 Hello and welcome to our video summarizing all you need to know about Williams Shakespeare's play as you like it. My name is Barbara N'Jow and in this video we'll examine this play in detail. We'll begin with a little contextual information about Shakespeare himself before going into the detail of the play's plot, its characters and important themes you should be aware of. This video is useful if you're studying this play for your coursework or exams, so let's get started. Now, As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare and it's believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in 1623. And it follows the heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and eventually love in the forest of Arden. In the forest they encounter a variety of memorable characters, notably the monocle traveller Jacques, who speaks of many of Shakespeare's most famous speeches. So, for example, he states, all the world's a stage and too much a good thing. A firm favourite among Shakespeare's comedies and featuring some of its best-loved characters, As You Like It, runs the glorious gamut of pastoral romance. A series of mistaken identities and mishaps in the forest of Arden ultimately sees new friendships formed and families and lovers reunited. Now, to begin with a little bit about Shakespeare himself. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and he passed away in 1616 and William was the third child of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden and he had two older sisters and three younger brothers. Shakespeare, when he was older, married Anne Hathaway. However, he was 18 when he married her and Anne was 26 and as it turns out pregnant and the first child was a daughter named Susanna and then they had twins, however one of those twins did die later on. And in 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built the Globe Theatre. Now, with regards to the play itself, As You Like It, let's briefly talk about the plot as a whole. It begins with Orlando, the youngest son of the recently deceased Sir Roland de Bois, who is treated harshly by his eldest brother, Oliver. Bitter and angry, Orlando challenges a court wrestler Charles to a fight and when Oliver learns of the fight, Oliver tells Charles to injure Orlando if possible. Duke Frederick has recently opposed his brother Duke Signor as head of the court, but he's allowed Signor's daughter Rosalind to remain and she and Celia, the new Duke's daughter, watch the wrestling competition. During the match, Rosalind falls in love with Orlando who beats Charles and Rosalind gives Orlando a chain to wear and in turn he's overcome with love. Shortly after, Orlando is warned of his brother's plot against him and seeks refuge in the Forest of Arden. At the same time and seemingly without cause, Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind. She decides to seek shelter in the same forest of Arden with Celia and the both disguise themselves. Rosalind as the young man Ganymede and Celia as Shepard's sister Alina. Touchstone, the court fool, also goes with them. In the Forest of Arden, the wearing cousins happen upon Sylveus, a lovesick Shepard. He's in the act of declaring his feelings of Phoebe as scornful Shepardess. And Ganymede buys the lease to the property of an old Shepard who needs someone to manage his estate. Ganymede and Alina set up a home in the forest and not far away in an unaware of newcomers, Duke Signor is living a simple outdoor life with his fellow exiled courtiers and huntsmen. The merriment is interrupted by the arrival of Orlando who seeks nourishment for himself and his servant and the two men are welcomed by the outlaw courtiers. Ganymede and Alina find verses addressed to Rosalind hung on the forest branches by Orlando and Ganymede finds Orlando and proposes to cure Orlando of his love. To do this, Orlando will woo Ganymede as if he were Rosalind even though he really is Rosalind in disguise. Orlando consents and visits Ganymede slash Rosalind every day for his lesson. In the meantime the Shepardess Phoebe has fallen from Ganymede while the Shepard Sylveus still pursues her. Furthermore, Charleston the court for her dazzled country girl Audrey with his courtly manners and Audrey deserts her young suitor William for him. When Duke Frederick hears Orlando's disappeared at the same time as Rosalind and Celia, he orders Oliver to the forest to seek his brother. In the forest, Orlando saves Oliver's life and during his arm in the process. Oliver runs to Ganymede and Alina in the forest and relates this news and Rosalind disguised as Ganymede is overcome with her