As You Like It Video

As You Like It is a comedy by William Shakespeare. Written between 1598 and 1600, the play is inspired by the pastoral tradition in which natural landscapes provide refuge from the chaos of city dwelling. As such, the play is primarily set in a forest just outside the court of sixteenth-century France. It features two central plots: the mounting conflict between Orlando and his older brother, Oliver, as well as the usurpation of the ducal throne by Duke Frederick from his brother, Duke Senior.

The characters include:

Duke Frederick, who, at the opening of the play, has taken the ducal throne from his brother, Duke Senior and banished him to the Forest of Arden. The court also includes a fool, Touchstone, and a court wrestler, Charles.

Duke Senior, the former duke, banished by his brother, who is already in the pastoral setting when the play opens.

Rosalind, who is Duke Senior's daughter, but is still at the court. She is also cousin and friend to Celia. For much of the play, she is disguised as the male Ganymede. She will eventually marry Orlando.

Celia who is the daughter of Duke Fredrick, the current ruling Duke. She is a dear friend to her cousin, Rosalind. When Duke Frederick orders Rosalind banished to the Forest of Arden, Celia agrees to go with her. For much of the play, Celia is disguised as Ganymede’s sister, Aliena. Celia will eventually marry Orlando’s brother, Oliver.

Orlando, a frustrated younger brother to Oliver. Both brothers are still at the court when the play begins, where Orlando defeats the court wrestler, Charles. Orlando is unhappy with how Oliver is raising him. Orlando has a servant, Adam.

Oliver, the oldest of the brothers. He has inherited his father’s land and is charged with caring for Orlando and their younger brother.

Other minor characters include Jacques, a melancholy man who is one of Duke Senior’s nobles in the Forest of Arden. Other denizens of the forest include two lovers, Silvius and Phoebe. Hymen is the god of marriage.

We begin at the French court, where Orlando is complaining to his servant, Adam. Having inherited their father’s estate, Oliver, the eldest, is now in charge of raising his two younger brothers. Orlando is upset that Oliver has refused to educate him and raise him to be a proper gentleman. Oliver enters, and the two brothers fight. Orlando wins by choking his brother, and soon departs. Oliver meets with the court wrestler, Charles, who promises to exact revenge by gravely injuring Orlando in a wrestling contest the next day.

At court, the former duke’s daughter, Rosalind, complains to her cousin, Celia, that her father has been banished to the nearby Forest of Arden. His dukedom was usurped by Frederick, Duke Senior’s brother and Celia’s father. Duke Frederick arrives, attempting to dissuade Orlando from fighting the court wrestler, Charles. Orlando refuses and Charles enters. The two men fight, and Orlando manages to throw Charles and win the match. Rosalind is taken with Orlando and bestows a necklace upon him in celebration. After the fight, Adam tells Orlando that he must flee because Oliver has vowed to kill him. Orlando and Adam pack their things and depart for the Forest of Arden.

Meanwhile, Duke Frederick becomes suspicious of Rosalind’s influence over Celia and decides to banish Rosalind as well. Celia vows to accompany Rosalind in her banishment and both choose a disguise to avoid detection. Rosalind dresses as a boy named Ganymede and Celia dresses as his sister, Aliena. They convince the court fool, Touchstone, to join them and they depart for the Forest of Arden.

Orlando and Adam arrive in the forest in a state of exhaustion and Orlando goes off to search for food. He encounters Duke Senior and his group of nobles, one of whom is a melancholy man named Jacques who spends his time contemplating how awful his life is. When Duke Senior sees Orlando, he politely asks him to join their group and Orlando agrees. Jacques mentions that he saw the fool, Touchstone, wandering in the forest.

Back at court, Duke Frederick has learned about the escape of Rosalind and Celia. Assuming Rosalind fled with Orlando, he calls in Oliver to ask about the whereabouts of his brother. Oliver cannot answer the Duke, so Ferdinand seizes all of Oliver’s property. Oliver begrudgingly agrees to go to the Forest of Arden to find his brother.

Having joined Duke Senior and his men, Orlando now spends all of his time writing poetry to Rosalind and hanging it on tree branches in the forest. Rosalind happens upon his poetry one day and reads some. She asks Celia who is writing to her and Celia tells her that it is Orlando. Jacques and Orlando enter, and Rosalind and Celia hide. Jacques tells Orlando to stop writing poetry, but Orlando will not listen. Rosalind emerges, dressed as Ganymede, and tells Orlando that she can cure him of his love.She asks Orlando to pretend that she is Rosalind so that he may woo her, even though she really is Rosalind in disguise.

Rosalind and Celia travel to a spot where Orlando had agreed to meet them. They are interrupted by the courtship between two other lovers, Silvius and Phoebe, a young shepherdess who scorns his love. Rosalind emerges from her hiding spot and tells Phoebe that she should be lucky to marry Silvius. Phoebe immediately falls in love with Ganymede, Rosalind’s disguise. When Rosalind leaves, Phoebe decides to write a poem to Ganymede expressing her feelings. She enlists Silvius’s help with the delivery, claiming she is writing an angry letter.

Orlando finds Rosalind and Celia, and Rosalind chides Orlando for being late. Orlando continues to treat Ganymede as Rosalind and tries to woo her. Rosalind toys with Orlando before agreeing to meet him again later. That evening, as Rosalind and Celia wait for Orlando, Silvius arrives with the letter from Phoebe to Ganymede. Silvius is devastated to learn that he helped Phoebe deliver a love letter. He departs, and Oliver enters with a bloody handkerchief.

Oliver tells Rosalind and Celia that Orlando saved his life twice in the forest – once by scaring away a snake and another by fighting a large lion. The blood on the handkerchief, he explains, is from a wounded Orlando. He gives the handkerchief to Rosalind, who faints. Oliver must revive her.

Rosalind, still disguised as Ganymede, meets with Orlando, Silvius, and Phoebe. She promises that the next day, Orlando will marry Rosalind. She tells Phoebe that she will marry her – as she is still disguised as Ganymede – but only if Phoebe still wants to marry Ganymede at the time of the marriage ceremony. Otherwise, Phoebe must marry Silvius. Everyone agrees.

Everyone comes together the next day, including Duke Senior and his men. Rosalind arrives in disguise and makes everyone reaffirm their vows. Then she and Celia retreat temporarily to remove their disguises. When they return as themselves, Orlando is overjoyed. Phoebe realizes she now must marry Silivus. Celia and Oliver have also fallen in love and plan to marry.

Hymen, the god of marriage, performs all the marriage ceremonies. The third brother of Oliver and Orlando arrives, announcing that Duke Frederick has converted to a religious life. This means that Duke Senior may return to his court, Orlando is the new heir to the duchy, and Oliver retains his estate. Rosalind ends the play by asking for the audience’s applause.