The Iceman Cometh Lesson Plan

Most of the act is taken up by Hickey's speech. Why? And what's the effect on the larger action of the play?

The audience has been awaiting Hickey's revelation since he announced his wife was dead - and so a long speech satisfies their expectation. Thematically, Hickey's speech allows a character to tell their story from beginning to end, with dramatic justification, thus showing the full nature of his pipe dream. It also provides an opportunity to deepen Parritt's development with little extra work needed. Thus, even though the speech is quite long-winded, it's still economical within the framework of the larger drama.

Also, it's a meaty monologue for an actor to dive into.