feelings for Orlando. Celia disguises Alina and Oliver quickly fall in love with each other and Rosalind decides that it's time to end the game with Orlando and devises a plan in which everyone will get married. As Ganymede, Rosalind promises Phoebe that they will marry and Celia will marry Oliver, touch her and marry Audrey and Orlando will marry Rosalind. She makes Phoebe promise that if they for some reason don't get married, Phoebe will marry Sylveus instead. On the day of the wedding with the help of the god Hyman, Rosalind reappears in her female clothes. Duke Signore gives her a way to Orlando while Phoebe accepts Sylveus. Orlando's older brother returns from college with the news that Celia's father Duke Ferdinand has left court to become a hermit. That's everyone's is happy except perhaps for Phoebe who marries someone she doesn't love and Sylveus who marries someone who doesn't love him. The play ends with a joyful dance to celebrate all the four marriages. Let's go into a little bit more detail for each act. Let's start with Act 1 scene 1. In the orchard of the house of Oliver de Bois, Orlando de Bois complains to Adam, an old family servant about how he has been treated by his older brother Oliver, who according to the father's will wants to see to it that Orlando has to be taught all the ways of being a gentleman as Oliver has been doing for their brother Jacques. Yet Orlando has been kept at home like a peasant. Oliver enters and Orlando tells him that the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against his servitude. The two brothers argue and suddenly Orlando grabs Oliver and demands that either he receive education and treatment due to him or else he wants a thousand crowns that he's entitled to according to his father's will and Oliver dismisses him with a curtain so I'll get you in. Turning to Adam, he insulting me snares, get you with him you old dog. Orlando and Adam leave and Oliver's anger is interrupted when his servant Dennis enters with the news that Charles the Duke's wrestler is at the door. Oliver summons the wrestler and the two of them discuss the news of the court and the old Duke has been banished by his younger brother and gone into exile in the forest of Arden and has been joined by some of his loyal lords where they live like the old Robin Hood of England and flee the time of carelessly as it did in the Golden World. The old Duke's daughter Rosalind however has remained at court with her inseparable companion Celia, the usurper's daughter. Charles then says that the new Duke has announced that wrestling matches will be held at the court the next day. Moreover Charles has heard that Orlando entails to come in and disguise and try to fall with him. He warns Oliver that though he does not want to harm Orlando he will be required to do best for him for his own honour. Oliver assures Charles that he will need not be concerned. Charles agrees and he also agrees to take care of Orlando and leaves. Now on out to one scene two Celia the daughter of Duke Frederick and Rosalind the daughter of the deposed Duke are talking on the loan before the Duke's palace. Celia chides Rosalind for not being sufficiently merry and Rosalind although she agrees because of her father's exiles promises to try to be cheerful. Touchstone the court clown enters and joins a repartee and telling Celia that Frederick has summoned her. They're joined by LaBeurre, a courtier who brings news of arresting contests to begin shortly. Duke Frederick, Charles and Orlando and the members of the court arrive and Frederick suggests that the young women Celia and Rosalind dissuade the challenger from the contest as he will be seriously injured. They try to do so but Orlando will not be convinced, saying, I shall do my friends no wrong for I have none to lament me. To everyone's surprise Orlando wins the four and wishes to try a second but Charles has to be carried out. Frederick asks to know Orlando's name and becomes furious when he discovers that Orlando is the son of Roland the Boys. Celia Rosalind and Orlando are then left alone on the lawn and Rosalind whose father Orlando as his soul gives Orlando her necklace to wear as a reward for his loss. They're instantly attracted to each other and symbolically Orlando is taken by Rosalind in spite of the fact that he is actually not overthrown by Charles. As the women leave LaBeurre rushes in to warn Orlando that the Duke is angry and it cancels him to leave immediately. Orlando also learns that the Duke has lately taken dispeasure against Rosalind too. He decides to return home. In Act 1 Scene 3 shortly afterwards we hear