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As You Like It -

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Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015

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As You Like It -

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Act and scene list

Characters in the Play
Entire Play In As You Like It, witty words and romance play out against the disputes of divided pairs of brothers. Orlando’s older brother, Oliver, treats him badly and refuses him his small inheritance from their father’s estate; Oliver schemes instead to have Orlando die in a wrestling match. Meanwhile, Duke Frederick has forced his older brother, Duke Senior, into exile in the Forest of Arden.Duke Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, and Duke Frederick’s daughter, Celia, meet the victorious Orlando at the wrestling match; Orlando and Rosalind fall in love. Banished by her uncle, Rosalind assumes a male identity and leaves with Celia and their fool, Touchstone. Orlando flees Oliver’s murderous plots.In the Forest of Arden, Rosalind, in her male disguise, forms a teasing friendship with Orlando. Oliver, searching for Orlando, reforms after Orlando saves his life. Rosalind reveals her identity, triggering several weddings, including her own with Orlando and Celia’s with Oliver. Duke Frederick restores the dukedom to Duke Senior, who leaves the forest with his followers.
Act 1, scene 1 Orlando demands that his elder brother Oliver give him part of the money left by their father. Oliver decides to get rid of Orlando by encouraging him to take part in a wrestling match almost sure to be fatal.
Act 1, scene 2 Orlando wins the wrestling match and, at the same time, wins the heart of Rosalind, daughter of the legitimate duke, now banished by his usurping brother, Duke Frederick. Orlando is equally attracted to Rosalind.
Act 1, scene 3 Duke Frederick suddenly decides to banish Rosalind. His daughter Celia, determined to go with Rosalind into exile, suggests that they seek the banished duke in the Forest of Arden, and that, for safety on their journey, they disguise themselves as a country girl and her brother. They agree to ask the court Fool, Touchstone, to go with them.
Act 2, scene 1 In the Forest of Arden, the banished duke (Duke Senior) and the courtiers who share his exile discuss their life in the country and listen to a story about their fellow-courtier Jaques.
Act 2, scene 2 Duke Frederick, discovering Celia’s disappearance, suspects Orlando. He sends servants to bring Orlando to court.
Act 2, scene 3 Orlando learns from Adam, an old servant, that Oliver plans to kill Orlando. Adam and Orlando decide to go in search of a new life.
Act 2, scene 4 Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone reach the Forest of Arden. Rosalind is in disguise as a boy named Ganymede and Celia as a country girl named Aliena. They overhear a conversation between an old shepherd (Corin) and a lovelorn young shepherd (Silvius). “Ganymede” and “Aliena” persuade Corin to help them buy a cottage.
Act 2, scene 5 Amiens’ song celebrating life in the woods is mocked by Jaques’ parody of the song.
Act 2, scene 6 Orlando leaves Adam, near starvation, under a tree and goes off determined to find food.
Act 2, scene 7 As Duke Senior and his companions sit down to eat, Orlando enters, demanding food. Welcomed by the duke, he brings Adam to join them.
Act 3, scene 1 Duke Frederick gives Oliver one year to produce Orlando. In the interim, he seizes Oliver’s lands.
Act 3, scene 2 Orlando hangs poems in praise of Rosalind on trees in the forest, where Rosalind and Celia find them. In disguise as Ganymede, Rosalind meets Orlando and tells him she can cure his lovesickness if he will pretend that she is Rosalind and come every day to court her. Orlando agrees.
Act 3, scene 3 Touchstone, desiring a goat-keeper named Audrey, has arranged for a country priest to marry them in the woods. Jaques persuades Touchstone to wait until he can have a real wedding in a church.
Act 3, scene 4 Corin invites “Ganymede” and “Aliena” to observe the lovelorn Silvius as Silvius courts the disdainful Phoebe.
Act 3, scene 5 “Ganymede” intervenes to try to help Silvius prevail over Phoebe and win her love. Instead, Phoebe falls in love with “Ganymede.”
Act 4, scene 1 Rosalind, as Ganymede, pretends to be Rosalind while Orlando courts her. With Celia as priest, they go through the beginning of a wedding ceremony.
Act 4, scene 2 Duke Senior’s courtiers celebrate their having killed a deer.
Act 4, scene 3 Phoebe sends “Ganymede” a letter offering herself in marriage. As Rosalind and Celia wait for Orlando, they learn that he is late for his appointment with “Ganymede” because he was wounded saving his brother Oliver from attack by a lion.
Act 5, scene 1 Touchstone verbally overpowers William, a rival for Audrey’s love.
Act 5, scene 2 Orlando, envious that his brother Oliver and “Aliena,” having fallen in love, plan to be married immediately, tells “Ganymede” how bitter he finds his own situation. “Ganymede” tells him that, if Orlando wishes to marry Rosalind, “Ganymede” can, through magic, make Rosalind appear at the wedding. “Ganymede” also exacts a promise from Phoebe: if at the time of the wedding Phoebe refuses to marry “Ganymede,” she will marry Silvius.
Act 5, scene 3 Touchstone and Audrey listen while two pages sing.
Act 5, scene 4 In the presence of Duke Senior and his lords, “Ganymede” reminds Orlando, Silvius, and Phoebe of their promises. “He” and “Aliena” then leave while Touchstone entertains the assembly. Hymen, god of marriage, enters bringing Rosalind and Celia. Duke Senior welcomes his daughter and his niece; Orlando welcomes Rosalind. Phoebe agrees to marry Silvius. As Hymen speaks to each of the four couples, the brother of Orlando and Oliver brings news that Duke Frederick has given up the throne. Duke Senior, now once again in power, returns Oliver’s lands to him and establishes Orlando as his heir.
Act 5, Epilogue

//tei:div1[@n='5-epilogue']: 0

Act 1, scene 1

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