Browse Acting Monologues & Scenes

Ajax

by Sophocles

Odysseus tracks a mysterious killer to the tent of Ajax, only to be confronted by the goddess Athena. She reveals that she has struck Ajax with madness to protect the Greek leaders, and she insists on summoning the delusional warrior to demonstrate her power, despite Odysseus's mounting fear.

Wild at Heart

by David Lynch

Lula recounts the disturbing and eccentric history of her cousin Dell to Sailor while they hide out in a motel. She details Dell's descent into madness, involving bizarre fixations and disappearances, highlighting the couple's shared sense of being outsiders in a strange world.

King Lear

by William Shakespeare

An aging king, recovering from a descent into madness, awakens to find his estranged daughter Cordelia by his side. He struggles with his fading memory and deep-seated guilt, eventually begging for her forgiveness in a moment of profound vulnerability.

As You Like It

by William Shakespeare

Rosalind, disguised as the youth Ganymede, attempts to convince Orlando that love is a treatable mental illness. She proposes a complex game where Orlando must woo 'him' as if he were his beloved Rosalind, claiming this role-play will eventually cure his heartache.

Vertigo

by Alec Coppel, Samuel Taylor

Scottie and Midge visit an old bookstore to consult with Pop Leibel about a mysterious woman from San Francisco's past. Pop recounts the tragic history of Carlotta Valdes, a woman who was discarded by a powerful man and driven to madness and suicide after her child was taken from her.

Nosferatu

by Henrik Galeen

Confined to a torturous medical chair in a psychiatric cell, Knock hysterically welcomes the arrival of his master. He pleads for mercy and immortality while professing his unwavering loyalty and the success of his dark mission.

The Spanish Tragedy

by Thomas Kyd

Driven to madness by the murder of her son Horatio and the King's failure to provide justice, Isabella destroys her garden before taking her own life. It is a high-stakes tragic monologue centered on grief, revenge, and despair.

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

Hamlet confronts Ophelia, denying his former love for her and spiraling into a bitter tirade against marriage and womanhood. Ophelia watches in despair as the man she loved appears to descend into madness.