Rosalind confess her love for Orlando to Celia and she begs Celia to love him also for her sake. The two then talk of love however it's interrupted by the Duke's furious entrance and he tells them that they are banished from the palace. Rosalind protests that she's no traitor and Celia begs her father to relent but he's adamant and he pleads his threats once more before leaving. Celia is determined that the two girls will not be separated and so she proposes to leave with Rosalind to go and join her deposed father in the forest of Arden. When they both realise that they are fearful of the dangers of the journey they decide to disguise themselves. Rosalind will dress as a boy taking the name of Ganymede and Celia will dress as a young farm girl and use Alina as her name. Moreover Celia will convince Touchstone one of her father's gestures to join them and happy and excited they go off and pack. Nanak 2 scene 1. The banished Duke Senor expands on the wonders of life in the forest. He tells his associates that he prefers forest dwelling and he reminds them that their existence in Arden is free from danger and the greatest worry here is nothing worse than the cold winter wind. The woods provide Duke Senor with everything he needs from conversation to education to spiritual edification. One Lord arrives and announces the melancholy Lord Jacques has seconded his observations, declaring Senor guiltier of usurpation than his loveless brother Duke Frederick. Dixenor in humour asks of one of his men to bring him Jack because arguing with him is much fun. In that 2 scene 2 back at court Duke Frederick is enraged to discover the disappearances of Celia Rosalind and Touchstone. He can't believe that the three could leave the court without any notice. One attending Lord reports that Celia's gentlewoman overheard Celia and Rosalind complimenting Orlando and she speculates that wherever the women are Orlando is likely to be with them. Frederick uses this information and commands that Olivia Oliver be recruited to find his brother. In Act 2 scene 3 Orlando returns to his former home where the servant Adam greets him. News of the young man's victory over Charles precedes him and Adam worries that Orlando's strength and bravery would be the keys of his downfall. Adam begs him not to enter Oliver's house. Oliver who reports having learned of Orlando's triumph plans to burn the place where Orlando sleeps in hopes of destroying Orlando with it. Orlando then wonders about his fate speculating that without a home he may be destined to eck out a living as a common highway robber. And Adam suggests that the two of them take the road with modest life savings. Touched by Adam's constant service Orlando agrees and they leave. In Act 2 scene 4 Rosalind and Celia and Touchstone arrive and they are safe but exhausted in the forest of Ardine. The three sit down to rest but before long they are interrupted by two shepherds, young Corrin and Sylvis. The shepherds are so wrapped up in the conversation about Sylvis's hopeless love and devotion to the shepherds Phoebe that they do not notice the three travellers. Corrin who claims to have loved a thousand times tries to advise Sylvis but the young man maintaining that his companion cannot possibly understand the death of his wife. Rosalind and Celia and Touchstone approach Corrin and ask where they might find a place to rest when Corrin admits that his master's modest holdings are off for sale. Rosalind and Celia decide to buy the property. In Act 2 scene 5 as Armin's strolls through the forest of Ardine with Jacques in tow he sings a song inviting existence to lie with him. Jacques begs to continue but Armin's hesitates claiming that their song will only make Jacques melancholy. The warning does not deter him who proudly claims that he can suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. While the other lords in attendance prepare for Duke Signor's meal Armin's leads them in finishing the song. Jacques follows with the verse set to the same tune which he himself wrote in that he chards those foolish enough to leave their wealth and leisure for life in the forest and Armin's leaves to summon the Duke to dinner. In Act 2 scene 6 Orlando and Adam enter the forest of Ardine. Adam is exhausted from travel and claims he will soon die from hunger and Orlando assures his loyal servant that he will find him food before he sets off to hunt. Orlando fears leaving Adam lying in the bleak air and carries him off to shelter. In Act 2 scene 7 Duke Signor returns to camp to find that Jacques has disappeared. When a lord reports that Jacques has been seen in good spirits