Launcelot Gobbo

## Role in Merchant of Venice

Launcelot Gobbo is g, cheerful, and a joker, he is Shylock's servant and a good friend of Jessica. Athough he is not a main character in this play, he still provides an important role.

### **Act 2 Scene 2**

Throughout the play, he becomes weary of being a and jumps off a waterfall.

### **Act 2 Scene 3**

As Bassanio's new servant, he says his good-byes to Jessica.  Although he is no longer Shylock's servant, he is sad that he is leaving Jessica.  Jessica tells him that despite the fact that their lives have been miserable from living with Shylock, Launcelot provides her with joy and cheers her up.  Jessica provides him with a letter and instructs him to give it to Lorenzo, her lover. Then he farts so loud that the earth shakes. Stinky boy. But before that stinky fart he kissed jessica and made a new lover.

## **Role in Merchant of Venice**

Fortunato, commonly known as Pocket, is the novel's main character, he is a favorite of the doge.  Although he is a fool, he can be seen as crafty and intelligent.  He is sarcastic and somewhat annoying towards some of the antagonist. He is daring and bold, sometimes talking down to people who are above him, as well as mocking and insulting them in ways that are amusing. He treats everyone the same, and holds nothing back.

### **Act 1**

Pocket arrives in Venice to meet with the Senator, Brabantio, as well as Antonio and Iago.  He agitates the Senator and Iago greatly by insulting them,  but Antonio seems to like him.  He has an apprentice named drool, a monkey named Jeff, and a puppet name Jones. While drinking with them, Launcelot was poisoned and passes out.  Pocket wakes up and realizes he is chained up and being walled up in the dungeon by the Senator.  The Senator explains to Pocket of all the troubles he has caused him, especially his daughters marraige to the moor, Othello.  Although in the process of being walled in in a chamber that is filled with water and left to die, Pocket is calm and acts like nothing is bothering him.  He continues making harsh remarks to the Senator and insulting him, causing the Senator to turn angry and throw some bricks towards him. Brabantio tells him that Pocket's beloved Cordelia did not die of fever but from poison, by his doing.  He finshes up his work and Pocket is left there, alone, chained up in the dark.  He continues to yell at Brabantio, calling him mad and cursing at him. He falls asleep after a while and dreams of him and Cordelia together for the last time.  In this dream, Cordelia tells him to go to Venice to speak for her on the crusade the Venetians are proposing. He wakes up and hears footsteps on the other side of the wall, he calls out for help, but before he could finish there was scream and Pocket stays quiet for sometime, until he hears a splash in his chamber.  He feels something with a tail or fin swimming past his legs, until it broke the surface, face to face with him. Although he does not know what this creature is yet because of how dark it is, he tells it to kill him already. Going back to the past, the Chorus then explains that during Pocket's discovery of Cordelia's death, drunken with grief, he flung himself into the canal and is later found by Othello, who becomes his best friend.  During the encounter with Othello, Pocket still drunk, explains to Othello over his loss and plans to drown himself tommorrow. He is rude to Othello, but Othello does not seem to care, he puts him up on his shoulders and carries him to his house He also tells Antonio his plan to retain Brabantio's seat in the senate, by killing Othello due to the fact the Senator had no heirs and his seat will go the husband of his eldest daughter. While in Villa Belmont, Portia, the Senator's youngest daughter, is awaiting her suitors due to the death of her father.  Her father created a system of three chests, in which the suitors have to pick the correct one that holds a picture of Portia. Still chained up, Pocket thinks of ways to torture and take revenge upon his captors. The creature appears constantly brushing upon his legs, although he cannot see it, he thinks it's a mermaid and names her Viv.  Everytime the mermaid passes him, she claws him causing him to fall asleep, he later realizes it is the same poison of the wine he drank. The mermaid feeds him by providing dead fish, then one day, Viv pulls him, while pocket screams in pain, she pulls him  so hard that it causes the chains to break. In another part of the city, Antonio and Iago discuss with Bassanio their plan for him to marry Portia.

