Topic 2 Understanding the content and context

You have chosen a monologue! What are the next steps? Read for Understanding

Read the full monologue once without trying to retain much information. If there are any words you do not understand, use a dictionary to ensure you understand all words. Then, re-read the monologue looking for clues about the character. What can we infer about the context of this monologue? Ensuring you understand the world of the text is crucial to giving a great performance.

• Who are they speaking to?
• Where are they located?
• What other bits of information can I gather?

See below a few examples for how to look for clues within the text. Re-read the text as many times as you feel is necessary to obtain all the information you need to inform your understanding of the context of the piece.