As You Like It abbreviated

Synopsis


The play opens in a mysterious community, in a mysterious land, led by a duke who has just usurped his brother as the community’s leader, located on the edge of a unique forest, the Forest of Arden, where we learn of the late Sir Rowland de Boys, a man who had been a major player in the community, a man who had three sons, Oliver, Jaques and Orlando. Oliver is the oldest and the principal beneficiary of his father’s estate. Jaques, the second son, is away at school, entering late in the play as the Second Brother and then only briefly. Orlando is the youngest. As the heir to almost all of their father’s resources, Oliver mistreats Orlando, and Orlando justifiably resents it. (Resentment, Act 1, Scene 1) Nearly eighty year old Adam is Oliver’s servant, but his friendship and sympathy rest with Orlando.

The area where the de Boys boys live had been politically controlled for some time by Duke Senior who, as noted, was recently overthrown by his younger brother. Along with a group of lords and others, Duke Senior was exiled to the Forest of Arden, a fantasy forest purported to be in the district of Warwickshire, near Stratford on Avon. Duke Senior has a daughter, Rosalind, and she is the play’s lead. Is she ever! Celia is Rosalind’s cousin, good friend and confidant and is Duke Frederick’s daughter, Frederick being the younger duke who has just usurped his older brother’s authority. As further background, neither Rosalind nor Celia have brothers or sisters. Duke Senior and Sir Rowland de Boys were friends; Duke Frederick and Sir Rowland de Boys were enemies.

The play begins with a serious quarrel between Oliver and Orlando. When Adam comes to Orlando’s defense, Oliver, in a fit of anger, dismisses both of them from his property. Separately, Orlando decides to challenge Charles to a wrestling match, Charles being Duke Frederick’s wrestler. Oliver calls Charles aside and suggests he break Orlando’s neck.

Meanwhile, Rosalind anguishes over the banishment of her father; her cousin Celia comforting her, suggesting she try falling in love. They attend the wrestling match where, to the surprise of everyone, Orlando defeats Charles. By chance, Orlando and Rosalind meet and instantly fall for each other. (Counsel, Act 1, Scene 2) Angered by Charles’ loss to Orlando, Duke Frederick arbitrarily decides to dismiss Rosalind from his court, having cared for her as a daughter since her father’s exile. Meanwhile, Adam advises Orlando that his brother Oliver plans to kill him and that he must leave the area. Adam persuades Orlando to take him with him, wherever they may go, figuring that risking a little adventure at life’s end is not all bad. (Pleading, Act 2, Scene 3) As well, Celia decides to leave with the banished Rosalind, upset as she is with her father. The two young women decide to travel to the Forest if Arden and try to find Rosalind’s father. For safety’s sake, Rosalind, being the taller, masquerades as a man, taking the name of Ganymede. Celia pretends to be Ganymede’s sister, calling herself Aliena. Discovering that his daughter is missing and hearing the rumor that she and Rosalind may have left town, perhaps to follow Orlando, who has, following Adam’s suggestion, left the area, Duke Frederick seeks out Oliver, with plans to require him to find Orlando. Meanwhile, Rosalind, Celia and Touchstone have left the community and find themselves on the edge of the Forest of Arden. Touchstone is Celia’s father’s jester, Celia having talked him into joining them in this adventure. They meet a shepherd, Corin, who tells them that his master’s cottage, pasture and sheep are for sale. Celia buys the property and the chattel. Separately, Orlando and Adam have arrived in this mystical forest, famished and exhausted, particularly eighty year old Adam. Meanwhile, Duke Senior and his men are about to sit down to dinner when Jaques, Duke Senior’s want-to-be fool tells of his meeting, deep in the forest, with a motley fool. (Fantasy, Act 2, Scene 7) Meanwhile, brandishing a sword, Orlando confronts Duke Senior and his entourage, demanding to be fed. To his surprise, he is welcomed. It is here where Jaques shares with us his brief “All the world’s a stage” speech. (Insight, Act 2, Scene 7) On learning that Adam badly needs food and rest, Duke Senior insists that Adam also join them for dinner.

Later, we learn that Orlando has been traipsing through the forest hanging on the branches of trees love verses written for Rosalind. Rosalind sees and reads the verses; Touchstone mocks them; Celia knows the writer. Rosalind is in happy disbelief, learning the composer is Orlando. Orlando enters. Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, greets him and brings up the matter of the love verses. Orlando acknowledges that he is madly in love with Rosalind. Rosalind as Ganymede tells him that she (as a he) can through counsel cure him of his “madness.” (Enchantment, Act 3, Scene 2) All he has to do, she says, is visit him (she masquerading as Ganymede) and woo him as if he were a she and call him Rosalind! As a side issue, Duke Senior does not recognize the disguised Rosalind as his daughter.

Meanwhile, Touchstone has met and fallen for Audrey, a goat-keeper, and they plan to marry. Orlando enters and again lets Rosalind as Ganymede know how much he loves Rosalind. Rosalind as Ganymede insists he call her Rosalind as she (as a he) woos him, attempting to educate him in the ways of the world of men and women. Meanwhile the too-meek Silvius, the apprentice to the shepherd Corin, has fallen for Phoebe, a shepherdess. Phoebe treats him poorly. Rosalind, overhearing Phoebe berate Silvius, enters the conversation as Ganymede and sternly tells Phoebe that she should “thank heaven for a good man’s love” and that “you should sell when you can; you are not for all markets.” Accepting the harsh criticism, Phoebe instantly falls for Ganymede, appreciating his (her) strength and boldness. Phoebe tells Silvius she’ll write to Ganymede letting him know her feelings for him and that “thou shalt bear it.” And he does. (Infatuation, Act 3, Scene 5)

Meanwhile, Rosalind holds another counseling session with Orlando. He exits, promising to return by two o’clock that afternoon. (Love, Act 4, Scene 1) Rosalind confides in Celia that she is head-over-heels in love with Orlando. But Orlando is late for his pre-determined, time-certain date with Rosalind, and she is upset. Celia doesn’t help her much. Meanwhile Silvius enters with the letter from Phoebe to Ganymede, letting him (really, she) know of her love for him. From seemingly out of nowhere Oliver enters to tell Rosalind as Ganymede that he was threatened by a lioness and that Orlando saved him from certain death, but that Orlando was seriously injured in the doing, the reason his brother missed the two o’clock meeting. (Shock, Act 4, Scene 3) Overwhelmed, Rosalind as Ganymede faints, embarrassingly claiming, once she recovers, that it was just an act. But Oliver, telling his story of his injured brother to the two young women, falls for Celia as Aliena. Events then move even more quickly. With his arm in a sling, Orlando enters, and as Oliver’s brother, offers his consent that Oliver and Aliena may be married the next day. Rosalind as Ganymede tells Orlando “put in your best array; for if you will be married tomorrow, you shall, and to Rosalind, if you will.” (Love, Act 5, Scene 2) She (as a he) tells Phoebe he’ll marry her “if ever I marry a woman,” but suggests she turn her attention to Silvius. Skillful Rosalind as Ganymede causes all four parties to be prepared to be married the next day, drawing in her father, he still unaware that Ganymede is his daughter. Rosalind is at her very best here. The next day, Rosalind and Celia enter the forest as they really are. Duke Senior rejoices in being with his daughter. Orlando cries, “You are my Rosalind.” All four couples are married. The Second Brother, Jaques, enters to say Duke Frederick has returned the crown to his older brother, Duke Senior. In turn, Duke Senior says “all will share in the good of our returned fortune.” (Counsel, Act 5, Scene 4)


Principal Characters


Celia.
Celia is Duke Frederick’s only child and is Rosalind’s cousin. Celia offers to share her inheritance with Rosalind, Rosalind left with little once her father, Duke Senior, was usurped by his younger brother, Celia’s father. Through most of the play, Celia masquerades as Aliena, Ganymede’s sister, Ganymede being Rosalind in disguise. Celia does not have a big role. It is Rosalind’s play, but Celia is a wonderfully loyal companion to Rosalind throughout.

Duke Frederick.
As the play begins Duke Frederick has somehow taken the crown away from his older brother, Duke Senior, and exiled his brother and his brother’s entourage to the Forest of Arden. For perhaps several reasons, he expels Rosalind from his court, after caring for her after he had banished her father. Duke Frederick does not have a big role.

Duke Senior.
Duke Senior does not have much of a role either. His principal role is as Rosalind’s father. He treats everyone wonderfully. He spends all his time in this play in the Forest of Arden, homeless, but happy and generous.

Oliver.
Oliver is Sir Rowland de Boys oldest son who inherited most of his father’s estate. Early on, he treats his youngest brother very poorly, even trying to have him beaten up by Duke Frederick’s wrestler, Charles. Orlando, his youngest brother, later saves his life by protecting him from a lioness, causing Oliver (for perhaps other reasons as well) to become a very supporting older brother.

Orlando.
Orlando is the youngest son of the late Sir Rowland de Boys; mistreated early in the play by his older brother, Oliver. Orlando, fearing for his life, heads for the Forest of Arden. Adam, Oliver’s servant, joins Orlando into the Forest of Arden where the rest of the action plays out. He falls for Rosalind, and she for him, which is the play’s central theme.

Rosalind.
Rosalind is Duke Senior’s daughter who teams up with her cousin Celia, Duke Frederick’s daughter, to lead the play’s parade. She has a huge role and is fabulous. During much of the play she masquerades as Ganymede, pretending to be Celia’s brother, Celia masquerading as Aliena. She is quite the magician as well as quite the match maker. She is even better as a pre-marriage counselor. Shakespeare created Rosalind with a charm unlike, in our view, any other person in any of his other plays.

 A portrait of William Shakespeare