Which term refers to lines spoken by an actor to the audience not intended for other characters on the stage?

• A. Monologue
• B. Aside
• C. Soliloquy
• D. Stage directions

Answer: (B)

In drama, an aside is a brief remark spoken by a character directly to the audience, and not intended for the other characters on stage to hear. This lets the audience glimpse the character’s private thoughts or commentary without affecting the onstage conversation. The description in the question matches this term because it specifies lines spoken to the audience, not to fellow characters. A monologue is a longer speech that can be heard by others as part of the play’s dialogue, not necessarily directed to the audience. A soliloquy is a character’s inner thoughts spoken aloud while they are alone on stage. Stage directions are not spoken aloud at all; they are instructions in the script.