As You Like It by William ShakespeareAdvanced Language Arts – Ms. Damm

Background on As You Like It

Shakespeare wrote between 1598 – 1600 in London, England

Genre: Comedy

Setting: Begins in France; mostly takes place in Forest of Arden.

Famous lines: “All the words a stage / and all the men and women

merely players; / they have their exits and their entrances, / and one man in his time plays many parts, / his acts being seven ages…” (Shakespeare III.vii).

Family MembersAs You Like It

Note: none of the family members in As You Like It are as happy as this clip art picture.

Rowland de Bois

Main Characters Orlando: Youngest brother of Sir

Rowland de Bois. Younger brother to Oliver. Protagonist. Smart, charming, attractive. True Gentleman.

Oliver: Oldest brother and sole inheritor of the De Bois estate. Hates his younger brother. Dynamic character.

Adam: Old, loyal, devoted servant to the De Bois family. Favors Orlando and follows him into the Forest of Arden.

Minor Characters Sir Rowland de Bois: Father

of Oliver, Jaques, and Orlando. He is DEAD. Friends with Duke Senior. Enemies with Duke Fredrick.

Jaques De Bois: Middle Son of De Bois Brother. Only in Act V. Not to be confused with Duke Seniors faithful companion!

Duke Fredrick & Duke Senior

Brothers

Duke Senior is the older brother to Duke Fredrick

Duke Fredrick takes the throne from Duke Senior and banishes Duke Senior to the Forest of Arden.

Duke Fredrick shows his evil temper when he also banishes his niece, Rosalind, in Act I scene iii.

Duke Senior

Banished to Forest of Arden.

Does not put up much fight for his Dukedom.

Friend of the late Sir Rowland de Bois

Father to Rosalind.

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Lord Amiens: Also follows Duke Senior into the Forest.

Jaques (Jakes) Faithful lord who follows

Duke Senior into the Forest of Arden after his banishment. Sad, depressed, melancholy character. Sees himself as a “moody philosopher”.

Rosalind

The heroine of the play.

Daughter of Duke Senior; cousin to Celia

Is banished to Forest of Arden by her uncle Duke Fredrick.

Disguises herself as a boy, Ganymede, (Gan-a-meade) to travel safely to the Forest. However then stays in her disguise.

Ganymede will then pretend to be a girl to help tutor Orlando on the affairs of the heart

Rosalind is often said to be one of Shakespeare’s most realistic characters. She is clever and confident.

Celia

Daughter to Duke Fredrick

VERY FAITHFUL cousin to Rosalind. Decides to be banished to the Forest of Arden with Rosalind to show her devotion.

Disguises herself as a girl, Aliena.

More of skeptic when it comes to love compared to Rosalind.

Other CharactersAs You Like It

Touchstone

Duke Fredrick’s court fool – but decides to go with the girls (Rosalind/Celia) to Forest of Arden.

Is a “licensed fool” that means he has a licensed to say whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

Much more “jolly” compared to Jaques.

Most of comedic laughs will come from Touchstone, but underneath the laughs will come some powerful insight to human nature.

In love with Audrey, a simpleminded goatherd

Silvius & Phoebe

Young shepherd who is in love with Phoebe

Silvius is madly in love and does everything to gain Phoebe’s attention, yet Phoebe does not feel the same way.

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Phoebe is in love with Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise)

Phoebe is ‘snotty’ and ‘hard to get’ with Silvius

Other Minor Characters

Corin: native of the Forest of Arden. Offers love advice to Silvius but Silvius refuses to listen. Corin is a poor native but still willing to help all the new guests in the Forest of Arden.

Charles: the “ultimate wrestler”. Think of The Rock or The Hulk. Is supposed to kill Orlando in Act I, but Orlando defeats him

William: a young country boy in love with Audrey, thus Touchstone’s rival.

RECAP

The Court Duke Frederick: Usurped the

throne from Duke Senior

Celia: Daughter of Duke Frederick

Rosalind: Cousin to Celia, niece to Duke Frederick, daughter to Duke Senior

Touchstone: Clown of the court

Rowland de Bois Oliver: Eldest son

Jaques: Middle Son who appears in the final scene

Orlando: Youngest son who loves Rosalind

Adam: Servant to Oliver who follows Orlando to Arden

RECAP – Forest of Arden

Duke Senior: Eldest brother of Duke Frederick

Amiens and Jaques: Two Lords attending Duke Senior

Aliena: Celia's name in Arden

Ganymede: Rosalind's name in Arden

Corin and Silvius: Two shepherds

Phoebe: Shepherdess Silvius loves

Audrey: Country girl Touchstone loves

TYPES OF LOVE

Love Types

Romantic

Friendship

Sibling

Parental

Committed: devoted to somebody

Passionate: expressing intense feeling

Infatuation: an intense but short-lived and irrational passion for somebody or something

More Love Types

Eros is a romantic, passionate, love

Ludus is game-playing or uncommitted love

Storge is a slow developing, friendship-based love

Pragma is a pragmatic, practical mutually beneficial relationship

Mania is an obsessive or possessive love, jealous and extreme.

Love/Relationships in As You Like It

Orlando/Rosalind: committed love

Celia/Oliver: romantic love

Silvis/Phoebe:

Touchstone/Audrey: passionate love

Orlando/Oliver: sibling

Duke Senior/Duke Fredrick: sibling

Duke Fredrick/Celia: parental

Rosalind/Celia: friendship (BFF’s) & cousins

Orlando/Adam: loyalty/friendship