As You Like It

Orlando enters in the forest reading one of his love poems to Rosalind, then exits. The shepherd Corin and Touchstone enter discussing the benefits and drawbacks of a shepherd’s life. Touchstone enjoys the solitude and natural surroundings but not the lack of refinement. Corin, on the other hand, likes the country and thinks court life is strange. He says, “those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the / country as the behavior of the country is most mockable at the court” (III.2.45-48). The two lifestyles are incompatible with each other.

Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) enters reading a poem about Rosalind, which Touchstone mocks. Aliena (Celia in disguise) enters, also reading a love poem for Rosalind. Touchstone and Corin exit, then Rosalind and Celia mock the poetry. Celia eventually admits that she knows Orlando wrote it. Orlando and Jaques enter, and Rosalind and Celia hide nearby to eavesdrop. Orlando discusses his love for Rosalind, which Jaques thinks is foolish. Rosalind introduces herself to the two as Ganymede, saying he knows how to cure Orlando’s lovesickness. He suggests that Orlando will be cured if he pretends Ganymede is Rosalind and woos her.

Touchstone, Audrey, and Jaques enter. Touchstone and Audrey jokingly discuss the deceptive nature of poetry. Touchstone says, “the truest poetry is the most / feigning, and lovers are given to poetry, and what / they swear in poetry may be said as lovers they do / feign” (III.3.18-21). While they converse, Jaques adds critical commentary. Touchstone promises to marry Audrey, and the neighboring village’s vicar Sir Oliver Martext enters to perform the ceremony. Jaques initially offers to give Audrey away, but he then convinces Touchstone to wait until they can get married in a church with a real priest. Touchstone agrees, singing a ballad as they exit.

Ganymede and Aliena enter discussing Orlando. Aliena doubts Orlando’s love, saying “the oath of a lover is / no stronger than the word of a tapster” (III.4.29-30). Corin then enters and says that he will bring these two to the lover they seek.

Phoebe, a shepherdess, enters with Silvius, who begs for her love. Meanwhile Aliena, Ganymede, and Corin enter discreetly. Phoebe says that she will not be cruel, but she does not love Silvius. She cannot believe that she could hurt Silvius by denying his love. In response, Silvius says, “O dear Phoebe, / if ever—as that ever may be near— / you meet in some fresh cheek the power of fancy, / then shall you know the wounds invisible / that love’s keen arrows make” (III.5.29-33).

Ganymede breaks in and criticizes Phoebe for denying such a great man as Silvius. Phoebe, however, immediately falls for the beautiful Ganymede, despite Ganymede’s warnings not to fall in love with him. Ganymede, Aliena, and Corin exit. Phoebe then says she will tolerate Silvius but not love him. She says she is now in love with the strange boy from earlier (Ganymede) and asks Silvius for more information about him.

Ganymede, Aliena, and Jaques discuss how melancholy Jaques is. Orlando enters, pretending that Ganymede is Rosalind. Orlando and Ganymede—who is Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind—playact as if they are in love. Ganymede proposes that they get married, which initially confuses Orlando. Orlando believes he is pretending to be in love with Ganymede, a man. Eventually, Orlando and Ganymede decide to get married, and they begin to prepare for the ceremony. Orlando leaves to attend to Duke Senior but swears to return in two hours. Celia disapproves of this mockery, telling Rosalind, “you have simply misused our sex in your love-/prate” (IV.1.214-215). Rosalind, however, says it has all been out of love.

Jaques and Duke Senior’s attending lords enter after a successful hunt. They decide to present their catch to the Duke with a celebratory song, which one of the lord sings.

In Scene 3, Ganymede and Aliena wait for Orlando, who is late. Silvius enters, bringing a note from Phoebe to Ganymede. Ganymede criticizes the letter, in which Phoebe insults him. Silvius begs Ganymede not to punish him for the letter’s contents, saying “Pardon me. / I am but as a guiltless messenger” (IV.3.12-13). Ganymede then reads aloud the letter, in which Phoebe also offers herself up to him. Ganymede tells Silvius to tell Phoebe that if she really loves Ganymede, she should listen to his suggestion and start to love Silvius instead.

Oliver enters and gives Ganymede a letter to “Rosalind,” saying that Orlando has been delayed. Oliver reports that Orlando tried to save Oliver from a stray lioness in the forest, and Orlando was wounded but stable. He also says that when injured, Orlando fainted while calling for his Rosalind. Oliver thinks Ganymede seems weak, like a woman. At one point, he says to Ganymede, “you a man? You lack a man’s heart” (IV.3.174). Ganymede responds first by saying, “I do so, I confess it”, which he follows with further cryptic comments about his true identity (IV.3.175).