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Frequently Asked Questions about Shakespeare's Monologues  |
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Why is the text of a monologue on this site a little different from the copy I have? Different versions of Shakespeare's works have variations in the text because each publishing house hired a different group of 'editors' who, working primarily with the First Folio of 1623, set to ink their own "interpretation" and "improvements" upon the text found in the First Folio. The folio is the oldest available full printing of the complete works, and is closer to how the plays were originally performed.* The spellings, punctuation (or lack thereof) and other conventions used in the folio contain hints for actors which are lost in the later versions through "corrections" and other edits made by the editors of more recent generations. This site uses text from The Globe editions because that is the text used by the Open Source Shakespeare to which I link for each entry. I suggest you use the Riverside, the Arden, the Cambridge, the Penguin or the Folger editions of the plays for your audition or classwork. When in doubt, check The Folio. |
Why are the line numbers on this site different from the line numbers in the copy I have? The line numbers I've listed in the index of monologues may differ (by up to 10 lines or so) from the hard copy version you have in your home/school/theatre. This is common as the line numbers vary from edition to edition. |
Why is the search tool not finding the monologue I'm searching for? The search engine on the site is not as advanced as search websites (e.g. Google.) It will look for exactly what you type, including punctuation and spelling. Try removing punctuation, or if you know which play the monologue you're searching for is from, go to that play's page and browse for it instead. |
Can you suggest a monologue for me? No, I cannot. Only someone who has seen you act can suggest an appropriate monologue to show off the uniqueness that is you. Ask a friend, teacher, director or someone else who has seen you act in class or in performance. Perhaps pose the question to your friends on Facebook and/or your Twitter followers. If you're not an actor but are required to memorize a monologue for a non-acting class just pick one you've heard of or that sounds interesting to you. |
I found an error or I have a suggestion. How can I send it in? Thanks. Please click here to send me email. |
Why are "Double Falsehood", "The Reign of Edward III" and other "lost plays" not included? This site is faithful to the First Folio. I'm not interested in any aspects of the "Authorship Debate" because the question of "who really wrote the plays" is completely irrelevant to acting or directing the plays. The "lost plays" or "new plays" have become a part of that debate, so to avoid that controversy altogether I stick with the original complete works as published in the First Folio. |
I don't like ads. Why are there so many ads on the site? For the same reason you see ads in the program when you see a play. Production (of any kind) is not free. Good website hosting is not free. The ad revenue and donations from this site are not enough to cover the cost of hosting and maintenance. I'm the sole breadwinner for a family of four. I have no 'disposable income' so I need to try to recover a little bit of the money I lose on this site. I don't like ads either. I use adblocking software in my web browser so I'm not distraced by ads while reading on the web. I never click them anyway so there's no point in my seeing them. I get it. I don't mind if you use adblocking software while viewing this site. Here are links to adblocking for web browsers:
Firefox: Adblock Plus |
My question isn't answered here. What do I do? Please click here to send me email. |
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The texts of Shakespeare's plays is public domain. Contact linked sites regarding intellectual property rights of those sites. |
