The small progress we have made after 4 or 5 weeks with each other - our different sentiments on almost every question, producing as many noes as ayes, is proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding.

In this situation, groping in the dark to find political truth, how has it happened that we have not once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding?

In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, we had daily prayer in this room. Our prayers were heard, they were answered. To that we owe this opportunity of establishing our future nation. Have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?

I have lived a long time, and the longer I live, the more proof I see of this truth - that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

Without his aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg that prayer imploring the assistance of Heaven be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business.

I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. We are at a turning point in our history. There are two paths to choose. One is a path that leads to fragmentation and self-interest. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others. All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path -- the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our nation and ourselves. For the sake of our nation, it is time for us to join hands in America. Let us commit ourselves together to a rebirth of the American spirit.

1-Sentence Summary: After the Liberty Bell 7 Capsule is lost at sea, Al Harrison, head of the NASA space task group, has to defend his program at a Senate Hearing.

Monologue starts with: "Let me say first ... discovery is never just for the sake of discovery, gentlemen ... but for the sake of human survival."
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​Time and Place: April 1961, NASA campus Virginia. Monologue is a fictionalized account of what leadership at NASA might have said to the NASA Space Task Group after the Russians beat the US to put the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, on April 12, 1961.
Character's age is 40's-50's.
​Character's gender is male.
Character's name is Al Harrison (played by Kevin Costner) a fictionalized character created as a composite of various leaders at NASA at the time including Robert C. Gilruth, the head of the Space Task Group at Langley Research Center
Monologue genre is dramatic, historic.
Find this monologue 1 hour 16 minutes into Oscar nominated movie "Hidden Figures"
​2-Minute monologue

​Monologue Writing 101 Elements (0 = Not Used. 1 = Used. 2 = Strong Usage)

1. ​Strong Want - 2. To win the Space Race.
2. ​High Stakes - 2. Survival of the country.
3. Tactical Variety - 1. Defend, inspire, win confidence.
4. Hook Opener - 1. Thesis/arguement type.
5. Button Finish - 1. Inspiring close.
6. Sensory - 0
7. Internal Obstacles - 1. Could be hiding his own doubts to project confidence.
8. Past/Present Balance - 0.
9. Discovery - 1. This is Al's monent, he digs deep into himself and speaks. Not rehearsed but strong and passionate and level headed.
10. Restraint - 1. Al may be holding back anger, hiding a crisis of confidence, or containing his passion for space exploration in order to make his points clearly to the senators and come off level headed.

TOTAL "ELEMENT USAGE WEIGHT": 10

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1-Sentence Summary: After finding out they just lost the race to get the first human into space, Al Harrison, head of NASA's Space Task Force, gathers his team in his office.

Monologue starts with: "I want to thank everyone for staying. I know it's late and after what I just saw I'm sure everyone's probably anxious to just go home. Before we do, I just have to ask a question. The same one I've been asking myself all the way over here... which is ...How the hell did we find ourself in second place in a two man race?"
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​Time and Place: April 1961, NASA campus Virginia. Monologue is a fictionalized account of what leadership at NASA might have said to the NASA Space Task Group after the Russians beat the US to put the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, on April 12, 1961.
Character's age is 40's-50's.
​Character's gender is male.
Character's name is Al Harrison (played by Kevin Costner) a fictionalized character created as a composite of various leaders at NASA at the time including Robert C. Gilruth, the head of the Space Task Group at Langley Research Center
Monologue genre is dramatic, historic.
Find this monologue 58 minutes into Oscar nominated movie "Hidden Figures"
​2-Minute monologue

​Monologue Writing 101 Elements (0 = Not Used. 1 = Used. 2 = Strong Usage)

1. ​Strong Want - 2. To win the Space Race.
2. ​High Stakes - 2. Survival of the country.
3. Tactical Variety - 1. Scold, motivate, defend.
4. Hook Opener - 0.
5. Button Finish - 0.5.
6. Sensory - 0.5
7. Internal Obstacles - 1. Fighting against sense of defeat to stay hopeful.
8. Past/Present Balance - 0.
9. Discovery - 1. Character is partially finding the words he needs in the moment to reach his team.
10. Restraint - 0.5. Keeping feeling of defeat pushed down.

TOTAL "ELEMENT USAGE WEIGHT": 8.5

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1-Sentence Summary: Darian shows his sister he does care that dating her best friend is hurting her but appeals to her sympathy because the relationship is really important to him.

Appreciated: The monologue serves as an emotionally honest culmination of the conflict created when Darian begins dating his sister's best (and only) friend.

Monologue starts with the line "I just want you to know you're right, Nadine."
Ends with the line "...the one person that makes me feel like I can take a breath ... I can't have without completely destroying you. So you're right, you're right. It's a blast. I win."
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Character's Age is 18
​Character's gender is male.
Character's name is Darian
Monologue genre is dramatic
Find this monologue in the movie The Edge of Seventeen

​Monologue Writing 101 Elements (0 = Not Used. 1 = Used. 2 = Strong Usage)

1. ​Strong Want - 2. To show his sister how impossible and no-win his situation is.
2. High Stakes - 1. To keep his sister and mother from self-destructing.
3. Tactical Variety - 1. Show his sister how absurd her beliefs are about him and how great his life is, to elicit her sympathy, to show her he isn't as selfish as she thinks and he does genuinely care about her.
4. Hook Opener - 0
5. Button Finish - 1. Closes by calling back the opening "you're right" which means tye opposite, ergo how wrong she is about him.
6. Sensory - 0.5. Reference to breath.
7. Internal Obstacles - 1. Desire not to let her get him angry; but she has.
8. Past/Present Balance - 0.
9. Discovery - 1. He gets caught up in the heat of the arguement.
10. Restraint - 0.

TOTAL "ELEMENT USAGE WEIGHT": 7.5