Great Shakespeare Monologues
for Women

These Shakespeare monologues for women are great classical monologues for acting schools and acting auditions. Choose among the selection of dramatic monologues and comedic monologues below.

1) Dramatic Shakespeare Monologues for Women

This dramatic monologue is a classical monologue for women from
Henry IV (Part 1, Act II, Scene 3).

LADY PERCY:

O, my good lord, why are you thus alone?
For what offence have I this fortnight been
A banished woman from my Harry's bed?
Tell me, sweet lord, what is't that takes from thee
Thy stomach, pleasure and thy golden sleep?
Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the earth,
And start so often when thou sit'st alone?
Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks
And given my treasures and my rights of thee
To thick-eyed musing and cursed melancholy?
In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watched,
And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars,
Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed,
Cry "Courage! to the field!" And thou hast talked
Of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents,
Of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets,
Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin,
Of prisoners' ransom and of soldiers slain,
And all the currents of a heady fight.
Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war,
And thus hath so bestirred thee in thy sleep,
That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow
Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream,
And in thy face strange motions have appeared,
Such as we see when men restrain their breath
On some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these?
Some heavy business hath my lord in hand,
And I must know it, else he loves me not.

By William Shakespeare.

To see details on this dramatic Shakespeare monologue for women, click here.

This Shakespeare monologue is a dramatic classical monologue for women from Henry VI (Part 1, Act I, Scene 3).

JOAN:

Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,
My wit untrained in any kind of art.
Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased
To shine on my contemptible estate.
Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,
And to sun's parching heat displayed my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me,
And in a vision, full of majesty,
Willed me to leave my base vocation
And free my country from calamity.
Her aid she promised, and assured success.
In complete glory she revealed herself-
And whereas I was black and swart before,
With those clear rays which she infused on me
That beauty am I blest with, which you may see.
Ask me what question thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this: thou shalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

By William Shakespeare.

To see details on this dramatic Shakespeare monologue for women, click here.

2) Comedic Shakespeare Monologues for Women

This comedic monologue is a Shakespeare monologue for women from Midsummer Night's Dream (Act I, Scene 1).

HELENA:

How happy some o'er other some can be.
Through Athens I am though as fair as she
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so
He will not know what all but he do know
And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind
And therefore is winged cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste
Wings and no eyes figures unheedy haste
And therefore is Love said to be a child
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled
As waggish boys in games themselves forswear
So the boy Love is perjured everywhere
For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia's eyne
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.
I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her, and for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.

By William Shakespeare.

To see details on this comedic Shakespearean monologue for women, click here.

This Shakespearean monologue is a comedic classical monologue for women from The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Act I, Scene 2).

JULIA:

This babble shall not henceforth trouble me.
Here is a coil with protestation! (Tears the letter)
O hateful hands, to tear such loving words!
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey
And kill the bees that yield it with your stings!
I'll kiss each several paper for amends.
Look, here is writ 'kind Julia': unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,
I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ 'love wounded Proteus':
Poor wounded name! My bosom, as a bed
Shall lodge thee till thy wound be thoroughly heal'd;
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice or thrice was 'Proteus' written down:
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away
Till I have found each letter in the letter
Except mine own name; that some whirlwind bear
Unto a ragged, fearful-hanging rock,
And throw it thence into the raging sea!
Lo! Here in one line is his name twice writ,
'Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia': that I'll tear away;
And yet I will not, sith so prettily
He couples it to his complaining names:
Thus will I fold them one upon another:
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.