Seen better days Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

Pondering life's big questions is the activity of choice in As You Like It, where debating about philosophical points of view is a bit of an Olympic sport. To be fair, what else are characters supposed to do with their time in the Forest of Arden? Herd sheep? Not likely.

Just about everyone in As You Like It has an opinion about the nature of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, the play never offers up any definitive answers to the big questions it raises. Instead, Shakespeare shows us multiple viewpoints and invites the audience to decide for themselves.

Duke Senior is just one of those viewpoints. His brand of wake up on the right side of the bed might work for some, but Jaques isn't having any of it. He is grumpy every chance he gets. He even wishes he were paid to point out others' faults. But Shakespeare gives us both to balance each other out.

In other words, how you look at it is your prerogative. If you want to think about your time as tough right now, like Jaques, that's fine. But someone else like Duke Senior might just say he's "seen better days." It's up to you.