My Favourite 1 Minute Shakespeare Monologues
We’re getting close to drama school audition time again, and actors are asking me… “How do I cut my monologue to 1 minute?!!”
Well… you might not need to cut it!
Firstly, a lot of Shakespeare monologues are only 90 seconds long, which is acceptable for most audition situations.
Most people speak Shakespeare quite slowly and add wayyyy too many pauses. I recommend timing yourself reading your favourite monologue out loud with plenty of energy and pace (even if you have no idea what you’re saying), and taking out all the places you might usually pause for effect. You’ll probably find that it’s not as long as you first thought! Trust that you will pick up speed after rehearsing the monologue for a while.
But if your monologue absolutely MUST be one minute and no longer, you may be able to find a favourite and cut just a few lines and it will be close to one minute. (Make sure you watch the video below for tips on cutting. You have to be careful not to cut important stuff!)
Now, onto my favourite one minute monologues!
A couple of things you should know about the monologues below:
I’ve included a ‘romantic’ category here. These are not necessarily from the plays that are considered ‘romances’ (The Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, etc) but are just generally romantic in nature, so they fall somewhere between dramatic and comic, depending on how you want to play it. So these can be considered comic or dramatic, woohoo!
I haven’t divided the categories into Male and Female, because these days you really should be able to choose between either, regardless of how you identify (check the audition brief though). Interestingly, it seems to be slightly harder to find short monologues for men, so guys - you really should consider female monologues as well as male.
If you don’t have time to look through all the monologues, start by looking at the monologues that are from plays you already know. That will make your prep easier. If you don’t find anything you like, then branch out to reading the monologues from plays that are in the category you need (i.e. just read the dramatic ones if you’re looking for a dramatic monologue).
And as always, read them out loud, even if it’s the first time you’ve ever read it. You’d be surprised how much easier it is to understand and connect to. Shakespeare was meant to be heard, not read!
And now, here they are. Some of my favourite one minute Shakespeare monologues!
My Favourite 1 Minute Monologues
Dramatic
“The raven himself is hoarse” - Lady Macbeth - Macbeth
This is a POWERFUL dramatic monologue from Lady M where she calls in spirits to (*spoiler*) give her the strength to carry out a murder with her husband. It is not too tricky in terms of language, and definitely on the shorter side. The only downside to this one is that it’s very popular, so keep that in mind if you’re worried about ‘overdone’ monologues. You can check out my monologue breakdown video below.
“To whom should I complain?” - Isabella - Measure for Measure
Content warning: Measure for Measure centres around the propositioning of a young woman who is about to become a nun (Isabella). A man in power (Angelo) asks her to have sex with him in return for sparing her brother’s life. While there is no sexual assault in the scene, she is left feeling powerless to make the right choice. In this monologue, she laments that there is no one that she can go to for help. What I love about this monologue is that it feels relevant (unfortunately) and it really only has two main beats to it. I talk about this in my monologue breakdown video.
“Away! I do condemn mine ears” - Imogen - Cymbeline
The play Cymbeline is BONKERS but the character of Imogen (sometimes called Innogen) is amazing to play. She is similar to Juliet in some ways, but she is betrayed by the love of her life. In this scene, a creepy dude called Iachimo is hitting on her and she tells him to get lost. That’s the short version - you definitely want to read a synopsis about this play to get your head around it, then watch a version online if you can. If you’re looking for a ‘young, innocent leading lady’ monologue that’s not commonly done, this is a good one.
“There’s some ill planet reigns” - Hermione - The Winter’s Tale
The premise of The Winter’s Tale is that the virtuous queen Hermione is wrongfully accused by her husband, King Leontes, of having an affair. In this scene, she has just heard the accusation and been ordered off to prison. She handles it with grace and strength. If you have a “mature” casting type (either 25+ age range or if you simply have a “strong and mature” vibe), and you like playing strong women, this is a beautiful monologue.
“There, Leonato, take her back again” - Claudio - Much Ado About Nothing
Claudio is kind of despicable in this monologue! His fiancé has been accused of infidelity, and instead of standing by her and saying something along the lines of, “That’s ridiculous, of course my wonderful, beautiful fiancé wouldn’t do that”, he instead tells her dad to “take her back again… give not this rotten orange to your friend”. So yes, Claudio sucks. But it’s a good monologue if you’re brave enough to throw yourself into playing someone unlikeable.
