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Overview
Synopsis
In one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic pastoral comedies, we follow the young heroine Rosalind from the court of her vindictive uncle, Duke Frederick, into the Eden-like Forest of Arden, where her banished father is living in exile. In order to avoid running into trouble, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man, “Ganymede,” and, accompanied by her faithful cousin Celia and the court clown, Touchstone, makes her way into the woods. She soon encounters the young, handsome Orlando, who is also fleeing from Duke Frederick’s court, and who is sick with love for Rosalind. Still disguised as Ganymede, Rosalind tests Orlando’s feelings for her and teaches him about the nature of true love; by the end of the play, four love matches have been made in the forest. As You Like It is an entertaining and touching exploration of life, death, love, family and the bonds that tie us together.
Show Information
- Book
- William Shakespeare
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 5
- First Produced
- 1599
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Simple/No Set, Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- france, forest of arden
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Star Vehicle Female, High School, Includes Mature Adult, Elderly, Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
The dates of the writing and first performance of As You Like It are uncertain. Most scholars believe the play was written in 1599 (it was entered into the Stationer's Register in 1600), but perhaps not performed until several years later. The play was included in the 1623 First Folio. Shakespeare's inspiration came from Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacie, Thomas Lodge's adaptation of the medieval English romance "The Tale of Gamelyn." The story focuses on two brothers; Gamelyn struggles to
to read the context for As You Like It and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Two royal brothers of French blood, Duke Frederick and Duke Senior have gotten into a serious fraternal spat. As a result, Frederick has usurped his elder brother’s throne and forced him to flee into the neighboring Forest of Arden, accompanied by only a few of his most loyal supporters. Rosalind, the banished Duke’s daughter, has been kept tenuously in Frederick’s court as a companion to her cousin Celia, Frederick’s daughter.
Meanwhile, another pair of brothers are experiencing similar
to read the plot for As You Like It and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
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Ensemble |
Either or Both |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A recurring symbol or idea in literature, art, or culture.
Referring to life in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, 1558-1603.
Beautiful
A type of printing in which four pages of text are printed on one sheet (two per side), and then folded to make four total pages. This was a popular method for printing plays in the Elizabethan period.
A symbol of the unpredictable nature of fate. The wheel is spun by the goddess Fortuna at random, and can cause some people to suddenly have great fortune while others suffer miserable fates.
Away, away from here
A scoundrel; a young man or boy; a servant
Popular in Renaissance England, stories set in the countryside, often with shepherds.
A work that is primarily a straight play, but incorporates music or musical elements to tell the story.
Please, I ask of you
Smelly, gross
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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