the Duke worries that happiness in one who is typically so miserable portends discord in the universe. Just after the Duke commands the lord to find Jacques Jacques appears. He is uncharacteristically merry and explains that while wandering through the forest he met a foe. He refeeds the foal's witty observations about Lady Fortune and proclaims that he himself would like to be a foe. In this position Jacques reasons he would be able to speak his mind freely, thereby cleansing the foal body of the infected wound with the medicine of his criticism. The Duke laments this and reminds Jacques that he himself is guilty of many of the evils he would inevitably criticise in others and their playful argument is interrupted when Orlando barges onto the scene drawing his sword and demanding food. The Duke asks whether Orlando's rudeness is a function of distress or bad breeding and once Orlando has gained composure invites him to partake the banquet. Orlando goes off to fetch Adam and Duke Signor observes that he and his men are far from alone in their unhappiness, there's much strife in the world. Jacques replies that the world is a stage and all the men and women are merely players. All humans pass through stages of infancy, childhood and adulthood, they experience love and seek honour but all eventually succumb to the debilitation of old age and mere oblivion. Orlando returns with Adam and all begin to eat and the Duke soon realises that Orlando is a son of Sir Roland, the Duke's old friend and heartily welcomes him. In that three scene one, at court Duke Frederick threatens Oliver that if he does not bring back Orlando, dead or living, he will be in trouble. In that event, Oliver's possessions will revert to Frederick. In that three scene two, Orlando runs through the forest of Ardine mad with love. He hangs poems that he has composed in Rosalind's honour in every tree hoping that passives will see her virtue witnessed everywhere. Corrine and Turchstone enter but are too engrossed in conversation about the relative merits of court and country life to pay attention to Orlando's verses. Corrine argues that polite manners at a court are of no consequence in the country. Turchstone asks him to provide evidence to support this thesis and then challenges the shepherd's reasoning. Rosalind enters disguised as Ganymede. She reads one of Orlando's poems which compares her to a priceless jewel, Turchstone mocks the verse claiming that he could easily churn out a comparable succession of rhymes. He does so with couplets that liken Rosalind to a cat in heat, a thorny rose and a prostitute whose transport on the pillory took her on a cart. Rosalind rebukes Turchstone for his meddling and just then Celia enters disguised as a shepherdess Selena. She too has found one of Orlando's verses and reads it out loud. The women agree that the verses are terribly written yet Rosalind is eager to learn the identity of their author. Celia teases her friend hesitating to reveal the secret until Rosalind is nearly insane with anticipation. Celia then admits that Orlando has penned these poems and Rosalind can hardly believe it. And like a smitten schoolgirl she asks a dozen questions about her lover wanting to know everything. Celia does the best to answer the questions despite Rosalind's incessant interruptions. Orlando and Jack then enter. Hiding, the women eavesdrop on the conversation and Orlando and Jack clearly do not care for one another's company and exchange a series of insults. Jack dislikes Orlando's sentimental love, declaring it the worst possible fault while Orlando scoffs at Jack's melancholy. Eager to part, Jack walks off into the forest leaving Orlando alone and Rosalind decides to confront Orlando and she approaches him as a young man Ganymede and speaks of a man that's been carving the name Rosalind on trees. Orlando insists that he is a man and she claims to recognise the symptoms of this love illness. She then speaks to him and Orlando says that he is in love. And she also, as Ganymede says that she has experienced love, however he says that she's dressed too neatly to be madly in love. Ganymede also promises to kill him of this love, if he promises to move Ganymede as if Ganymede will Rosalind. As Ganymede Rosalind vows to make the very idea of love unappealing to Orlando by acting the part of a fickle oven, Orlando is quite sure that he is beyond cure, but he takes the challenge anyway. In that three scene three, the other less romantic lovers in the Forest of Arden, for example there's a poetic and philosopher called Touchstone and the Earthly Audrey. Yielding to instinct, Touchstone