I have just finished reading the crucible by Arthur Miller with my class and a have been asked to write a 3-4 minute monologue for one of the main characters.
the monologue has to either fill a gap or silence, fill a gap in the text or give a voice to a character that is silenced. alternatively i can write an epilogue that will conclude the play.
my initial idea was to write an epilogue for reverend hale but i'm not sure if he is the sort of character that would use a monologue.
i have tried to research a few monologues and from what i can see, there are two different types. the first is written with no real structure and is more of an accumulation of thoughts, the second is where the character is explaining an issue to someone like a conversation.
which of the two should i use? and where is a good place for a monologue for Reverend Hale?
Hei there! :D
I haven't read the book you are talking about, I only bothered to google a summary and a character study. So if I'm not accurate, then do not listen to me.
From what I've seen, Reverend Hale is the type of person to seem to know what he's talking about, but actually be clueless. He bases his "scientifical" theories on superstitions and mythology. However, he feels guilty of not having been able to save people from hangings.
Now the last part does seem really interesting and I would personally like a personal monologue in this case better. Imagine him in deep despair after (perhaps) witnessing these hangings. I would talk about him coming to realize that his existence is a fraud. He wasn't able to defy and punish the Satan of their world and nor was he able to save innocent people through prayer and reasoning with the judges. Perhaps he might also conclude that the devil is in each and every person. Or something like that. :)
However, perhaps you should search for a part of that play that really impressed you and start from there. Let your mind wander off and image a set of additional circumstances and try to empathize with this character. I don't know for sure how much the play allows you to do that, but it's what I would normally do. It's just, when you develop your own ideas it usually turns out better! :D
Good luck!
thank you immensely, the part about Reverend Hale realizing his existence is a fraud sounds perfect. could you tell me which of the two types of monologues described earlier, i should use?
I think you should pick the one where it's just his thoughts. However, it should have a structure!!! Even though you are allowed to play around with sentences and ideas and such you must still be coherent. :)
Actually I think Hale would be perfect, especially if you allowed him the epilogue. I read his character analysis on Shmoop and found out that he is an extremely complex character, one who changes drastically over the course of the Crucible (shmoop/crucible/) and does some questionable things. The monologue could allow him to explain himself and help us understand him better.