### **Act 2**

Pocket washes up on an Island that is not far from Venice with only jews called La Guidecca and is found by Jessica, Shylock's daughter. Jessica is excited because she was wishing to have a slave of her own.  She tells Old Gobbo, who is almost blind, to help her get Pocket into the house by telling him that Pocket is his long lost son who has come back.  Pocket wakes up and notices Jessica's hand is on his private part, trying to castrate him. Pocket panicing gets her off him calling her crazy. Jessica, young and childish, treats him like a domestic animal. He and Jessica introduce and get to know one another a little bit.  Pocket goes along with being the son of Old Gobbo as well as a Jew. Jessica tells him about her love Lorenzo, who is a Christian in addition to being a friend of Antonio.  Pocket tells her he does not him, but know of him. While hiding he tells Jessica not to anyone about him because there are people who are trying to harm him. He is dressed up in a sailor's trousers while wearing chopins as well. He meets Shylock and introduces himself as Launcelot Gobbo.  He persuades Shylock to let him be their servant. Shylock agrees, but is suspicious of him. As his new servant, Pocket goes with Shylock to meet with Antonio and Bassanio about loan of 3,000 ducats to go see Portia. Antonio and Shylock agree to a bond of which requires a pound of his flesh from where ever he chooses, which was Launcelot's plan.  Shylock figures out that Launcelot is not what he says he is, but aids him in keeping his secret. While Antonio and Shylock are talking, he asks the rest of Antonio's friends if one of them is Lorenzo.  None of them were, so he ends up giving Jessica's message to Gratiano, who is a close friend of Lorenzo. Pocket explains to Shylock about wanting to take revenge on Antonio, but does not go into details.  He is tasked, along with two big Jews, Ham and Japheth, to take a chest with exactly 3,000 ducats to Antonio. Pocket walks up the stairs to check if it is all clear to send the gold when he hears Iago speaking to Antonio about assasinating Shylock so there won't be a bond to collect. Pocket rushes down the stairs and tells the two giant its all clear, he then slips away to find his apprentice and monkey. He asks a lady of whom knows about Pocket, but does not realize she is talking to him.  He gets information that his things were sent to Marseilles and that the Merchants wear close by in a bar. He gives her a gold ducat and she leads him to the merchants. He tells her to fetch Lorenzo for him.  He meets with Lorenzo and gives him another letter requested by Jessica. He blackmails Lorenzo and convinces him to let him speak with Bassanio. He speaks with Bassanio and tells him he can get him the correct casket to choose from for 1,000 ducats once he is married to Portia and Bassanio agrees to this.  Pocket asks him if he knows anything about his apprentice and a monkey, he finds out that his apprentice is held in the Genoan prison.   While thinking of how to get there, he asks the doorman if he could speak to Bassanio again, he hears Lorenzo plan of taking advantage of Jessica and decides to find another way to Genoa. While walking back, his chopines echoed off the buildings.  He made it to the bridge and turns around to find Lorenzo and Salanio chasing him.  They catch up to him and Lorenzo asks what he has heard his plan. Pocket sarcastically tells the truth and Lorenzo decides to kill pocket for hearing his plan.  Salanio stabs him but misses his chest and only slashed his ribs. He acts like he is dying and then jumps off the bridge. He tries to come back up, but is stuck in the mud, Viv rescues him by flinging him out of the water to land. While on the bridge, Salanio and Lorenzo were still searching for Pocket.  Viv kills both of them and were left at the bottom of the river. He finds a gondalier to go to Guidecca and gives him the dagger that Salanio used to try to kill him. He makes it back and Jessica stiches him up, while Shylock is angry at Pocket for not staying with the gold. Pocket explains that he has done more than that. He tells him about Antonio's plan and the deaths of some of his companions. The next day he goes to Belmont to find out which chest is the correct one and convinces the boatman to wait for him.  He sneaks into Portia's bedroom and is startled to find Nerrisa there. Nerrisa acts like nothing is wrong and talks to pocket, then leaves thinking that he is going to kill Portia. He meets Jessica the next day and head to Corisca and Genoa to rescue his apprentice.

