Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Melancholia and Wandering - An extract from 'As You Like It' (Act IV, Scene I)

JAQUES: Why, 'tis good to be sad and say nothing.
ROSALIND: Why then, 'tis good to be a post.
JAQUES: I have neither the scholar's melancholy, which is emulation, nor the musician's, which is fantastical, nor the courtier's, which is proud, nor the soldier's, which is ambitious, nor the lawyer's, which is politic, nor the lady's, which is nice, nor the lover's, which is all these: but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects, and indeed the sundry's contemplation of my travels, in which my often rumination wraps me in a most humorous sadness.
ROSALIND: A traveller! By my faith, you have great reason to be sad: I fear you have sold your own lands to see other men's; then, to have seen much and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.
JAQUES: Yes, I have gained my experience.

2 comments:

  1. i had to google my mind a bit to understand,nevertheless something to read in office!

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  2. Hehe, I'm glad my blog helps in the worthy cause of procrastination

    ReplyDelete