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As You Like It Play
As You Like It begins with a betrayal. In the
first act, Duke Frederick replaces his older brother
Duke Senior, banishing him to the forest of Arden. Duke
Seniors' daughter Rosalind stays with Duke Frederick's
only daughter Celia until Duke Frederick banishes her
too, fearing the people love Rosalind more than Celia.
Orlando is the youngest son of Sir Rowland, seemingly
a good thing except his elder brother Oliver has denied
him the education and the wealth he deserves. Duke Frederick
and Oliver hope to see the last of Orlando at a wrestling
match but instead Orlando wins, Rosalind falling in
love with Orlando. Rosalind flees into Arden, Celia
loyally joining her. Tipped off that Oliver wants Orlando
dead, Orlando too flees to Arden. Duke Frederick threatens
Oliver with the loss of all he has should he not find
Orlando, Celia and Rosalind.
In Arden, Celia and Rosalind pretend to be the men
Ganymede and Aliena, meeting Touchstone, an irreverent
clown. They buy a flock of sheep, a hut and some land
from shepards Corin and Silvius. We hear of Jacques,
a man with permanent melancholy from Duke Senior. Orlando,
now in the forest and hungry demands food from Duke
Senior and his followers, only to be offered it warmly.
Smitten with Rosalind, and knowing she is in Arden somewhere,
Orlando resorts to carving her name on trees and hanging
love poems from them. Rosalind finds these and still
disguised, asks Orlando how he truly feels about her.
Ganymede decides to help Orlando be cured of his lovesickness.
This backfires, Orlando only loving Rosalind more, Rosalind
too falling more and more in love.
Rosalind watches the romance between the Silvius and
the fair Phoebe unfold, Phoebe being quite rude towards
Silvius. Seeing this injustice, Ganymede tells Phoebe
that she really is not that fair, inadvertantly making
Phoebe fall in love with her! Receiving a love letter
from Phoebe, Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) resolves
to help Silvius.
Elsewhere in Arden Oliver is nearly killed by a lioness
but is saved by Orlando, the two brothers ending their
feud. Oliver has fallen in love with Celia and will
marry the next day. Orlando laments that he cannot marry
Rosalind but Ganymede promises to make this true through
magic. At Oliver and Celia's wedding, Ganymede is revealed
to be Rosalind, delighting Orlando. Silvius will marry
Phoebe since she no longer loves nor wants to marry
Ganymede, now a woman! Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver
and Celia, Silvius and Phoebe and Touchstone and Audrey
are all married. We learn a hermit changes Frederick
for the better and now all exiled are welcomed back
to their estates. The play ends with Jacques wanting
no matter in these festivities...
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V
Act IV
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
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