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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 4, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Fortune's Smiles & Tricks:
In the first scene of Act 4, the audience finds Belvile imprisoned in Antonio's house after he's been wrongly accused of injuring Antonio in a sword fight. Arrested for Willmore's crimes, Belvile fears that he will now be unable to find Florinda before she's married off to Antonio. The scene opens with a soliloquy in which Belvile personifies fortune as he bemoans his bad luck:
When shall I be weary of railing on Fortune, who is resolved never to turn with smiles upon me?
Related Themes:
Act 4, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Angelica's Soliloquy:
The second scene of Act 4 ends with a soliloquy in which Angelica laments her love for the inconstant rake Willmore. The experiences of loving him and being rejected by him make her recognize that although she may have a powerful influence on men, her position on the social hierarchy renders her powerless.
Unlock with LitCharts A+In vain I have consulted all my charms,
In vain this beauty prized, in vain believed
My eyes could kindle any lasting fires;
I had forgot my name, my infamy,
And the reproach that honour lays on those
That dare pretend a sober passion here.
Related Themes:
Act 4, Scene 3
Explanation and Analysis:
The fourth scene of Act 4 opens to Blunt sitting alone in a room in nothing but "his shirt and drawers." In a rancorous soliloquy, he expresses bitterness over Lucetta's successful scheme and preemptive humiliation over the other cavaliers making fun of him when they discover how his love affair turned out. He uses a simile to sum up what Lucetta has done to him:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[...] she has made me as faithless as a physician, as uncharitable as a churchman, and as ill-natured as a poet.
Related Themes:
