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Similes
Definition of Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself... read full definition
Act 3, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Jailer's Daughter:
In Act 3, the Jailer’s Daughter, who is deeply in love with the imprisoned Palamon, frees the young Theban gentleman from the prison as an expression of her affection. Misunderstanding her feelings, Palamon heads towards the city of Athens in order to find his beloved Emilia. Reflecting sadly upon the failure of her attempt to woo Palamon, the Jailor’s Daughter delivers a lengthy soliloquy:
Food took I none these two days;
Sipped some water. I have not closed mine eyes
Save when my lids scoured off their brine. Alas,
Dissolve, my life! Let not my sense unsettle,
Lest I should drown, or stab, or hang myself.
O state of nature, fail together in me,
Since thy best props are warped! So, which way now?
The best way is the next way to a grave;
Each errant step beside is torment.
In a private moment, the Jailer’s Daughter reflects mournfully on the absence of Palamon, expressing her sorrow in great detail. Since Palamon left for Athens, she has not eaten any food, drunk any water, or slept. In her soliloquy, the heartbroken Jailer’s Daughter insists that her life means nothing to her without Palamon, begging the gods to “dissolve” her existence. At this point in the play, her mental health has begun to deteriorate, leading to the state of madness that she exhibits for much of the play.
Related Themes:
