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    As You Like It
    As You Like It
    As You Like It
    Ebook117 pages1 hour

    As You Like It

    By William Shakespeare

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    As You Like It by William Shakespeare is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility.

    As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. In the forest, they encounter a variety of memorable characters, notably the melancholy traveller Jaques, who speaks many of Shakespeare's most famous speeches (such as "All the world's a stage", "too much of a good thing" and "A fool! A fool! I met a fool in the forest").Jaques provides a sharp contrast to the other characters in the play, always observing and disputing the hardships of life in the country.

    Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the play a work of great merit and some finding it to be of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works. The play has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.

    The play is set in a duchy in France, but most of the action takes place in a location called the Forest of Arden. This may be intended as the Ardennes, a forested region covering an area located in southeast Belgium, western Luxembourg and northeastern France, or Arden, Warwickshire, near Shakespeare's home town, which was the ancestral origin of his mother's family—whose surname was Arden.

    Frederick has usurped the duchy and exiled his older brother, Duke Senior. Duke Senior's daughter, Rosalind, has been permitted to remain at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick's only child, Celia.

    Orlando, a young gentleman of the kingdom who at first sight has fallen in love with Rosalind, is forced to flee his home after being persecuted by his older brother, Oliver. Frederick becomes angry and banishes Rosalind from court. Celia and Rosalind decide to flee together accompanied by the court fool, Touchstone, with Rosalind disguised as a young man and Celia disguised as a poor lady.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMemorable Classics eBooks
    Release dateJun 1, 2022
    ISBN9791221347425
    Author

    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright the world has seen. He produced an astonishing amount of work; 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 5 poems. He died on 23rd April 1616, aged 52, and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.

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      Book preview

      As You Like It - William Shakespeare

      ACT 1

      Scene 1

      Orchard of Oliver's house.

      Enter ORLANDO and ADAM

      ORLANDO; As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashionbequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns,and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on hisblessing, to breed me well: and there begins mysadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, andreport speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part,he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak moreproperly, stays me here at home unkept; for call youthat keeping for a gentleman of my birth, thatdiffers not from the stalling of an ox? His horsesare bred better; for, besides that they are fairwith their feeding, they are taught their manage,and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, hisbrother, gain nothing under him but growth; for thewhich his animals on his dunghills are as muchbound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he soplentifully gives me, the something that nature gaveme his countenance seems to take from me: he letsme feed with his hinds, bars me the place of abrother, and, as much as in him lies, mines mygentility with my education. This is it, Adam, thatgrieves me; and the spirit of my father, which Ithink is within me, begins to mutiny against thisservitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet Iknow no wise remedy how to avoid it.

      ADAM; Yonder comes my master, your brother.

      ORLANDO; Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he willshake me up.

      Enter OLIVER

      OLIVER; Now, sir! what make you here?

      ORLANDO; Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.

      OLIVER; What mar you then, sir?

      ORLANDO; Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which Godmade, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

      OLIVER; Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.

      ORLANDO; Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them?What prodigal portion have I spent, that I shouldcome to such penury?

      OLIVER; Know you where your are, sir?

      ORLANDO; O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.

      OLIVER; Know you before whom, sir?

      ORLANDO; Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I knowyou are my eldest brother; and, in the gentlecondition of blood, you should so know me. Thecourtesy of nations allows you my better, in thatyou are the first-born; but the same traditiontakes not away my blood, were there twenty brothersbetwixt us: I have as much of my father in me asyou; albeit, I confess, your coming before me isnearer to his reverence.

      OLIVER; What, boy!

      ORLANDO; Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

      OLIVER; Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

      ORLANDO; I am no villain; I am the youngest son of SirRowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thricea villain that says such a father begot villains.Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this handfrom thy throat till this other had pulled out thytongue for saying so: thou hast railed on thyself.

      ADAM; Sweet masters, be patient: for your father'sremembrance, be at accord.

      OLIVER; Let me go, I say.

      ORLANDO; I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. Myfather charged you in his will to give me goodeducation: you have trained me like a peasant,obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-likequalities. The spirit of my father grows strong inme, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allowme such exercises as may become a gentleman, orgive me the poor allottery my father left me bytestament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

      OLIVER; And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent?Well, sir, get you in: I will not long be troubledwith you; you shall have some part of your will: Ipray you, leave me.

      ORLANDO; I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

      OLIVER; Get you with him, you old dog.

      ADAM; Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost myteeth in your service. God be with my old master!he would not have spoke such a word.

      Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM

      OLIVER; Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I willphysic your rankness, and yet give no thousandcrowns neither. Holla, Dennis!

      Enter DENNIS

      DENNIS; Calls your worship?

      OLIVER; Was not Charles, the duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

      DENNIS; So please you, he is here at the door and importunesaccess to you.

      OLIVER; Call him in.

      Exit DENNIS

      'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

      Enter CHARLES

      CHARLES; Good morrow to your worship.

      OLIVER; Good Monsieur Charles, what's the new news at thenew court?

      CHARLES; There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news:that is, the old duke is banished by his youngerbrother the new duke; and three or four loving lordshave put themselves into voluntary exile with him,whose lands and revenues enrich the new duke;therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

      OLIVER; Can you tell if Rosalind, the duke's daughter, bebanished with her father?

      CHARLES; O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, so lovesher, being ever from their cradles bred together,that she would have followed her exile, or have diedto stay behind her. She is at the court, and noless beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; andnever two ladies loved as they do.

      OLIVER; Where will the old duke live?

      CHARLES; They say he is already in the forest of Arden, anda many merry men with him; and there they live likethe old Robin Hood of England: they say many younggentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the timecarelessly, as they did in the golden world.

      OLIVER; What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke?

      CHARLES; Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with amatter. I am given, sir, secretly to understandthat your younger brother Orlando hath a dispositionto come in disguised against me to try a fall.To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he thatescapes me without some broken limb shall acquit himwell. Your brother is but young and tender; and,for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as Imust, for my own honour, if he come in: therefore,out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint youwithal, that either you might stay him from hisintendment or brook such disgrace well as he shallrun into,

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