Do You Like It?

TOUCHSTONE
Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good
life, but in respect that it is a shepherd's life,
it is naught. In respect that it is solitary, I
like it very well; but in respect that it is
private, it is a very vile life. Now, in respect it
is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in
respect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As
is it a spare life, look you, it fits my humour well;
but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much
against my stomach. Hast any philosophy in thee, shepherd?
CORIN
No more but that I know the more one sickens the
worse at ease he is; and that he that wants money,
means and content is without three good friends;
that the property of rain is to wet and fire to
burn; that good pasture makes fat sheep, and that a
great cause of the night is lack of the sun; that
he that hath learned no wit by nature nor art may
complain of good breeding or comes of a very dull kindred.


Scene: The forest, Touchstone sat under a tree, twirling a long piece of grass. In addition to Rosaline and Celia making him leave Court Street in Brooklyn New York, they have also made Touchstone throw away his iPhone in fear of being followed. Touchstone, sick of the boring life of the “natural” world decides to ask the country bumpkin that he has happened across on their travels in West Shokan, NY.

In modern lingo I see the conversation going a bit more like this….

T-Stone:
Dude, it’s not a bad life for a suburban yuppie but your life is nothing to compared to the city life. I get the whole away from the city thing, which is nice. But it is only you out here; there are no parties, not even a kegger around a bonfire! This nature, it is cool. Still it is no city and I have been here for way too long. I don’t mind coming out here every once in a while, it doesn’t bug me but, like I said, too much of it, makes me sick. Any advice?

Corey:
I don’t know much but I know that the sicker you get, the worse you will feel. If ya don’t have no money, or job you won’t have any friends. Rains job is to be wet and fire is to burn. A good field will make a fat sheep. I know that it is night because there is no sun. I also know that anyone who complains so much is because he got nothing out of nature or school.
Corey is a sort of philosopher in this sense here. He is taking T-Stone and bringing him back to reality. I guess I kind of saw Corey as being the man who thinks that the city has corrupted the mind of the city dweller. Corey is simplistic, perhaps because he never knew as better but he will call T-Stone out on it. Although he is cleaver, he tries to take a jab at T-Stone. T-Stone of course finds this funny and then eggs him on. I think that T-Stone has been in want of other conversation so much that he keeps talking to Cory but truly finds him beneath him, even though he is just a clown. I think that Shakespeare he is really playing up on the human nature of class distinction. Although clowns were wanted at court, they were be no means royals or had much stature and could be disposed of. However, once outside of court, T-Stone uses his connections to the city to elevate his power.