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Scene i : The play opens in a garden outside the house of Oliver. Orlando, Oliver's younger brother, tells an aged servant (Old Adam) that against their deceased father's will, Oliver has been withholding his rightful inheritance, denying him an education and treating him like a lackey. When an angry Oliver appears on stage, he scolds both Orlando and Adam, kicking the "old dog" even as the elderly servant urges his masters to be at peace for their father's sake. Orlando reacts by seizing Oliver and as the bad blood between them turns violent, Orlando and Adam exit, leaving Oliver alone to declare his intentions to do away with Orlando. A messenger arrives with news from court that the old Duke Senior has been banished to the forest of Arden by his usurping brother, the new Duke Frederick. He also says that Duke Senior's daughter, Rosalind, has not gone with her father but stayed at court with beloved cousin Celia (Duke Frederick's daughter). A wrestler named Charles arrives and tells Oliver that Orlando plans to don a disguise and challenge him to a bout, adding that he is worried about seriously injuring Orlando. Oliver falsely reports that Orlando is a cunning villain and urges Charles to spare nothing. Charles replies that he will "give him his payment." It is already evident that Orlando is the comic "hero" and Oliver the "villain" of the play and that various forms of deception, including disguises, will be used. At the same time, the parallel between the warring brothers, on the one hand, and the two Dukes, on the other, is immediately established.Scene ii: On the lawn in front of the ruling Duke Frederick's house, Celia tries to cheer up her beloved cousin Rosalind who is naturally saddened by her father's being exiled at the command of her uncle. Rosalind says that she will try to overcome her sadness by sharing in Celia's joys. The court jester, a clown named Touchstone enters and immediately displays a comical way of twisting words. Then a courtier named Le Beau appears with the news that the wrestler Charles has beaten several foes of late, breaking their bones in the process. Rosalind and Celia consider going to the wrestling match. Duke Frederick and his court enter with a flourish with Charles and a disguised Orlando. As Rosalind and Celia watch, Orlando throws Charles, bringing praise from the Duke. But Orlando then reveals to the Duke that he is the younger son of Sir Rowland de Boys, who supported Duke Senior against Duke Frederick. Frederick's praise of Orlando comes to an abrupt halt and he withholds the winner's purse from the youth. Nevertheless, Rosalind congratulates Orlando and gives him a chain from her neck. When the cousins leave, Orlando says that he has been struck with love for Rosalind. The dandy Le Beau enters and tells Orlando that he must leave the court immediately because Duke Frederick intends to harm him. Orlando learns that Rosalind is the daughter of the banished Duke Senior and then departs. Scene iii: The setting is the Duke's palace where Celia and Rosalind talk about their encounter with Orlando. Celia realizes that her cousin has also been struck by Cupid. Duke Frederick appears and orders Rosalind to leave court. He gives no reason for this other than saying that she is a traitor, or "let it suffice that I trust ye not" (l.55). She protests that her father was not a traitor nor is treason inherited. When the Duke leaves, Celia asks Rosalind where she will go and promises to accompany her. Celia then suggests that they should go to the forest of Arden where Duke Senior and his followers have taken refuge. Fearing that two women travelling alone might be assaulted by woodland robbers, Rosalind says that she will disguise herself as a young shepherd by the name of Ganymed, while Celia says that she will act the part of Aliena, Ganymed's sister. The two agree to bring Touchstone along with them, and they go forth "To liberty, and not to banishment" (l.138). Scene i : The setting now shifts to Arden Forest itself. We see Duke Senior, his counselor Amiens and a few other lords dressed like hunters; they talk about the sturdy virtues of life in the natural world. The Duke says that they are free in their natural surroundings from the artifice and cruelty of the court, and remarks that "Sweet are the uses of adversity" (II, I, l.12). One of the Lords recounts an amusing story about the "melancholy" Jaques, a gloomy loner now attached to Duke Senior's court, who was seen to grieve over the killing of a deer.Scene ii: Back at the court, Duke Frederick learns that his daughter and Rosalind have