SSA

Early modern literature
Drama, gender & the body

As You Like It

Act 4, Scene 2

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

Listen to Act 4. LibriVox volunteers recorded “Act 4” as one track, so it runs past this scene and includes stage directions this page leaves out. LibriVox catalog.

JAQUES

Which is he that killed the deer?

FIRST LORD

Sir, it was I.

JAQUES

Let’s present him to the Duke, like a Roman conqueror, and it would do well to set the deer’s horns upon his head for a branch of victory. Have you no song, forester, for this purpose?

SECOND LORD

Yes, sir.

JAQUES

Sing it. no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough.

SECOND LORD

What shall he have that killed the deer?
His leather skin and horns to wear.
Then sing him home:
Take no scorn to wear the horn.
It was a crest wast born.
father’s father wore it
And father bore it.
The horn, the horn, the lusty horn
Is not a thing to laugh to scorn.

All of As You Like It

Act 1

Act 1, Scene 1Act 1, Scene 2Act 1, Scene 3,

Act 2

Act 2, Scene 1Act 2, Scene 2Act 2, Scene 3Act 2, Scene 4Act 2, Scene 5Act 2, Scene 6Act 2, Scene 7,

Act 3

Act 3, Scene 1Act 3, Scene 2Act 3, Scene 3Act 3, Scene 4Act 3, Scene 5,

Act 4

Act 4, Scene 1Act 4, Scene 2Act 4, Scene 3,

Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1Act 5, Scene 2Act 5, Scene 3Act 5, Scene 4,

Opening and close

Epilogue

Open As You Like It in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.