Soliloquy:

Ay me! Oh what a wretched twist of fate!

This day has been conjured by the devil,

Skulking, slinking, stalking, he lay in wait,

For the time to strike us with this evil.

If these events, on paper were relayed,

I fear the page would burn and turn to ash,

From all the pain and fury in the words.

It is as if the stars forgot to shine,

Leaving us in the dark with no lifeline.

By far the greatest tragedy,

To curse this Earth today,

Was the passing of our beloved Mercutio.

Witty insanity!

Reckless love!

Mercutio was such a brilliant soul.

The mischievous sparkle in his eye,

Indeed shamed the radiance of the sun.

Have mercy on us glorious Heavens!

Grace the Earth again,

With the light of kind Mercutio!

But alas! I see it is too late!

For he was too good for us and now,

He must serve among the angels.

But, dare my mutinous thoughts betray me,

I fear that in the deepest shadows of my mind,

A vile thought has begun to prosper.

For I believe that the smallest section of my soul,

Sought some degree of comfort,

At the avengement of my dear friend’s death,

In the form of the passing of Tybalt Capulet.

Though I would never dare admit it to a mortal soul!

My conscience already bears the crushing weight,

Of this thought alone.

Oh Holy Father! Forgive me my sinful thoughts!

If I am feeling the bitter remorse for merely supporting this deed,

I truly cannot bear to imagine,

What must be going through the mind,

Of poor Romeo of Montague.

And forever banished from Verona’s walls,

A free pass to the outside world,

With no hope of return in sight.

Though I suppose it is a small mercy,

Compared to the death punishment,

Which he narrowly escaped!

But I fear it is not every very wise,

To let fury and rage guide one’s actions.

For in this case it has resulted in,

Romeo’s exile from Verona’s walls.

Ay! But then I fear I too,

Should meet the same end for encouraging this deed.

Oh, what tangled truths! Immoral justice!

There is just one question I can’t quite shake,

It has been blooming from within my mind,

Like a patiently unfurling blossom.

For I cannot fathom why,

Romeo would not fight the King Of Cats.

Though peace in Verona is all I wish,

I do not believe the Romeo I know,

To hold the same values true.

And yet he spoke of family and peace,

As if he had a motive to respect,

The notorious Tybalt Capulet.

But alas! I fear only time can tell!

Now I must cease my dismal lamenting,

For never once did a good thing come from,

Wasting away in one’s own self pity!

Reflection:

The aim of my soliloquy was to inform the reader of Benvolio’s characterisation and provide insight into his innermost thoughts and emotions. To achieve this I have presented Benvolio as a well-rounded and moral character. In this text, I was engaging with the dramatic genre.

The primary influence for my piece of writing was Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. I have successfully integrated iambic pentameter in my soliloquy to highlight Benvolio’s indecision and conflicting emotions. In the quote “But dare my mutinous thoughts betray me, I fear that in the deepest shadows of my mind, a vile thought has begun to prosper.” I have effectively utilised iambic pentameter to reinforce the immoral nature of Benvolio’s thoughts. This allows the audience to empathise with his circumstances and provides insight into his moral nature. Consistent allusions to the themes of fate and religion have been skillfully implemented throughout my response to provide a link to the societal norms of Elizabethan England. This is evident in the quote “This day has been conjured by the devil,”. The quote illuminates how tragic the events of the day were, by referring to the devil, whom most believed to be the cause of all pain and suffering.

I have effectively utilised first person narrative voice in my soliloquy to provide the reader with deeper insight into the thoughts and mindset of Benvolio. This allows the audience to connect with the character and better empathise with his situation. The narrative voice also proved to be the best form for the soliloquy format. The quote “My conscience already bears the crushing weight,” highlights the extent to which Benvolio’s thoughts have affected him, thus, reinforcing the morality of his character.

I have successfully integrated a rhyming couplet to create pace and tension within my text. This is evident in the quote “It is as if the stars forgot to shine, leaving us in the dark with no lifeline.” This quote emphasises how isolated Benvolio is feeling due to the dreadful accumulation of events. It also reveals how he feels that the stars and the Heavens have abandoned him. I have skillfully integrated the use of dramatic irony in my soliloquy to realise the extent of Benvolio’s oblivion. It also evokes a sense of frustration from the reader. The quote “For I cannot fathom why, Romeo would not fight the King Of Cats.” effectively demonstrates this.

In conclusion, my soliloquy evocatively highlights certain aspects of Benvolio’s characterisation by providing a detailed and highly personal insight into his thoughts and emotions.