In Act 2 Scene 2, Launcelot, (the ‘Clown’ in The Merchant of Venice) has met his father, Gobbo,  for the first time. His father is also blind, and he decides to play a little trick on him. Gobbo asks Launcelot where he can find his son ‘The Master Jew’, but he doesn’t know he is in fact talking to his son Launcelot. Launcelot then decides to give him the directions by saying ‘Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew’s house.’ This shows that Launcelot is in the play for the sole purpose of making people laugh and brighten their moods, as the play is quite sad and solemn, they put his character in there to make the audience laugh. I know this as he is describing to a blind person how to get somewhere by the things he will be able to see, but he won’t be able to get to where he is trying to get to as he is blind therefore the directions Launcelot is giving to Gobbo are therefore unneeded. It also seems as if by giving him these directions he is mocking him and attempting to make a joke out of him and put a smile on the audience’s faces. Launcelot then decides to tell Gobbo that he is indeed his son, but as expected Gobbo does not believe him as he says a real son would not attempt to play his father for a fool but instead guide them to what they want, and greet them with respect instead of ‘toying’ with them.