Figure of Speech

In Figure of Speech, Leonard visits his friend in hope of having his business purchased, but business games have their play between pals.

Featured Monologue – Figure of Speech

GARY:  Haven’t I been there fer ya..as a friend? Haven’t I been there, Leonard? When you were jammed up durin’ the recession ‘ere..who came to your aid? Wasn’t the banks, wasn’t yer family..it was me! I’m the one who saved your ass. Me! You’d be out on the street if it weren’t for the time we got you out that hole. I spared ya life…literally, at no interest to ya.

Listen now, now I’m not tryna’ short change ya, but this is business and we ‘ave history, a good history I assume. I’m giving you a fair offer, yes, I’m bargainin’ just a tad alright but what other options do you ‘ave? You could sleep well at night. Marvelously!

Why th’ fuss? Why th’ hesitation? I even offered you an extra hundred gran christ almighty..take the deal ya selfish son of a p’k and be free of all this!

Say yes! The wife’ll be happy, kids’ll be happy — RETIRE and do the paintin’ you’ve always complained to me ’bout. Ah jeez. (Beat.) Sorry. (Beat.) I’m frustrated, Len. (Beat.) You frustrate the sh’t out of me. (Pause.) I’ll give you an additional hundred gran…but, that’s it Lenny. (Waving his arms.) That’s all I got! Go on. (Pointing.) Sign the sheet and let’s be done. Come on! (Pointing.) Sign the damn document, Lenny…Why are you…(Sighs.) ‘ere ‘ave a smoke…(Lights cigarette.) Ah, not tryna’ pressure you, okay? But you gotta allow me to make money on this deal. I promised you that this won’t be a quick flip. I’ll ride it out…three years, three years I’ll be lucrative, but even then…Oh, I don’t know…

(Giving in.) This is what you do, gettin’ second thoughts about this now…Some days I wonder if it’s all worth it. Why do I kill myself fer it?

Look, you’re my friend Leonard, okay? Work with me here…It’s the best offer I can provide for you…let’s get it done and we’ll go for steaks.

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Monologue Summary

In drama monologue from Figure of Speech, Gary tries to convince Leonard why the deal he is offering him for his business is a very good one.

• Genre: Drama
• Length: ~1 Minute
• Monologue Character: Gary
• Age Range: Any
• Themes: friendship, business, negotiation
• Best For: Male Drama Monologues

World of the Play

• Cast Size: 2 characters
• Characters in Play: Gary, Leonard
• Time Period: Modern
• Synopsis: In the one act eplay Figure of Speech, Leonard has a meeting with a longtime friend in order to review his company accounts and discuss the potential buying opportunity of his business.

FAQ

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Monologue Source: Figure of Speech

Figure of Speech is a dramatic one-act ePlay by Joseph Arnone, 2026.