ItiscurioustoobservethetendencywhichthedialogueofLordByronalwayshastoloseitscharacterofadialogue，andtobecomesoliloquy。ThescenesbetweenManfredandtheChamois—
hunter，betweenManfredandtheWitchoftheAlps，betweenManfredandtheAbbot，areinstancesofthistendency。Manfred，afterafewunimportantspeeches，hasallthetalktohimself。
Theotherinterlocutorsarenothingmorethangoodlisteners。
TheydropanoccasionalquestionorejaculationwhichsetsManfredoffagainontheinexhaustibletopicofhispersonalfeelings。IfweexaminethefinepassagesinLordByron’sdramas，thedescriptionofRome，forexample，inManfred，thedescriptionofaVenetianrevelinMarinoFaliero，theconcludinginvectivewhichtheolddogepronouncesagainstVenice，weshallfindthatthereisnothingdramaticinthesespeeches，thattheyderivenoneoftheireffectfromthecharacterorsituationofthespeaker，andthattheywouldhavebeenasfine，orfiner，iftheyhadbeenpublishedasfragmentsofblankversebyLordByron。
ThereisscarcelyaspeechinShakspeareofwhichthesamecouldbesaid。NoskilfulreaderoftheplaysofShakspearecanenduretoseewhatarecalledthefinethingstakenout，underthenameof\"Beauties，\"orof\"ElegantExtracts，\"ortohearanysinglepassage，\"Tobeornottobe，\"forexample，quotedasasampleofthegreatpoet。\"Tobeornottobe\"hasmeritundoubtedlyasacomposition。Itwouldhavemeritifputintothemouthofachorus。ButitsmeritasacompositionvanisheswhencomparedwithitsmeritasbelongingtoHamlet。ItisnottoomuchtosaythatthegreatplaysofShakspearewouldloselessbybeingdeprivedofallthepassageswhicharecommonlycalledthefinepassages，thanthosepassageslosebybeingreadseparatelyfromtheplay。Thisisperhapsthehighestpraisewhichcanbegiventoadramatist。