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As You Like It Act 2, Scene 5 Summary

Read the full text of As You Like It Act 2 Scene 5 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Amiens (another lord attending Duke Senior) enters singing a song about how much fun it is to run around the countryside singing.
  • Jaques begs him to keep singing.
  • Amiens counters it will only make Jaques more melancholy.
  • Still, since Jaques loves to be unhappy, he wants Amiens to keep singing. He says "I can suck melancholy/ out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more."
  • Amiens points out that Duke Senior has been looking for Jaques all day, and Jaques points out he's been avoiding the Duke all day.
  • Jaques sings a mean little verse he's made up about men's foolishness for leaving the court, and announces he'll sleep while Amiens finds the Duke to come to the evening's banquet.