Skip to content
Storgy

As You Like ItModern English

As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 1

The Forest of Arden

The original text and a plain modern English rendering, side by side. Free, no sign-up.

Which text to show for Act 5, Scene 1

Original

Modern English

  1. Enter Touchstone and Audrey.

    Touchstone and Audrey come in.

  2. Touchstone1

    We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.

    We'll find a time, Audrey; be patient, kind Audrey.

  3. Audrey2

    Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman’s saying.

    Honestly, the priest was good enough, whatever the old gentleman said.

  4. Touchstone3

    A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.

    A thoroughly wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a thoroughly vile Martext. But Audrey, there's a young man here in the forest who claims you as his.

  5. Audrey5

    Ay, I know who ’tis. He hath no interest in me in the world.

    Yes, I know who it is. He has no claim on me at all.

  6. Enter William.

    William comes in.

  7. Audrey6

    Here comes the man you mean.

    Here comes the man you mean.

  8. Touchstone7

    It is meat and drink to me to see a clown. By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for. We shall be flouting; we cannot hold.

    It's food and drink to me to see a country bumpkin. Honestly, those of us with good brains have a lot to answer for. We can't help mocking people; we can't hold back.

  9. William10

    Good ev’n, Audrey.

    Good evening, Audrey.

  10. Audrey11

    God ye good ev’n, William.

    God give you a good evening, William.

  11. William12

    And good ev’n to you, sir.

    And good evening to you, sir.

  12. Touchstone13

    Good ev’n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head. Nay, prithee, be covered. How old are you, friend?

    Good evening, kind friend. Put your hat on, put your hat on. No, please, keep it on. How old are you, friend?

  13. William15

    Five-and-twenty, sir.

    Twenty-five, sir.

  14. Touchstone16

    A ripe age. Is thy name William?

    A ripe age. Is your name William?

  15. William17

    William, sir.

    William, sir.

  16. Touchstone18

    A fair name. Wast born i’ th’ forest here?

    A fine name. Were you born here in the forest?

  17. William19

    Ay, sir, I thank God.

    Yes, sir, thank God.

  18. Touchstone20

    “Thank God.” A good answer. Art rich?

    "Thank God." A good answer. Are you rich?

  19. William21

    Faith, sir, so-so.

    Honestly, sir, so-so.

  20. Touchstone22

    “So-so” is good, very good, very excellent good. And yet it is not, it is but so-so. Art thou wise?

    "So-so" is good, very good, very excellently good. And yet it isn't, it's only so-so. Are you wise?

  21. William24

    Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.

    Yes, sir, I have a fairly good mind.

  22. Touchstone25

    Why, thou sayst well. I do now remember a saying: “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth, meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?

    Well, you speak well. I now remember a saying: "The fool thinks he is wise, but the wise man knows he is a fool." The pagan philosopher, when he wanted to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth, meaning by that that grapes were made to be eaten and lips to be opened. Do you love this girl?

  23. William30

    I do, sir.

    I do, sir.

  24. Touchstone31

    Give me your hand. Art thou learned?

    Give me your hand. Are you educated?

  25. William32

    No, sir.

    No, sir.

  26. Touchstone33

    Then learn this of me: to have is to have. For it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out of cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other. For all your writers do consent that ipse is “he.” Now, you are not ipse, for I am he.

    Then learn this from me: to have is to have. For it's a figure of speech in rhetoric that drink, poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the one empties the other. For all your writers agree that ipse means "he." Now, you are not ipse, for I am he.

  27. William37

    Which he, sir?

    Which he, sir?

  28. Touchstone38

    He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon—which is in the vulgar, “leave”—the society—which in the boorish is “company”—of this female—which in the common is “woman”; which together is, abandon the society of this female, or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage. I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel. I will bandy with thee in faction; will o’errun thee with policy. I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways! Therefore tremble and depart.

    He, sir, who must marry this woman. Therefore, you bumpkin, abandon—which in everyday speech is "leave"—the society—which in rough talk is "company"—of this female—which in ordinary language is "woman"; which all together comes to: abandon the society of this female, or, bumpkin, you perish; or, so you understand it better, you die; or, to put it plainly, I kill you, do away with you, turn your life into death, your freedom into slavery. I'll use poison on you, or a beating with a club, or a blade. I'll gang up against you in a quarrel; I'll overwhelm you with cunning. I'll kill you a hundred and fifty different ways! So tremble and go.

  29. Audrey47

    Do, good William.

    Do it, good William.

  30. William48

    God rest you merry, sir.

    God keep you happy, sir.

  31. Exit.

    He leaves.

  32. Enter Corin.

    Corin comes in.

  33. Corin49

    Our master and mistress seek you. Come away, away.

    Our master and mistress are looking for you. Come along, come along.

  34. Touchstone50

    Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend.

    Hurry along, Audrey, hurry along, Audrey! I'm coming, I'm coming.

  35. Exeunt.

    They leave.

Ask about this work

The reader has this scene in front of it — the original text and the modern English beside it, line by line — along with the act’s summary. Ask what a speech means, what a character is deciding, or where the language turns.

It cites the chapter or the line it is working from, and it says so plainly when the guide doesn’t cover something. It’s instructed never to write an essay, a paragraph or an answer for you to hand in, and never to grade anything — it will show you how to approach the question instead.

Sign in to ask the reader about this work — 1 credit covers three messages.

Create an accountSign in

Original text: Project Gutenberg edition #1523 (public domain, edited by the PG Shakespeare Team). Modern English rendering by Storgy.