As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 1 summary
Act 2, Scene 1 of 23 · 3 min to read the scene
In Act 2, Scene 1, Duke Senior praises exile in the forest as more honest than court life, though he regrets the need to hunt its animals. A lord describes Jaques mourning a wounded stag and condemning human cruelty, prompting the Duke to seek him out for conversation.
What happens
- Duke Senior praises forest life, finding honest advice in cold winds and lessons in natural things.
- Amiens agrees that the Duke finds comfort in hardship.
- The Duke proposes hunting deer but regrets wounding animals in their own home.
- The First Lord reports how Jaques watches a wounded stag and compares its suffering with human selfishness.
- After hearing that Jaques remains in tears, the Duke asks to visit him, and the company leaves.
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In this scene
What to notice
The Duke treats suffering as a source of value and knowledge. His outlook contrasts with Jaques’s reported grief and accusations.
Quick check
Why does Duke Senior ask to be taken to Jaques?
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