A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story, play, film, or other dramatic media. It is often used to express a characters thoughts aloud, though it can also be used to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are similar to other literary devices such as soliloquies, apostrophes, and asides, but there are distinctions between each of these devices. A soliloquy involves a character relating their thoughts and feelings to themselves and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, while an aside is a shorter speech that is not heard by other characters even in situations where they logically should be. Monologues can be used to express a characters thoughts, emotions, or ideas, and depending on the type of monologue used, the character can be addressing themselves, another character, or the audience.