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Shakespeare on Stage
Original Shakespeare Company, A Midsommer Night's Dreame (Midsummer Midsommer). To Jun. 21, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, All's Well That Ends Well. To Nov. 29, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
SIP Editors, Measure for Measure. To Aug. 4, 2013.
Original Shakespeare Company, As You Like It. To Jun. 23, 2013.
More Performances…
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As You Like It (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: David Bevington
Peer Reviewed

[2.5]

Enter Amiens, Jaques, and others.
[A table is set out.]
890
Song
Amiens [Sings]
Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me,
And turn his merry note
Unto the sweet bird's throat,
895Come hither, come hither, come hither.
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.
Jaques More, more, I prithee, more.
Amiens It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.
900Jaques I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more.
Amiens My voice is ragged. I know I cannot please you.
905Jaques I do not desire you to please me, I do desire you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo. Call you 'em "stanzos"?
Amiens What you will, Monsieur Jaques.
Jaques Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me 910nothing. Will you sing?
Amiens More at your request than to please myself.
Jaques Well then, if ever I thank any man, I'll thank you. But that they call "compliment" is like th'encounter of two dog-apes; and when a man thanks me heartily, 915methinks I have given him a penny, and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your tongues.
Amiens Well, I'll end the song. -- Sirs, cover the while; the Duke will drink under this tree. -- He hath been all this 920day to look you.
[Food and drink are set out.]
Jaques And I have been all this day to avoid him. He is too disputable for my company. I think of as many matters as he, but I give heaven thanks and make no boast of them. 925Come, warble, come.
Song
Amiens [Sings] Who doth ambition shun,
And loves to live i'th' sun,
Seeking the food he eats,
930And pleased with what he gets, All together here
Come hither, come hither, come hither.
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.
Jaques I'll give you a verse to this note that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.
935Amiens And I'll sing it.
Jaques Thus it goes:
If it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease
A stubborn will to please,
940Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame.
Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
An if he will come to me.
Amiens What's that "ducdame"?
Jaques 'Tis a Greek invocation, to call fools into a circle. 945I'll go sleep, if I can; if I cannot, I'll rail against all the first-born of Egypt.
Amiens And I'll go seek the Duke. His banquet is prepared.
Exeunt [separately].