has wooed and finally won Audrey, perhaps Shakespeare's most stalwarted country wench. The pair hurry along to meet Sir Oliver Martex, the vicar of the neighbouring village and are followed by Jacques, who is amused by the incongruous pair. When Sir Oliver arrives they discover that there's no one to give the bride away so Jacques offers his service but he recommends that they be married by a priest. Touchstone however would prefer it that way and says aside that not being well married it will be a good excuse for me here after to leave my wife. So he decides to find a proper person to marry him and Audrey and he goes off with Audrey and Jacques, merrily singing and leaving behind an abuse Sir Oliver. In that three scene four, when this scene opens Rosalind is at the point of tears, she's sitting at the Forest of Celia waiting for Orlando who has not kept his first appointment for the love cure. Celia teases her friend about Orlando's unreality liability, however Rosalind reveals that she has met her father in the forest and says that he didn't recognise her in disguise. She talks of her father's plight and his presence in the forest which don't seem to concern her very unduly, she can only think of Orlando. In that three scene five, Sylveus has confessed his love to Phoebe however his words for unhostile is, as the scene opens he pleads with her not to reject him so bitterly. Sylveus you remember is a shepherd and Phoebe is a shepherdess. Rosalind and Celia both disguised also enter along with Corinne to watch Phoebe's cruel response to Sylveus. She mocks his hyperbolic language asking why he fails to fall down if her eyes are the murderers that he claims them to be. Sylveus assures her that the wounds of love are invisible but Phoebe insists that the shepherd not approach her again until she too can fill the invisible wounds. Rosalind steps out from her hiding place and begins to berate Phoebe, proclaiming that the shepherdess is no great beauty and should consider herself lucky to win Sylveus's love. Confronted by what appears to be a very handsome young man who treats her as harshly as he treats Sylveus, Phoebe instantly falls in love with Ganymede. Rosalind realising this infatuation mocks Phoebe further and Rosalind and Celia depart and Phoebe employs Sylveus who we can talk so well of love to help her pursue Ganymede. Phoebe claims that she does not love Ganymede but wonders why she failed to defend herself against such criticism. We get the sense that she is in love with Ganymede. In Act 4 scene 1 while Celia listens to their arguing, Rosalind still disguises Ganymede and Jacques banter about his melancholy and Jacques maintains that it is good to be sad and say nothing while Rosalind maintains that if one is sad and silent one might as well be a post. Orlando finally arrives very late for his appointment and Jacques beats Ganymede goodbye. Turning to Orlando, Ganymede first berates him for his lateness but then lovingly invites him to woo Ganymede as if Orlando was wooing Rosalind. Ganymede wittily instructs Orlando about the wily ways of love and women. At this point Orlando says he must leave to attend Duke's Junior at dinner and he promises to return at two o'clock and after he's gone, Celia accuses Rosalind of speaking ill of women and she suggests that Rosalind should have her doublet and the house plucked over her head in order to show the world. The bird hath done her own nest and Rosalind in answer says that love has indeed made her a little bit mad. Now at night four scene two, several Duke's Junior's forer-lawers have been hunting and one of them killed a deer. Jacques suggests that they presented to the Duke like a Roman conqueror and they carried out this little slaughter trophy. Now at night four scene three, it's past two o'clock and Orlando has not arrived for his meeting with Ganymede. Sylvia does arrive, however, bringing Phoebe's letter to Ganymede and Rosalind playfully pretends that as the illiterate shepherd has supposed it's full of invective and she accuses him. Sylvia is jealous of writing it because it's a man's invention and his hand. But when she stops and actually reads the letter aloud, even the gullible Sylvia realises that the note is in actuality a love poem. It's Phoebe's way of wooing Ganymede. Sylvia is ordered to return to Phoebe with this message. If Phoebe loves me, I charge her to love thee. If she will not, I will never have her unless thou entreat for her. Now at four scene three a stranger arrives on stage. It's Oliver and has come in search of Ganymede and he presents him with a token from Orlando, a bloody handkerchief. He