______ you.", meaning I place my chosen verb in that phrase if it works grammatically I can use the verb. For example, if the characters in the scene were in an argument I might use verbs like; "I attack you", "I belittle you" or "I trick you". Each of these examples would give you, the actor, very different feeling to play with. Thus when you use different action verbs for each thought you can make everyone feel different even if the lines you're speaking sound pretty much the same.
5. Rephrase the monologue into your own words.
This is especially useful if the monologue isn't in modern English, but in say Shakespearian English. When a monologue isn't in words you would use it is easy to distance yourself from them making the monologue sound disingenuous. To avoid this you can translate the words into modern English using a Shakspeare to English translator or Sparksnotes. Once you have a grasp on the scene and what the words mean to you. then you'll more easily be able to go through the above 4 steps to analyze the text. Make sure you understand every word and every reference in the monologue, it has to sound natural coming out of your mouth.
Now you're ready to Perform that monologue.
Bonus Tip:
If you are struggling to get your voice to sound natural, try resighting what you had for breakfast. Saying something mundane like that will connect you to your breath and calm your nerves. Making your voice sound more natural when performing.
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