Monologue

Orlando Monologue from As You Like It

From As You Like It by William Shakespeare

male · contemplative · 53 sec

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O good old man, how well in thee appears The constant service of the antique world, When service sweat for duty, not for meed. Thou art not for the fashion of these times, Where none will sweat but for promotion, And having that do choke their service up Even with the having. It is not so with thee. But, poor old man, thou prun’st a rotten tree, That cannot so much as a blossom yield In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry. But come thy ways, we’ll go along together, And ere we have thy youthful wages spent We’ll light upon some settled low content.

About this piece

Orlando reflects on the virtues of an old man who embodies the values of a bygone era, contrasting them with the self-serving nature of contemporary society.

20s · melancholy · service · age · contentment · nature

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