explains that Orlando while walking the forest discovered Oliver sleeping under a cloak. A snake had crawled itself around Oliver's neck but because it was frightened by Orlando's entrance it stayed away. Nearby a hungry lioness waited for Oliver to awaken before pouncing upon him. After debating with himself whether to save Oliver or leave him to a certain death, Orlando fought and killed the lioness. Oliver awakened to see his brother Briskings laugh to save him, realized his brother loved him deeply and so his hatred for Orlando changed to love. Now reconciled, the brothers proceed to Duke's senior's encampment where Oliver discovered the lioness had torn Orlando's flesh. He's brought the handkerchief which Orlando used to bind his wounded arm and he presents it to Ganymede with apologies for Orlando's broken promise. Now in Act 5 Scene 1, when the scene opens Audrey is fretting about her postponed marriage. She is worried and she's presented as a very rustic character and William appears and in answer to Touchstone's question are thou wise? He replies, I sir and I have pretty wit. To this Touchstone responds by quoting the same beginning, the fall doth drink think is wise. Touchstone quickly reduces William to a state of stupification. William meekly goes away and Corinne arrives with word that Touchstone is wanted by Lena and Ganymede. In Act 5 Scene 2, we learn that Oliver has fallen in love with the Lena at first glance and he tells Orlando that she is consented to marry him. He vows to give Orlando to his father's house and live and die a shepherd. Orlando approves of the marriage and then is scheduled for the following day. For Rosalind, it's Ganymede enters and tells the well-winned courtship of Alina and Oliver in which the no sooner looked before they loved. When Orlando confesses his own heart's heaviness because he's without his true love, Ganymede tells him that he, Ganymede, is knowledgeable in the true art of magic and says, if you do love Rosalind so near as your heart, then when your brother marries Alina, shall you marry Rosalind? Ganymede then promises to set Rosalind before Orlando's eyes. Phoebe and Silvis join them and Phoebe expresses her love for Ganymede and Silvis expresses his love for Phoebe. In Ganymede says, he loves no woman in Orlando's eyes for the absent Rosalind. In Act 5 Scene 3, Touchstone tells his true love, tomorrow is a joyful day when they'll be married. They're entertained then by the two of the Dukes' pages who sing appropriately, it was a love on his last. In Act 5 Scene 4, on the following day the Duke asks Orlando if he believes that Ganymede can do all as he's promised. With them Oliver, Celia disguised as Alina, Armenis and Jacques have gathered to see whether the miracle of multiple marriages can be performed. Rosalind enters in her customary disguise followed by Silvis and Phoebe, she reminds all the parties of the agreements. The Duke will allow Orlando to marry Rosalind if she appears and Phoebe will marry Ganymede unless unforeseen circumstances make her refuse, in which case she will have to marry Silvis. Everyone agrees and Rosalind and Celia disappear into the forest. While they're gone, Duke's senior notes on the remarkable resemblance of Ganymede's own daughter, an opinion that Orlando seconds. Touchstone and Audrey then join the party and Touchstone entertains the company with the description of a choral he had as he finishes Rosalind and Celia's return dressed as themselves and accompanied by Armen, the god of marriage. Phoebe, realizing that the young man she loves is in fact a woman, agrees to marry Silvis and Hyman, marries the happy couples in Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia and Phoebe and Silvis and Touchstone and Audrey get married and a great wedding feast begins. Hoffing through the festivities, Jacques de Bois, the middle brother of Oliver and Orlando arrives with information that Duke Frederick mounted an army to seek out Duke's senior and destroy him. As he rode toward the forest of Ardine, Duke Frederick met a priest who converted him to a peace-loving life. Jacques de Bois goes on to report that Frederick has abdicated his surrender as brother and has moved to a monastery, all rejoiced, happy in the knowledge that they can return to court. Only Jacques decides he will not return, he determines to follow Duke Frederick's example and live a solitary, contemplative existence in a monastery. The wedding feast continues and the revelers dance as everyone except Rosalind exits the stage. Then there's the epilogue. Rosalind steps forward and admits that the play is breaking