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Shakespeare Monologues for Auditions

Sebastian is confused about his current situation but believes he is not mad. He cannot find his friend Antonio at the Elephant inn. Sebastian's soul tells him this may be a mistake, not madness, but the sudden changes in his fortune make him distrust his senses. He is ready to believe the lady is mad, except she seems to run her household smoothly. Ferdinand finds his work of piling logs painful, but taking orders from his mistress makes his labor a pleasure. She is kinder than her harsh father. Thinking of his mistress refreshes Ferdinand as he works busily.

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35 views5 pages

Shakespeare Monologues for Auditions

Sebastian is confused about his current situation but believes he is not mad. He cannot find his friend Antonio at the Elephant inn. Sebastian's soul tells him this may be a mistake, not madness, but the sudden changes in his fortune make him distrust his senses. He is ready to believe the lady is mad, except she seems to run her household smoothly. Ferdinand finds his work of piling logs painful, but taking orders from his mistress makes his labor a pleasure. She is kinder than her harsh father. Thinking of his mistress refreshes Ferdinand as he works busily.

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Sel Selete
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
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Audition II

Shakespeare monologues

"Twelfth Night, or What you Will"


Sebastian
This is the air, that is the glorious sun.
This pearl she gave me, I do feel t and see t,
And though tis wonder that enwraps me thus,
Yet tis not madness. Wheres Antonio, then?
I could not find him at the Elephant.
Yet there he was, and there I found this credit,
That he did range the town to seek me out.
His counsel now might do me golden service.
For though my soul disputes well with my sense
That this may be some error, but no madness,
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all instance, all discourse,
That I am ready to distrust mine eyes
And wrangle with my reason that persuades me
To any other trust but that I am mad
Or else the ladys mad. Yet if twere so,
She could not sway her house, command her followers,
Take and give back affairs and their dispatch
With such a smooth, discreet, and stable bearing
As I perceive she does. Theres something in t
That is deceivable. But here the lady comes.

modern translation :
Sebastian:
This is the air, thats the glorious sun.
I can feel and see this pearl she gave me.

(Act 4 Sc. 3)

I may be dazed and confused,


but Im not insane. Wheres Antonio, then?
I didnt find him at the Elephant.
But hed been there before me,
and they told me hed gone out looking for me.
I could really use his advice right now.
I feel sure this situation is due to some mistake ,and I dont think Im crazy.
But this sudden flood of good luck
is so unbelievable that Im ready to distrust my own eyes and my own rational mind
when they tell me Im not insanemaybe the ladys insane.
But if that were the case, she wouldnt be able to run her house
command her servants, listen to reports, make decisions,
and take care of business as smoothly as she does.
Theres something going on thats not what it seems.
But here she comes.

_____________________________________________________________________

"The Tempest "

(Act 3 Sc. 1)

Ferdidnand
There be some sports are painful, and their labour

Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness


Are nobly undergone and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead
And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's composed of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such baseness
Had never like executor. I forget:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
Most busy lest, when I do it.

modern translation :
Ferdinand
Some games are painful, but their discomfort
makes them more fun. Some kinds of lowly activities
are done for noble reasons. And you can do poor things
that lead to rich results. This hard work
would be boring and nasty to me, but
Im working for a mistress who makes me enjoy my labor. Oh, shes
ten times nicer than her father is mean,
and hes the height of crabbiness. I have thousands of logs to take away and pile up,
on strict orders from him. My sweet darling
cries when she sees me work and tells me that such a wonderful man

never performed such lowly tasks before.


These sweet thoughts relieve me and refresh me,
especially when Im slaving away busily.

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