Monologue #1
Oh, come now, prince Phillip. Why so melancholy? A wondrous future lies before you. You, the destined hero of a charming fairy tale come true. Behold, King Stefan’s castle, and in yonder topmost tower, dreaming of her true love, the princess Aurora. But see the gracious whim of fate. Why, ’tis the selfsame peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed most wondrous fair. Gold of sunshine in her hair, lips that shame the red, red rose. In ageless sleep she finds repose. The years roll by, but a hundred years to a steadfast heart are ’bout a day. And now, the gates of the dungeon part, and the prince is free to go his way. Off he rides on his noble steed…a valiant figure, straight and tall, to wake his love with love’s first kiss, and prove that true love conquers all! Come, my pet. Let us leave our noble prince with these happy thoughts. A most gratifying day. For the first time in sixteen years I shall sleep well.
Monologue #2
This stuff’? Oh, ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean. You’re also blindly unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn’t it, who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic “casual corner” where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of “stuff.”
Questions
1) In what time period does monologue 1 take place?
2) In monologue 1, what is the speaker’s reason for speaking?
3) What is the motivation for the speaker in monologue 2?
4) If a year were not given, how would we know monologue 2 is set in modern times?
5) Give 3 examples of how these monologues are similar and 2 examples of how they are different.
1) To determine the time period of monologue 1, we can analyze the references given in the text. The mention of Prince Phillip, Princess Aurora, King Stefan's castle, and the concept of true love conquering all suggests that this monologue is referencing the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. Therefore, monologue 1 takes place within the time period of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, which is often associated with a medieval or fantasy setting.
2) The speaker in monologue 1 is addressing Prince Phillip and engaging him in conversation. The speaker's intention is to uplift Prince Phillip's spirits and remind him of the purpose and charm of his upcoming quest, which is to awaken the sleeping Princess Aurora with true love's kiss. The speaker's words aim to encourage and motivate Prince Phillip for the task ahead and leave the prince with happy thoughts.
3) In monologue 2, the speaker's motivation is to educate and critique the listener's choice of clothing. The speaker wants to convey the idea that even seemingly insignificant fashion choices, such as the color of a sweater, are influenced by the fashion industry. The speaker highlights how trends originate from high-end designers and eventually filter down to everyday consumers, like the listener. The motivation is to challenge the listener's perception of their individual choice and demonstrate the impact of the fashion industry on their decisions.
4) If a specific year were not mentioned in monologue 2, we could still deduce that it is set in modern times based on the references made. The speaker talks about a fashion collection by Oscar de la Renta in 2002 and how the color cerulean appeared in the collections of eight different designers. The mention of specific designers, fashion collections, and the presence of department stores implies a contemporary setting.
5) Similarities between the monologues:
- Both monologues involve a speaker addressing someone directly.
- Both monologues convey a message or perspective to the listener.
- Both monologues contain elements of persuasion and influence.
Differences between the monologues:
- Monologue 1 is set in a fantasy or fairy tale world, while monologue 2 is set in the context of the fashion industry.
- Monologue 1 emphasizes themes of true love, destiny, and enchantment, while monologue 2 focuses on the impact and influence of the fashion industry on individual choices.