My theater teacher told me to circle the beats in my monologue, what are beats in a monologue?

Explanation:

A beat is the smallest unit of action in a play. It contains a distinct beginning, middle, and end. In a beat, characters pursue a simple objective.

Most beats can be grouped into three categories. First, beats change when any character enters or exits a scene.

A second type of beat change occurs when other situations shift. Characters change the topic of conversation, discover something new, or the outside world intrudes upon action onstage.

Finally, beats change when characters change the tactics used to achieve an objective.

Hope it helps :)