The fifth scene begins with a song about life in the country being sung to a few of Duke Senior’s lords. Songs frequently appeared in Renaissance comedies, and just as frequently musicians positioned on the side of the stage accompanied the singer.
The melancholy Jacques is enjoying the song and asks the singer, Amiens, to continue when he breaks off after the first stanza. Although Amiens is reluctant to go on, Jacques encourages him and even adds that he will thank him for the song (at line 20). Of course, the critical Jacques cannot help but add that saying “thank you” lacks sincerity and reminds him of two dog-apes (by which he means baboons) barking at each other. Jacques is criticizing the polite forms of speaking that are considered part of courtly manners. Polite speech is often insincere or dishonest, and the matter-of-fact Jacques far rather prefers speech that is honest and comes from the heart.
After Amiens sings a second stanza of the song, Jacques relates that he has written a third verse or stanza to the same tune: