The foolishness of the lovesick Orlando is followed by a comic dialogue between Touchstone and the older shepherd Corin (beginning at line 11).
The dialogue begins when Corin asks Touchstone how he likes pastoral life. Touchstone responds with a series of contrary statements: (1) it is a good life but it is a life of nothing, (2) he likes it but he also finds it vile or awful, (3) it pleases him but he also finds it tedious or boring, (4) it agrees with him but it also disagrees with him. In other words, Touchstone sees both the positive and negative sides to living in the country. No life is perfect. There is both good and bad in any life. A reader might also interpret Touchstone’s response to suggest that life in any situation depends upon the perspective or attitude of the individual. Life in the country could be good for a person if the person accepts that lifestyle, but it could be bad if he does not.
Then Touchstone asks Corin if he has any philosophy about life (at line 20). Corin responds by making several common observations about life: for example, (1) sickness makes people uncomfortable,
(2) people need money, and (3) rain is wet. Touchstone then replies that Corin is a “natural philosopher” (28). Touchstone’s comment is both a compliment and a criticism: it is a pun because the word natural means both (1) pertaining to nature and
(2) foolish. Thus Corin is either a naturally-born philosopher or a foolish philosopher. Touchstone’s double-meaning response corresponds to his seeing