Aside

Definition

An aside is a dramatic convention where a character speaks directly to the audience, sharing thoughts or feelings that are not meant to be heard by other characters on stage. This technique allows for a deeper understanding of the character's motivations and inner conflicts, creating a more engaging and dynamic interaction between the character and the audience.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Asides are typically brief remarks that provide insight into a character's thoughts without disrupting the flow of the action.
2. This technique can create intimacy between the audience and the character, as viewers gain access to private thoughts that are not shared with others.
3. Asides can also add humor or tension to a scene, depending on the context in which they are delivered.
4. Shakespeare often used asides in his plays, allowing characters like Hamlet and Iago to reveal their schemes and intentions directly to the audience.
5. Unlike soliloquies, asides are not long-winded speeches but rather quick comments that can shift the mood or tone of a scene.

Review Questions

• How do asides enhance the audience's understanding of a character's motivations in a play?
  • Asides give characters a chance to share their inner thoughts and feelings with the audience, creating a sense of intimacy and understanding. By revealing what characters truly think without the knowledge of others on stage, asides allow viewers to grasp motivations behind actions and decisions. This technique adds depth to characters, making them more relatable and complex as audiences witness their private struggles and ambitions.
• In what ways do asides differ from soliloquies, and how does each serve its purpose in drama?
  • Asides are brief comments made directly to the audience that typically reveal a character's thoughts while others are present on stage, whereas soliloquies are longer speeches delivered when a character is alone, fully expressing their inner turmoil. While both techniques serve to deepen character development and engage the audience, asides provide quick insights during scenes filled with action, while soliloquies allow for more extensive reflection on emotions and conflicts. This distinction influences how audiences connect with characters throughout a performance.
• Evaluate the impact of asides in creating dramatic irony within a play. Provide an example.
  • Asides significantly contribute to dramatic irony by allowing the audience to hear characters' secret thoughts while other characters remain oblivious. This creates tension, as viewers anticipate how situations will unfold based on their greater knowledge. For example, in Shakespeare's 'Othello,' Iago's asides reveal his manipulative plans against Othello while Othello trusts him completely. This knowledge heightens suspense and emotional engagement, as audiences watch Othello unwittingly fall into Iago's trap, illustrating how effective asides can be in shaping dramatic irony.

Related terms

soliloquy: A soliloquy is a longer speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage, revealing their inner feelings and motivations.

monologue: A monologue is a speech delivered by a single character, which may be directed to other characters or the audience, often used to express emotions or narrate events.

dramatic irony: Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more about a situation than the characters on stage, heightening the tension and emotional impact of the story.