Monologue play: Confessions of a drunk guard

[storm_crow]

Here is a small play for Tamrielic Playrs. It's a monologue, it should be one of the first plays you have to act. Notice the writer's note at the end, it was intended for the students of the Academy of Literary arts as an example of emotions. Enjoy:

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MONOLOGUE-Confessions of a drunken guard
Written by Veinus Arnatus, professor at the Academy of Literary arts
of the Imperial Library in Cyrodil

(An imperial male enters, dressed in the lower part of Imperial guard armour and a common shirt. He is clearly drunk, and carries a half empty bottle of Cyrodilic brandy)

Two years! (Burp) Two scrib-sucking years stuck in that damned fort in the middle of nowhere. (takes a minute to steady himself before trying to sit on the bench) Two years of freezing my butt out in the cold. What kind of place is Skyrim to have a fort! It’s not like I was one of those crappy legionnaires right? I was a top of the line trainee all along. Laughs drunkenly I could’ve guarded the emperor himself. But I got stuck in that (slowly) damn scrib-sucking fort lost in the middle of the ice lands!

Becomes lost in thought, quiets down for a minute.

Anna!... If only I had for once gotten lucky. I had worked for two years to get out of that hole and just when I found a good reason to stay!…sigh They send me right back to (drunkenly) Cyrordille. Sobs Anna! Anna! She had cheeks of pink, that soft rich pink you see on comberries in the morning dew. And her eyes, soft, but so strong, pulsing with her energy. Sobs

If only it hadn’t been this way! (Takes a swing from the bottle) She was a guide, a local girl, and I was just a guard. Man, were they all happy for me, jealous even when they saw me leave (becoming violent) I saw in there eyes, how they would’ve liked to leave on that ship, to get called back! (Getting up from the seat) Oh yeah they would’ve loved to get out of that hole! Oh boy, (loosing balance, confused) I could’ve smiled and sent that right back in their faces! I wasn’t a dirty little trainee anymore, I had been pormorteded…(sinking back into the bench)

After a moment, sobbing

Anna, Anna! You loved me didn’t you…Dirty emperor and his sick legions (kicking away a helmet) Why’d they have to call me back. I had them call me back, I made them. I got the message, Johanus got it to me…I know what happened to you. The wolf, that came to your camp near the river…I could’ve saved you Anna, my Anna…but I was helping the people…(as if waking, realising he’s been lost in his memories) The people, the Emperor, I serve them and only them. I am captain now, you would be proud of me. (throwing away the bottle) Captain in the legions! You would be proud (walks away with a faint smile, but still a little drunk)

Author’s note: A skilled playwrite can pass through different emotions inside a very short period of time. Monologues are fantastic because the character you create is alone and the write can have him burst with emotion as if the audience were to listen to his subconscious. By creating dense emotions and using vocabulary from the streets, one can pull the emotional strings of the audience, and have them feel what the character feels. Notice in this particular text how the emotions easily change from sad to angry to proud. Making the character drunk or defining him with a particular tic also adds depth and even more original emotions to the subject in question.

[Graff]

Very good. Full of depth and character.

Graff.

[Massalinie]

Excellent. Only one question: Where would a book like this be found? I take it not in many houses....

[Macar]

Cool. I've been looking for a monlogue for an up comming audition Tehehe (jk). But really quite nice, have you taken a playwriting class?

[Colostriph]

Excellent. Only one question: Where would a book like this be found? I take it not in many houses....

It`s unique. Part of the epic quest line Tamrielic Players. This and a lot of other plays will have to be written, or others be used.

And Storm_Crow, good job.

Just, as I said, it`s supposed to be a unique reation of Punctious, the director of the players. So really, the only real problem is that you mis-named the author!

But very good all the same. We`re going to do a lot of message boxing.

Anyhow, could someone please edit this? And I`ll write up a progress report on the thread tomorow. I`ll discuss with you what to make next at the break before last period.

[storm_crow]

Does Punctus really have to write it? Why couldn't he just have bought off the Academy of Literary arts? I thought the authors note at the end added something interesting...Oh and thnak you for the compliments.

[Jacurutu]

All in all nice work, storm. You keep the same tone and diction throughout the piece (as you should). I'll let a volunteer handle the grammar review.

[storm_crow]

Ok thanks, it's good to have you back by the way!

[Colostriph]

Does Punctus really have to write it? Why couldn't he just have bought off the Academy of Literary arts? I thought the authors note at the end added something interesting...Oh and thnak you for the compliments.

After further persuation this morning, yes, you can. Anyhow, we were planning another double actor play, which should be fun. It deals with interesting stuff. I`m sure storm will do a good job (he`s in the drama theater troupe in the school after all. PS: I`ll try to go to your play tomorow).

