What is the difference between a monologue and a soliloquy?

Answer 1

A monologue is a long passage of text spoken continuously by one actor to another actor (or actors) onstage.

A soliloquy is the same sort of extended speech, but the speaker is all by him/herself onstage at the time it's delivered. The convention was very familiar to the Elizabethans, where it wouldn't be uncommon for characters to address the audience directly. Some actors choose to speak soliloquies more "to themselves," but the great majority of great Shakespearean soliloquies are, in my opinion, clearly designed to be shared with the audience.

Answer 2

Soliloquy-an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts): Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”
monolougue-1. a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker: a comedian's monologue.
2. a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, esp. one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.
3. any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.
4. a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.

Answer 3

i have always believed that a poem, short story, stanza, haiku, monologue and soliloquy are all unanimously synonymous with one another, and basically refer to a series of words that one writes, and at some point, may choose to read in front of others. the only true distinction is with lyrics, whether sung or spoken, where they are almost always done along with musical accompaniment.