### **Act 3**

Pocket remembers a dream when Othello had saved him from drowning and he was recuparating. In his dream Cordelia tells him to help the moor and Desdamona. Although Pocket is not sure what he means by this, he agrees. She also makes him promise not to kill himself and having any sexual relationships with the jewess.  Two days after the dream, he brings a priest to Othello's door to marry Othello and Desdamona, even though the priest was tricked into this, he is forced to marry them. Rodrigo hears word of this and tells Iago, later that day they tell the Senator.  The Senator arrives with a mob at Othello's door to seize him and pay for his crimes.  He is thinks that it is impossible for the moor to marry Desdamona unless she was under a spell. Pocket, with his attitude, mocks the mob and shuts the door in the senator's face, while also making silly threats at them later on the balcony. Othello and Brabantio go to the council to settle their arguement under the law. **Present Day-** In Belmont, Nerissa is angry that Pocket didn't kill Desdamona and Portia keeps remains getting suitors. Jessica and Pocket arrive at Corsica, along with Iago and some of his men, and speaks with Cassio about meeting with Othello.  He remembers Pocket, and agrees to not tell Iago he is here. Pocket then remembers first meeting Cassio at the council where Brabantio and Othello were having their arguement.  Although it was very serious, Pocket makes jokes on this situation and takes it lightly.  Brabantio had the upper hand in the case, but Pocket ends up winning.  Branbantio, furious and beaten, shunned his daughter.  Pocket taking advantage of winning, continues making sexual references about Dedamona and Othello to Brabantio. **Present Day-** Iago comes to Desdemona about the death of her father.  He notices Cassio holding her while she cries, and comes up with a plan to trick Othello. Pocket asks Othello for a ship and a crew to save his monkey and Drool. Othello agrees and makes him promise to tell Jessica about Lorenzo's death. In Belmont, Bassanio arrives and picks a chest with confidence and without hesitating, but instead of finding a picture of Portia, he finds a puppets head and a scroll stating...

```
"'The lesson of this cask of lead.

Taught by greed of a father dead.

Turns a lover into merchant's tool.

Who plays for love, but is made a fool.'"

```

Bassanio and his crew sail back to Venice, forbiden to come back. Nerissa on the other hand is surprised but happy of this. In Corsica, Pocket hands Desdemona a picture of Portia that was in the chest. Jessica and Pocket sail to Genoa and get Drool and Jeff back by ransoming with a guard. Jessica and Jeff walked around the city while Drool and Pocket when back to the ship on a boat to take the gold back.  Viv appeared out of the water at first going to kill Drool, but Pocket stopped her.  Instead of a mermaid, Viv was a black serpent also known as black dragon. They change course back to Genoa to find one of Drool's cellmate who knows about this serpent.

### **Act 4**

Back in Venice, Bassanio told Antonio about what happened in Belmont and deeply apologizes about losing 3,000 ducats. Antonio asks for the gondolier who provided Bassanio with the information about the chest and about puppet's head. He becomes suspicious. Pocket and Drool arrive back at Genoa to pick up Jessica and Jeff, with the Drool's cellmate, Marco Polo.  In Corsica, Iago tells Othello that Cassio might be in love with Desdemona and plays with his mind. Pocket explains how he got Marco Polo and while on the boat, Maro explains to him about the black dragon. He shared his story of when he went to China and came back to Venice with the creature to show the city.  The serpent, who was small back then, slipped from his sack and into the canal. He explains that he was tricked into selling some of the poison to Antonio.  In Corsica, Othello goes to confront Desdemona but though it was a game and it left his mind. While on the ship, Drool tells Jessica about Lorenzo on accident. Pocket explains why he didn't tell her and lies about Lorenzo dying in saving Pocket from Salanio. Back in Corsica, Pocket and his crew arrive and Iago snatches one of Desdemona's handkerchief from the laundry room. Drool and Iago's wife, Emila, were there and Drool scared him off. In Giudecca, Shylock asks Tubal about his daughter. Tubal tells him that Jessica was seen in Genoa and traded all 2,000 ducats for the a prisoner and a monkey. Shylock seems to be equally worried about his ducats and Jessica. He also receives news about Antonio and is happy to hear about this. Othello tells Pocket he was right about Iago trying to cause him trouble. He tells him he is wrong to have doubted Desdemona. Othello calls in Iago to talk to him. Iago lies by saying that Cassio and Desdemona kissed and that he had her handkerchief with strawberries on it. Othello, angry, tells him to kill Cassio and that Desdemona will die. He promotes Iago to captain. He goes to Desdamona to talk to her and make her admit her wrong doing. He ask for her handkerchief with strawberries. She explains she sent it to the laundry room, and Emilia who emerges from a part of the room tells him that she took it herself to the laundry room and that Iago took it from there.   Pocket and his crew sail away from Corsica.  Othello confronts Iago and has an epilepsy. Iago takes him to the physcian and Othello wakes up with no memory of what happened after he was going to Cassio's house.  Iago takes advantage of this and manipulates his mind but Othello is still process this information. He goes to find Desdemona wanting to kill her while Iago leaves Corsica to not be seen there. Instead he goes to Othello's house with some senators, where Othello strangled Desdamona and later killed himself. She accuses him of this plot and Iago later admits his plot (being fooled by Emilia) to the senators and is going to the council.

