Aside
In drama, an aside refers
to a brief remark or passage spoken by a character in an undertone or directly
to the audience. This convention presumes that these words are inaudible to
other characters on stage, unless the aside is shared between two characters
and clearly not intended for others present. This device was commonly used
until the early twentieth century, especially in comedy and melodrama. The rise
of naturalistic drama led to its near exclusion, though it remains prevalent in
pantomime and farce.
An aside allows a
character to express their inner thoughts aloud to the audience, breaking the
fourth wall between the play's fictional world and the audience. A
well-executed aside enhances dramatic irony by creating a disconnect between
what the audience knows and what other characters know, thus heightening the
story's suspense. Asides often depict characters as deceitful; while candid
with the audience, their interactions with other characters are likely
insincere. Some characters make asides to specific individuals, revealing
allegiances and indicating trustworthiness.
A soliloquy, unlike an
aside, is a lengthy speech by a character alone on stage, speaking to
themselves. While soliloquies and asides both reveal a character’s thoughts, a
soliloquy does not interrupt previous dialogue and does not require other
characters’ presence. An aside, however, is brief and directed to the audience.
In Shakespeare's Hamlet,
Act I, Scene II, Hamlet makes an aside after Claudius addresses him:
King Claudius: But now,
my cousin Hamlet, and my son—
Hamlet: (aside) A little
more than kin, and less than kind.
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