# Scene II explained — As You Like It

> Chapter companion for As You Like It by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

In the Forest of Arden, Jaques and the foresters celebrate the killing of a deer with a mock Roman triumph and a song that playfully defends the wearing of horns as a natural and honorable crest.

## Themes in this chapter

### Fortune and Nature

The song's celebration of the deer's horns as a natural crest inherited from one's father underscores the theme of nature's enduring and unashamed cycles.

## Character check-ins

### Jaques

Jaques orchestrates a mock Roman triumph for the deer-killer and calls for a song, showing his characteristic blend of melancholy and wit.

## Key lines

> What shall he have that kill'd the deer? His leather skin and horns to wear.

What reward should the deer-killer receive? He gets the deer's hide and antlers to wear.

_The forester's song outlines the traditional spoils of the hunt, emphasizing the physical trophies taken from the animal._

> Take thou no scorn to wear the horn; It was a crest ere thou wast born: Thy father's father wore it, And thy father bore it

Do not be ashamed to wear the horn; it was a symbol of honor before you were born: your ancestors wore it, and your father did too.

_Jaques's song defends the horn as a noble and ancient emblem, turning a potential mark of shame into a badge of lineage and natural pride._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/as_you_like_it_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/as_you_like_it_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/as_you_like_it_se/chapters