The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 18.0722 Monday, 22 October 2007
[1] From: Billy Houck <
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Date: Sunday, 21 Oct 2007 13:16:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
[2] From: Paul E. Doniger <
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Date: Sunday, 21 Oct 2007 15:34:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
[3] From: Nicole Coonradt <
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Date: Monday, 22 Oct 2007 05:03:28 +0000
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
[4] From: Arthur Lindley <
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Date: Monday, 22 Oct 2007 09:21:21 +0000
Subj: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Billy Houck <
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Date: Sunday, 21 Oct 2007 13:16:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
The soliloquies that are written as asides are almost always truthful,
especially those of Iago and Richard III.
Billy Houck
[2]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Paul E. Doniger <
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Date: Sunday, 21 Oct 2007 15:34:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Cheryl, I suspect that your friend's professor is assuming too much. It
seems to me that there are quite a few "dishonest" soliloquies if you
consider that some characters may not be honest with themselves. I've
often questioned Iago's truthfulness in his soliloquies. Does he really
believe, for example, that Othello has slipped in between the sheets
with Emilia? I have my doubts. Perhaps he is simply being disingenuous
with himself, or perhaps he's trying to justify his behaviors. Is that
untruthfulness?
Paul E. Doniger
[3]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Nicole Coonradt <
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Date: Monday, 22 Oct 2007 05:03:28 +0000
Subject: 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
<<She tells me the professor said by definition, a soliloquy is truthful.>
<<Is this thought of necessary truthfulness widely held?>
Well, I think that this "truthful[ness]" of the soliloquy for the
professor may mean that the speaker is being honest about his/her
thoughts and feelings because "by definition" the character is speaking
to him/herself? Maybe your friend should ask the professor what was
meant by this "definition." I'd be careful about this.
Soliloquy is thought verbalized so that the audience knows what the
character is thinking. I don't know of any definitions that say
"soliloquy = truth," ergo, whether *what* the person speaks is "truth"
is a different thing. That would be to say, by extension, that "thought
= truth," wouldn't it? Would the Bard do that? Is he ever overt and
obvious about anything even if that equation were true? In the "To be or
not to be?" speech, I think the most we can take as "truthful" is that
Hamlet is very honestly wrestling with the issues he discusses via words
that verbalize his pensive melancholy. And, actually, wouldn't it be
entirely possible for someone to be internally self-deceptive and
un-truthful about something? I'm sure many people, whether they speak to
themselves out loud or in their heads, are not necessarily "truthful"
100% of the time.
I just thought of a good example to demonstrate my position. See
Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 3 when he decides against killing
Claudius while the king is kneeling "at prayer." The lines from
3.3.72-96 only reveal Hamlet's reaction to what he thinks is happening.
As an audience, we have just had the privilege of hearing Claudius
remark about his inability to pray because he is unwilling to act by
giving up his queen and his crown and so we know that part of what
Hamlet says is most certainly not true. Hamlet says he will not "take
[Claudius] in the purging of his soul, / When he is fit and seasoned for
his passage" (3.3.85-6). While this represents the "truthful" reaction
on the part of Hamlet, it is not the "truth" of what is really happening
with Claudius.
Will be curious to see what other members have to say about the
soliloquy as defined by your friend's professor.
Best,
Nicole Coonradt
[4]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Arthur Lindley <
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Date: Monday, 22 Oct 2007 09:21:21 +0000
Subject: 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Comment: Re: SHK 18.0714 Soliloquies - Truth or Lie
Short answer: No. Slightly longer answer: Virtually every soliloquy
Macbeth has consists of rationalization and self-deception. Antony has
one short soliloquy; it consists of fooling himself about why he is
going to ditch his wife and run back to Egypt. The proposition is 'true'
only if it means that we're supposed to think that this is what the
character is thinking. In that form, of course, it's also meaningless.
Arthur Lindley
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