Merchant of Venice Audition Monologues LAUNCELOT MONOLOGUE

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Merchant of Venice Audition Monologues – LAUNCELOT MONOLOGUE

This is the LAUNCELOT monologue packet. This packet includes a full lengthLauncelot monologue, a shortened version of the same monologue, the No Fear Sparknotes modern translation of the monologue, and the context explaining who this monologue is directed to and where in the play it happens. You may choose to read either the full length or shortened monologue depending on what you are more comfortable with. This monologue may be read by male or female actors.

LAUNCELOT GOBBO

Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from

this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow and

tempts me saying to me 'Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good

Launcelot,' or 'good Gobbo,' or good Launcelot

Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My

conscience says 'No; take heed,' honest Launcelot;

take heed, honest Gobbo, or, as aforesaid, 'honest

Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy

heels.' Well, the most courageous fiend bids me

pack: 'Via!' says the fiend; 'away!' says the

fiend; 'for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,'

says the fiend, 'and run.' Well, my conscience,

hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely

to me 'My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest

man's son,' or rather an honest woman's son; for,

indeed, my father did something smack, something

grow to, he had a kind of taste; well, my conscience

says 'Launcelot, budge not.' 'Budge,' says the

fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience.

'Conscience,' say I, 'you counsel well;' 'Fiend,'

say I, 'you counsel well:' to be ruled by my

conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master,

who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to

run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the

fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil

himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil

incarnal; and, in my conscience, my conscience is

but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel

me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more

friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are

at your command; I will run.

LAUNCELOT Shortened Version

Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master.

The fiend is at mine elbow and tempts me saying to me

‘Good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away.’

My conscience says 'No; take heed,' honest Launcelot;

do not run; scorn running with thy heels.'

Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack:

'Via!' says the fiend; 'Away!' says the fiend;

Well, my conscience says very wisely to me

'My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son -

or rather an honest woman's son for,

indeed, my father did something smack-

Well, my conscience says 'Launcelot, budge not.'

'Budge,' says the fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience.

'Conscience,' say I, 'you counsel well;'

'Fiend,' say I, 'you counsel well:'

To be ruled by my conscience,

I should stay with the Jew my master, who is a kind of devil;

and, to run away from the Jew,

I should be ruled by the fiend, who is the devil himself.

The fiend gives the more friendly counsel:

I will run, fiend; my heels are at your command; I will run.

LAUNCELOT (Modern Translation)

I’m sure I’ll feel guilty if I run away from this Jew, my master. The devil’s on my shoulder, tempting me. He’s saying, “Gobbo,” “Launcelot Gobbo,” “Good Launcelot,” or “Good Gobbo,” or “Good Launcelot Gobbo”—“use your legs and run away.” But my conscience says, “No, Launcelot, calm down, don’t run away.” The devil’s urging me to leave. “Go away!” he says. “Run away! Be tough,” says the devil, “and run!” But then my conscience, hanging around my heart, says very wisely to me, “My good friend Launcelot, you’re a good boy, the son of an honest man,” really, that should be the son of an honest woman, since my father cheated on my mother. Anyway, my conscience says, “Stay put.” “Go,” the devil says. “Don’t go,” says my conscience. “Conscience,” I say, “you give good advice.” “Devil,” I say, “you give good advice.” If I listened to my conscience, I’d stay with the Jew my master, who’s a devil. But if I ran away from the Jew, I’d be following the advice of the devil, who’s the very devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the devil incarnate, and my conscience is giving me a hard time by telling me to stay with the Jew. The devil’s advice is nicer. I’ll run, devil. Tell me to run, and I’ll run.

Context:

Launcelot Gobbo is a servant to Shylock. He is also a witty comedian: the fool in this show. He knows that Shylock, his master can be bitter and selfish and greedy, and Shylock just wrote up a contract saying that he would take a pound of Antonio’s flesh if Antonio could not pay back his loan. Launcelot does not agree with Shylock so he is debating whether he should run away from Shylock or remain a faithful servant. This monologue is delivered as though Launcelot is talking to either himself or the audience. He claims that his conscience is telling him to stay with Shylock while the “fiend,” which could be thought of as his personal desires, is telling him to run away. In the end he decides to abandon Shylock.