[Starcrunch]

MONOLOGUE-Confessions of a drunken guard
Written by Veinus Arnatus, professor at the Academy of Literary arts
of the Imperial Library in Cyrodil

(An imperial male enters, dressed in the skirt and boots of the Imperial Legion, with a torn common shirt. He is clearly drunk, and carries a half empty bottle of Cyrodiilic brandy)

Two years! (Burp) Two scrib-sucking years stuck in that damned fort in the middle of nowhere. (takes a minute to steady himself before trying to sit on the bench) Two years of freezing my butt out in the cold. What kind of place is Skyrim to have a fort! It’s not like I was one of those crappy legionnaires right? I was a top of the line trainee all along. (Laughs drunkenly) I could’ve guarded the emperor himself. But I got stuck in that (slowly) damn scrib-sucking fort lost in the middle of the ice lands!

(Bows head lost in thought, quiets down for a minute)

Anna!(pauses, looks up) If only I had for once gotten lucky. I (delete) worked for two years to get out of that crap hole and just when I found a good reason to stay! (sigh) They send me right back to (drunkenly) Cyrordill. (Sobs) Anna! Anna! She had cheeks of pink, that soft rich pink you see on comberries in the morning dew, and her eyes, soft, but so strong, pulsing with her energy. (Sobs)

If only it hadn’t been this way! (Takes a swing from the bottle) She was a guide, a local girl, and I was just a guard. Man, they were all happy for me, jealous even when they saw me leave. (becoming violent) I saw in there eyes, how they would’ve liked to leave on that ship, to get called back! (Getting up from the seat) Oh (delete) they would’ve loved to get out of that hole! Oh boy, (loosing balance, confused) I could’ve smiled and sent that right back in their faces! I wasn’t a dirty little trainee anymore, I had been pormorteded…(sinking back into the bench)

After a moment, sobbing

Anna, Anna! You loved me didn’t you… (space)Dirty emperor and his sick legions. (kicking away a helmet) Why’d they have to call me back? I had them call me back, I made them. I got the message, Johanus got it to me…I know what happened to you. The wolf, that came to your camp near the river…I could’ve saved you Anna. My Anna…but I was helping the people…(as if waking, realising he’s been lost in his memories) The people, the Emperor, I serve them and only them. I am a captain now, you would be proud of me. (throwing away the bottle) Captain in the legions! You would be proud. (walks away with a faint smile, but still a little drunk)

Author’s note: A skilled playwrite can pass through different emotions inside a very short period of time. Monologues are fantastic because the character you create is alone and the writer can have him burst with emotion as if the audience were to listen to his subconscious. By creating dense emotions and using vocabulary from the streets, one can pull the emotional strings of the audience, and have them feel what the character feels. Notice in this particular text how the emotions easily change from sad, to angry, to proud. Making the character drunk or defining him with a particular tic also adds depth (delete) to the subject in question.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Missed a small punctuation error.
EDIT 2: Italics.

-Starcrunch

[storm_crow]

Thanks alot starcrunch, I'll post the edited version a a day or two.

[storm_crow]

Here it is! The corrected version of the monologue. By the way, I'll be giving in another monologue soon, and I'm working on a dunmer dramatic love/politic play also. Enjoy!

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MONOLOGUE-Confessions of a drunken guard
Written by Veinus Arnatus, professor at the Academy of Literary arts
of the Imperial Library in Cyrodil

(An imperial male enters, dressed in the boots and skirt of the Imperial legion, with a torn common shirt. He is clearly drunk, and carries a half empty bottle of Cyrodiilic brandy)

Two years! (Burp) Two scrib-sucking years stuck in that damned fort in the middle of nowhere. (takes a minute to steady himself before trying to sit on the bench) Two years of freezing my butt out in the cold. What kind of place is Skyrim to have a fort! It’s not like I was one of those crappy legionnaires right? I was a top of the line trainee all along. (Laughs drunkenly) I could’ve guarded the emperor himself. But I got stuck in that (slowly) damn scrib-sucking fort lost in the middle of the ice lands!

(Bows head lost in thought, quiets down for a minute)

Anna! (pause, looks up) If only I had for once gotten lucky. I worked for two years to get out of that crap hole and just when I found a good reason to stay! (sigh) They send me right back to (drunkenly) Cyrordill. (Sobs) Anna! Anna! She had cheeks of pink, that soft rich pink you see on comberries in the morning dew, and her eyes, soft, but so strong, pulsing with her energy. (Sobs)

If only it hadn’t been this way! (Takes a swing from the bottle) She was a guide, a local girl, and I was just a guard. Man, they were all happy for me, jealous even when they saw me leave. (becoming violent) I saw in there eyes, how they would’ve liked to leave on that ship, to get called back! (Getting up from the seat) Oh they would’ve loved to get out of that hole! Oh boy, (loosing balance, confused) I could’ve smiled and sent that right back in their faces! I wasn’t a dirty little trainee anymore, I had been pormorteded… (sinking back into the bench)

(After a moment, sobbing)

Anna, Anna! You loved me didn’t you… Dirty emperor and his sick legions. (kicking away a helmet) Why’d they have to call me back? I had them call me back, I made them. I got the message, Johanus got it to me…I know what happened to you. The wolf, that came to your camp near the river…I could’ve saved you Anna. My Anna…but I was helping the people… (as if waking, realising he’s been lost in his memories) The people, the Emperor, I serve them and only them. I am a captain now, you would be proud of me. (throwing away the bottle) Captain in the legions! You would be proud. (walks away with a faint smile, but still a little drunk)

Author’s note: A skilled writer of plays can pass through different emotions inside a very short period of time. Monologues are fantastic because the character you create is alone and the writer can have him burst with emotion as if the audience were to listen to his subconscious. By creating dense emotions and using vocabulary from the streets, one can pull the emotional strings of the audience, and have them feel what the character feels. Notice in this particular text how the emotions easily change from sad, to angry, to proud. Making the character drunk or defining him with a particular tic also adds depth to the subject in question.