left. He mistakenly believes that they are with Orlando and sends a lord to find him or else bring his older brother Oliver before Frederick, who will then force him to find his younger brother. ) Scene iii: In front of Oliver's house, Adam tells Orlando that Duke Frederick plans to kill him that night. The loyal servant volunteers to flee with Orlando and use his life savings to fund their escape and exile. Orlando expresses his gratitude for Adam's "antique" loyalty which is not the fashion of these self-centered times and the two resolve to quit city. Scene iv: Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone arrive in the Forest of Arden exhausted from their journey. An old man, Corin, and a young one, Silvius, appear. Silvius expresses his love for Phebe and his distress at being rejected by her. Corin tells the new arrivals to Arden about a nearby farm that is for sale and they agree to buy it and to hire him as their shepherd. Scene v: One of Duke Senior's lords, Amiens, sings a song about the advantages of living in the wild. He and the other lords ridicule Jaques for his downhearted nature. Amiens and the members of the exiled court sing a second song in which they invite those jaded by courtly life to join them in Arden. Jaques responds with a parody of it in which he invites those who turn "ass" and other "gross fools" to the pastoral life. Scene vi: Orlando and Adam reach the forest, tired and hungry. Scene vii: At Duke Senior's camp in the forest, the Duke and his men are eating when Jaques arrives with the report that he has encountered a fool (Touchstone) who plays with words. Jaques wishes that he were a fool, saying that he is "ambitious for a motley coat" (l.43). Orlando bursts upon the scene with his sword drawn, demanding food. Duke Senior allows invites him to sit down and share in their meal. Orlando asks their pardon, explaining that he thought all things in the forest were savage. The scene concludes with Jaques' famous oration on the seven ages of man, the last stage and the speech ending on a pathetic note of Old Age being a "second childishness" in which old men face their death, "Sans (without) teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing" (ll.165-166). Orlando returns to Duke Senior's camp carrying Old Adam, and the Duke tells him that he loved Orlando's father. Scene i : At Duke Frederick's court, the Duke says that he does not believe Oliver's story that he has not seen Orlando. He strips Oliver of his title and tells him that he will be executed or banished if he fails to find his younger brother within a year's time.Scene ii: Back in the forest (where the remainder of the play takes place), Orlando hangs a love letter to Rosalind on a tree. Corin and Touchstone discuss the country life. Touchstone tries to gull the old shepherd and his lack of philosophy, but Corin stands by his way of life and holds his own. Disguised as Corin's new young master Ganymed, Rosalind appears with one of the love poems to her that Orlando has written. Touchstone mocks it with a parody, spouting lines like "If a hart do lack a hind/Let him seek out Rosalind" (ll.101-102). Celia enters in her Aliena disguise with another poem and tells Rosalind that she has seen Orlando sleeping nearby. Orlando and Jaques arrive and Rosalind eavesdrops on their conversation. Jaques makes fun of Orlando's love for Rosalind, and Orlando says that he is wearied by Jaques negative attitudes. Disguised as a man, Rosalind speaks with Orlando, trying first to provoke him into an argument. But the conversation soon turns friendly and he tells her about his banishment and about his love for Rosalind. Disguised as Ganymed, Rosalind suggests that he practice courting Rosalind, with Ganymed (the real Rosalind) playing the part of Orlando's beloved. Scene iii: Touchstone has found his own lover in the female goat herder Audrey. With Jaques trailing along and making comic asides about the pair, Touchstone and Audrey discuss their plans to marry. A country parson named Sir Oliver Martext enters to conduct a mock ceremony. Scene iv: In another part of the forest, Rosalind tells Celia that she is upset that Orlando is late for his courtship practice session with Ganymed. Rosalind also tells her cousin that she encountered her father, Duke Senior the previous day, who asked about her parentage. To this she had playfully responded that her father (Duke Senior) is as good as he (Duke Senior) is. Corin enters and suggests that Rosalind and Celia watch as Silvius tries to woo Phebe. Scene v: Continuing this episode, when Rosalind overhears Phebe rejecting Silvius, she scolds her. In the disguise