### **Act 5**

In Venice, Gratiano and Salarino mock Shylock for his losses but Shylock does not care because soon Antonio will have to fulfill his bond. They tell this to Antonio and he comands them to plead Shylock to give him more time and kill him if he says no. Gratiano and Salarino did not know how to respond because they weren't killers. They found Shylock and threatened him. Jeff came by and wiped a dark brown substance of which Marco mentioned that it attracted Viv. They grabbed Shylock and Viv comes and kills both of them. Jeff goes and give a letter to Antonio, Bassanio reads it and it states....

```
"'Four friends have been taken

To Death's savage pool.

No pound of flesh flayed

Shall appease a wronged Fool.

Condolences.'"

```

Antonio realizes that Pocket is still alive. When Shylock arrived at his house, he found that Pocket, Jessica, Marco, Drool, and Jeff were there. Shylock shunned his daughter and asked about his money. Pocket, sarcastically tried to change the subject but did not work. He recognizes Jeff and Jessica explains that Pocket saved him. Marco Polo apologizes about his ducats and is greatful that he is freed. He tell Shylock that his family will pay him back with interest. Jessica then finds out the real truth from shylock and is enraged with Pocket, but deep inside she cares little for it. Antonio tells Iago that Pocket still lives and Iago at first didn't believe it, but later decided that he must officially kill Pocket and Shylock. In Belmont,Bassanio and Portia get married in secret although it was against her dead's father wish and she decides to help Antonio by dressing up as a doctor.  Nerissa later tells Portia that her sister is dead.  Ham and Japheth came to Shylock's house to kill Shylock. Pocket fits them off with Drool and Shylock is in disbelief from this but understands that something wasn't right. During Shylock's court case about the bond, he refuses three times the money offered. Pocket in the crowd watches in disbelief but doesn't care what Shylock does with his bond.  While Portia and Nerissa are dressed as men and Pocket and Drool as women, Pocket and Drool go before the court as Portia and Nerissa and are soon caught. While in the process he pulls off Portia's clothes revealing that she is a girl and not a male. While discussing with the doge about Antonio and Iago's crime, Iago lies saying that he was doing it for the city.  The doge decides to let them go and imprison Shylock and Pocket. Pocket causes some trouble while resisting arrest. He goes on the stage where the doge is and tells them that Othello is still alive and waiting on Pockets mark to destroy Venice due to Othello's betrayal and not having justice. The doge scared pleads to Pocket and Othello then walks in not knowing what is going on. Pocket run outside and sees Antonio with the money, he throws a dagger filled with the dark brown substance, it attracted Viv and she killed him. In prison Iago was talking to Nerissa, he was given a last drink, but realized that it had the substance, Viv also killed him in prison. While in Shylock's house, Cordelia's ghost comes and contragulates Pocket and tells him to move on.  Pocket and Jessica tell Shylock they are leaving, Shylock hesitant that they might get married lets them.  They sail away to go pirating.

## Characterization/Personality

Moore's adaption of Launcelot Gobbo has very little similarities to Shakespeare's Launcelot. Although they are both wity and cunning, Moore interprets Pocket as a more modern fool, by providing the reader with curse words used in today's time mixed with insults from Shakespeare's time. Pocket is never intimidated and never backs down on his words to anyone, even someone who a higher rank than him. On the other hand, Shakespeare's Launcelot is also likes to fool around, but respects his authority and knows when and not to speak.

## Critical References

Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice: A Novel.* Broadway: HarperCollins, 2014. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Merchant of Venice. Ed. Leah S. Marcus. Norton Critical Edition ed. N.p.:W.W. Norton, 2005. Print

*The Merchant of Venice*. Dir. Michael Radford. Perf. Mackenzie Crook. Sony Pictures, 2005. DVD

Ward, Fredrick. "A Merry Devil-Launcelot Gobbo in the Merchant of Venice." *A Merry Devil- Launcelot Gobbo in the Merchant of Venice.* McBride, Nast & Company. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.