[Starcrunch]

I look forward to reading your other monologue, this one was really good. I can't wait to read the Dunmer play, so much has been written for the Imperial culture that sometimes I feel that the Dunmer culture has been a little left out.

-Starcrunch

[Jacurutu]

A few lore things: (I'm just putting the out-of-place words in bold)

Two years! (Burp) Two scrib-sucking years stuck in that damned fort in the middle of nowhere. (takes a minute to steady himself before trying to sit on the bench) Two years of freezing my butt out in the cold. What kind of place is Skyrim to have a fort! It’s not like I was one of those crappy legionnaires right? I was a top of the line trainee all along. (Laughs drunkenly) I could’ve guarded the emperor himself. But I got stuck in that (slowly) damn scrib-sucking fort lost in the middle of the ice lands!

(Bows head lost in thought, quiets down for a minute)

Anna! (pause, looks up) If only I had for once gotten lucky [is the sexual connotation intentional?]. I worked for two years to get out of that crap hole and just when I found a good reason to stay! (sigh) They send me right back to (drunkenly) Cyrordill. (Sobs) Anna! Anna! She had cheeks of pink, that soft rich pink you see on comberries in the morning dew, and her eyes, soft, but so strong, pulsing with her energy. (Sobs)

If only it hadn’t been this way! (Takes a swing [swig] from the bottle) She was a guide, a local girl, and I was just a guard. Man, they were all happy for me, jealous even when they saw me leave. (becoming violent) I saw in there eyes, how they would’ve liked to leave on that ship, to get called back! (Getting up from the seat) Oh they would’ve loved to get out of that hole! Oh boy, (loosing balance, confused) I could’ve smiled and sent that right back in their faces! I wasn’t a dirty little trainee anymore, I had been pormorteded… (sinking back into the bench)

(After a moment, sobbing)

Anna, Anna! You loved me didn’t you… Dirty emperor and his sick legions. (kicking away a helmet) Why’d they have to call me back? I had them call me back, I made them. I got the message, Johanus got it to me…I know what happened to you. The wolf, that came to your camp near the river…I could’ve saved you Anna. My Anna…but I was helping the people...(as if waking, realizing he’s been lost in his memories) The people, the Emperor, I serve them and only them. I am a captain now, you would be proud of me. (throwing away the bottle) Captain in the legions! You would be proud. (walks away with a faint smile, but still a little drunk)

Author’s note: A skilled writer of plays can pass through different emotions inside a very short period of time. Monologues are fantastic because the character you create is alone and the writer can have him burst with emotion as if the audience were to listen to his subconscious. By creating dense emotions and using vocabulary from the streets, one can pull the emotional strings of the audience, and have them feel what the character feels. Notice in this particular text how the emotions easily change from sad, to angry, to proud. Making the character drunk or defining him with a particular tic also adds depth to the subject in question.

[Starcrunch]

Scroll of Tyronius (a singular document from Vvardenfell) uses the term butt in much the same way.

Brother,

I fear by the time you get this writing, I will have been accepted into the hands of death. I am glad you are not here for the onslaught. We are outnumbered, five undead to a man. I don't know how they got in! We swept the halls of this house of the dead, then we locked up. We were alone. Just myself, Pegasai, Jonis, and Luven. As soon as we saw the first wave, it appeared from behind! I have no idea how they were able to surprise us. It's as if they were appearing out of nowhere. Summoned to this position somehow. We fought long and hard, until we could barely hold our weapons up anymore. Jonis was the first one to get cut down. Brother, our longtime friend Jonis, died in front of me in the most horrible way. But do know, he died with the honor of a fighting man. This battle will not be won. Pegasai urged me deeper into the tomb. I saw not Luven, but heard his dying scream come from somewhere within the tomb. I am taking refuge in this main burial chamber. I am here with our due payment from Goris. He will not get it from my living hands. I will hold up until Pegasai comes for me, or until those cursed bonewalkers come to finish me off.

We committed ourselves to aiding Goris in a task, putting our butts on the line, and he promised payment. I'll be damned if he is going to take it back! Brother, if you make it here and find nothing more than my corpse, I hope you can make some sense out of my final letter to you. Avenge your Brother, and your trusting colleagues so that our souls may lay in peace. Goris can be found in a tomb in Tel Mora. We loot and hideout in the occasional tomb, but that sick fool lives in a tomb with his deader companions. Without his knowledge, I forged a key that fits his tomb entry. Use it to gain entry to his lair. Goris should not, and cannot, get the last action. He betrayed us and used us. Avenge my Brother. Avenge!

Live long and may you always be in good health,
Tyronius

I was actually pretty surprised to find it, but there it was.

-Starcrunch