of Ganymed, Rosalind interrogates Phebe, "Who might be your mother/That you insult, exult, and all at once,/Over the wretched?" (ll.35-36). Rosalind then ridicules Phebe for her lack of beauty and her bugle eyeballs, saying "Tis fools such as you/That makes the world full of ill-favor'd children." (ll.52-53). Ironically, Phebe falls madly in love with Ganymed (Rosalind). Scene i : In another patch of the forest of Arden, an exchange take place between Jaques and Rosalind. Rosalind says that "they say you are a melancholy fellow," and Jaques explains that his form of "melancholy" is mine own. She roundly criticizes his pessimism and says that his "melancholy" is a result of Jaques's decision to travel the world alone without a home. Orlando enters, apologizes for being late and practices his courtship of Rosalind with Ganymed (again, Rosalind in disguise). The session leads to several comically ironic remarks by Ganymed, as she tells him "I am your Rosalind" while continuing to conceal her true identity. Rosalind asks Celia to perform a mock marriage ceremony. When Orlando leaves for an appointment with Duke Senior, Rosalind tells Celia that she is more in love with Orlando than ever.Scene ii: This Act is a short "set piece" in which Jaques and some of Duke Senior's lords sing a song about hunting deer. Scene iii: Rosalind is again upset with Orlando for being late when Silvius enters bearing a love letter from Phebe to Ganymed. Rosalind sends him back to Phebe with a letter rejecting the suit. The "evil" brother Oliver appears, his cordial greeting of Rosalind and Celia showing in an instant that he is a changed man. Carrying a bloody bandage, Oliver recounts that while he was sleeping in the woods, a lion approached and was ready to kill him when Orlando came upon the scene. After wavering a bit, Orlando battled the beast and saved his brother. Ganymed (Rosalind) and Aliena (Celia) ask Oliver if he is, in fact, Orlando's brother. He responds: "T'was I, but 'tis not I" (l.135), saying that he has undergone a "conversion" as a result of his younger brother's courageous unselfishness. Oliver adds that Orlando is recovering from wounds sustained in battle with the lion and that Orlando fainted after the fight while calling out Rosalind's name. Oliver presents Ganymed (Rosalind) with a bloody bandage as proof of his tale, causing Rosalind to faint. Scene i : Touchstone and Audrey encounter another suitor for Audrey's hand, William. Touchstone uses his vulgar wit and way with words to dissuade William from pursuing Audrey.Scene ii: The reconciled brothers Orlando and Oliver are together on stage. Orlando professes love for Rosalind, and Oliver then says that he has fallen in love with Aliena (Celia in disguise), and that they will be married on the next day. Oliver says that he will transfer the family estate to Orlando and live with Aliena (Celia) in the forest. Rosalind (disguised as Ganymed) appears and Orlando expresses his love-sickness for Rosalind. Rosalind then asserts that she is a "magician" who is able to conjure Rosalind's presence, that Orlando will marry his beloved on the next day. Silvius and Phebe enter. Ganymed promises that he (actually she) will marry Phebe if he marries anyone but that if Ganymed will marry no other woman, then Phebe must wed Silvius, a rigged proposition that Phebe accepts. Scene iii: Another "set piece" begins with Touchstone and Audrey discussing their wedding plans, after which two pages enter and sing a song about a lover and his lass. Scene iv: The play's last scene remains in the Forest of Arden. It opens with Duke Senior, his companions Amiens and Jaques, Orlando and Oliver, and Celia on stage. Rosalind, dressed as Ganymed, enters and gain's her father Duke Senior's permission for Rosalind to marry Orlando if Ganymed can bring Rosalind into "being." Ganymed departs, and Touchstone and Audrey arrive. Another son of Sir Rowland, Jaques de Boys, shows up with the news that the "evil" Duke Frederick has also undergone a conversion. Entering Arden with the intention of killing his older brother, Duke Frederick encountered an old religious man, underwent a spiritual conversion and now wants to return the throne to the rightful ruler, his brother Duke Senior. The god of marriage, Hymen, appears, along with Rosalind (who has shed her disguise) and Celia. All of the couples, Rosalind and Orlando, Celia and Oliver, Touchstone and Audrey, Silvius and Phebe, are married and engage in a joyful dance or "masque" in which the entire cast participates with the noteworthy exception of Jaques. The play ends with an epilogue recited by Rosalind. |
| As You Like It |