“This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother” - Caliban - The Tempest
This is quite a well known monologue, but it’s particularly great for actors who identify as First Nations/BIPOC. Caliban expresses how he was one of the original people living on the island and showed kindness to Prospero when he first arrived, but now Prospero treats him like a slave. Sound familiar? It is bitter, wonderfully expressive, and is great for showing your physicality as an actor.
If you’re new to Shakespeare and preparing a monologue for an audition, make sure you download my free monologue prep guide, which will walk you through the whole process!
“I told you sir, they were red-hot with drinking” - Ariel - The Tempest
Ariel is a sprite (fairy/spirit) so can be played as any age or gender. This monologue is a good alternative to Puck as it’s less performed than Puck. Ariel is often played as having a slightly darker, tormented side to him, as he wants to be a free spirit but is bound to Prospero, his master. In this monologue, he describes to Prospero how some men who were shipwrecked on the island are now drunk and plotting to kill the king of Milan. I love that there are a lot of different ways to play this monologue, from dark comedy to something more serious, with plenty of nuance and embodied physicality.
Romantic
“Hard to seem won, but I was won” - Cressida - Troilus and Cressida
This is another popular one, but it’s a fun one that can be done a variety of ways. In this scene, Cressida finally admits her love for Troilus, who then asks her why it took such a long time to win her over. She admits that she’s actually liked him for ages, but she has deep insecurities about how men treat women once they’re “won”. You can play this as a young “innocent” leading lady, or a slightly more cynical one.
“What is your parentage?” and “O what a deal of scorn looks beautiful” - Olivia - Twelfth Night
Countess Olivia has been hiding herself away, supposedly to mourn her brother, but probably because she just doesn’t want to bother with a bunch of stupid suitors trying to marry her for her money. Then one day, a young man named Cesario (actually a young woman named Viola disguised as a boy) comes to woo her on behalf of his master, Duke Orsino. Cesario/Viola is so poetic and eloquent that Olivia falls in love with him instantly. In “What is your parentage”, she reflects on what she has learned about Cesario’s upbringing, to see if he might be an ok person to fall in love with. In a later scene, her “O what a deal of scorn” monologue is her attempt to throw herself at him. Both of these are quite comical as she is so enthusiastic about suddenly falling in love, but can be played as more naturalistic as well.
“I do not know one of my sex” - Miranda - The Tempest
Another great option for the ‘innocent young leading lady’ type. Miranda has lived on an island her whole life and has literally never met another woman or man, apart from her dad. In this monologue she is confessing her love (maybe slightly naively) to Ferdinand, who has just been shipwrecked on her island. This is quite a short monologue but it definitely has an impact! It contains the famous line, “I would not wish any companion in the world but you”.
“There be some sports are painful” - Ferdinand - The Tempest
Slightly earlier in the scene (prior to Miranda’s confession of love), Ferdinand also confesses his love of Miranda - only she’s not actually present, so he says it to the audience. He’s talking about how some dreary and physically demanding tasks, like the bunch of logs he has to move for Miranda’s dad, are worth it because you’re doing them for the ‘right’ reasons… like the love of an amazing young woman like Miranda. Like a lot of The Tempest, the language in this monologue is a bit tricky, but gorgeous. Great monologue for a young leading man type.
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“No by my honour, madam, by my soul” - Bassanio - The Merchant of Venice
This is a lesser-known monologue from Bassanio, the leading man in The Merchant of Venice. It’s an interesting choice if you’re looking for something somewhere between drama and romance. In this monologue, Bassanio explains why he gave away a ring that he promised the love of his life to NOT give away. Personally I think Bassanio is a mature but slightly clueless leading man, which means there’s a variety of ways to approach this monologue - heartfelt but naive, serious and honourable, or comically sweet but clueless. The plus side of the monologue is that it has reasonable stakes, because Bassanio doesn’t want to lose Portia over this ring mishap, but it’s not ridiculously crazy tragedy, like someone about to die.
“I am, my lord, as well derived as he” - Lysander - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A nice easy one for beginners! Lysander is another slightly offbeat leading man, as he tends to be the “softer” of the two male leads in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this monologue, he is arguing his case to the King (Theseus) and the love of his life’s dad (Egeus) as to why he should be able to marry Hermia. Egeus thinks his daughter Hermia should marry the other leading man, Demetrius. Similar to Bassanio, there are opportunities for comedy here, and there are reasonable stakes, but nothing too crazy. This is a good one to demonstrate your command of the space, as you will need to create multiple focal points for all the people in the scene. You can also include an additional few lines at the start (“You have her father’s love, Demetrius, / Let me have Hermia’s. Do you marry him!”) if you want to flesh it out a bit.
“Say that upon the altar of her beauty” - Proteus - Two Gentlemen of Verona
Comic
“When we are both accoutred like young men” - Portia - The Merchant of Venice (cut first two lines - monologue starts with “They shall, Nerissa”)
Portia is an intelligent, slightly sheltered young woman. At this point in the play, she has the bright idea of dressing up as a boy (classic Shakespeare) so she can be a lawyer for a day, and save the man she loves, who has to go to trial for not paying back a loan (long story). In this monologue, she describes to her lady-in-waiting Nerissa, what it will be like when they dress up as boys… and she’s clearly having WAY too much fun at the thought of being off the leash for once. This is great to show off your physicality and an upbeat spirit.
“What fire is in mine ears?” - Beatrice - Much Ado About Nothing
Beatrice is an amazing character; witty, hilarious and fierce. She is typically a more mature casting type, but for the purposes of an drama school audition or high school/college exam, it would be fine for a younger actor to play her. In this monologue, she has just overheard two people discussing how everyone thinks she is arrogant and full of herself… and that Benedick, who she had a previously relationship with, is still in love with her. In this soliloquy, she processes how she feels about what she’s just heard, and decides what she will do next (*spoiler* - it’s to requite Benedick’s love). This is another wonderful monologue that packs a punch even though it’s short, and can be played as camp comedy or something more naturalistic.
“Good Hermia, be not so bitter with me” - Helena - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Helena’s monologues are so popular for auditions, but I think this one is underrated! I LOVE “Good Hermia”, as it has so much range within a short period of time, and pops up in the middle of the play when the stakes are high. In this monologue, she is trying to calm down her best friend Hermia after they’ve had a big fight (caused by some fairy dust that made the two men BOTH fall in love with Helena). If you’re new to Shakespeare, this monologue is a good pick.
“Now out of doubt Antipholus is mad” - Courtesan - The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors is a tale of mistaken identity concerning not one, but TWO sets of twins who were separated at birth. In this monologue, the Courtesan (a polite way of saying prostitute) is talking about how Antipholus has definitely lost his mind, because there’s a bunch of weird stuff happening… The audience knows, of course, that this craziness has not been caused by a mental breakdown but by the sudden appearance of Antipholus’ long lost twin (who is also called Antipholus. Just to make it easier to follow. *shrug*). This is a fairly popular monologue, but in some ways I think it’s popularity works in your favour, because having your audience know the story helps with the comedy!
“Thou speak’st aright, I am that merry wanderer of the night” and “The king doth keep his revels here tonight” - Puck - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
You might already know a little bit about Puck, the cheeky trouble-making sprite from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Both these monologues are fun, good for most young actors regardless of gender, and great for demonstrating physicality. The first one (“Thou speak’st aright”) is Puck’s introductory monologue, where he describes the kind of mischief he gets up to regularly. You can watch my video about that one here. I quite like “The king doth keep his revels here tonight” as it is less well known and has slightly higher stakes. In that monologue, he tells the fairies that they better take their queen and bugger off, because the king of the fairies is going to be hanging out in this particular fairy area tonight, and everyone knows the king and queen are fighting at the moment.
“Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious wrong” - Malvolio, Twelfth Night
This play is quite a goldmine when it comes to comic characters and monologues. Malvolio, the uptight steward of Countess Olivia’s household, has been tricked by the other household servants into believing that she is in love with him, despite their class differences. In this monologue, Malvolio confronts her and demands to know why she has not only denied his love, which she previously admitted in a letter to him (actually sent by the scheming servants, who hate Malvolio), but also insisted that he literally be kept in the dark and tormented (which was again the servants plotting against him). It’s kind of dark to see a guy who hasn’t done anything really wrong (apart from being a snob) be kept in a dark room and subjected to mental torture, so you can play this monologue as dark comedy, silly comedy, or something more dramatic.