theatrical costumes by allowing a female character to perform the epilogue. But the play she says improves with the epilogue and so she asks the audience's indulgence. She will not beg for the audience's approval for she's not dressed like a beggar, instead she will conjure them. She begins with the women, asks them to like as much as the play pleases them, for the love they bear to men. She asks the same of the men, saying that if she were a woman, for all the female roles in Renaissance theatre were played by men, she would kiss as many of them as handsome and hygienic. She's sure that the compliment will be returned and the men will lavish her with applause as she curteses. Now when it comes to the characters, the first of course is Orlando, he's the youngest son of Sir Royal Andy Bois and he's been kept like a peasant by his brother Oliver all his life. Yet despite this, his goodness and natural gifts are apparent. To save his life, he flees from a harsh and rigidly struttered society in which the old, the lowly and the female are victimised. In the anarchic world of Arden, he cares for Adam, who's both old and lowly with great tenderness and no consangable rank. Most importantly, he's temporarily set free from the restrictions and fictions imposed on a man dealing with a woman and he comes to know Rosalind, not as a mistress placed on a pedestal for greater ease of worship and dehumanisation but as a friend and equal. In all, he embodies his age's anglois accents, virtues of courtesy, gentleness, independence, courage of strength, filial devotion and having established Orlando as a knight of sorts, Shakespeare then reveals his human frailties in particular, when Rosalind gives him necklace, his strength, courage and all his manly virtues desert him momentarily as he falls in love. The next character of course is Rosalind, she's the heroine of the comedy and she exemplifies the best virtues to be found in the Renaissance Englishwoman. She's intelligent, witty, warm and strong of character and she possesses an unshakable integrity, yet there's nothing overbearing of pedantic about her intelligence, she intimidates no one. As a result, she remains always gently wittily human, whereas Orlando at times seems almost too intense in his quest to measure up to his father's presets. Rosalind always seems to rise above the failings of fate by using her resourceful, realistic understanding and she emerges as a human being who's to be admired. However, her patience isn't without limits and she's no saint. Falsely charged with treason and condemned to exile, she's nevertheless secure in her integrity and she's able to defend herself with courteous firm eloquence. Her exceptional mental gifts are most strikingly demonstrated during her bright flow of her conversation. She's witty and her repartee especially is sparkling when she's alone with Celia. The other character of course is Celia, who's able to hold her own witty conversations with Rosalind in Touchstone and she's usually reserved in public situations. In Act 3, in Act 4, Scene 2, for example she says nothing for almost 200 lines which is to be explained in part by the fact that Rosalind is Shakespeare's principal creation and also Celia is not in love. Also, Celia in terms of the stage decorum is really interestingly depicted for in many ways she never really takes part. The only role that she plays is in support of Rosalind. The next character is Touchstone and he's designated as being the clown. He is seen and depicted as the fool, the king's gesture and he's dressed in mockery and in reading Elizabethan plays it's important to keep this important distinction in mind. He was however more than an average fool and through his satirical wit he exposes the follies of life. The other important characters are Duke Signeur who's banished Rosalind, Duke Frederick who was the usurper and Celia's father who banished Rosalind, Arminis, the lord who attends the banished Duke, Duke Signeur, Jacques, another lord who attends the banished Duke and is a very melancholy fellow, Lebeau, a courtier attending Duke Frederick and Charles, a wrestler of Duke Frederick. There's also Oliver who's the elder son of Sir Rowlander Boys, Adam a servant to Oliver, Dennis a servant to Oliver and Sir Oliver Manteks who's a country vicar. Now when it comes to the themes, the first of course is romantic love and this is demonstrated in the central relationship between Rosalind and Orlando. They fall in love quickly and the love is articulated through poetry and carvings on trees. It's a gentlemanly and courtly love but it's fraught with barriers needing to be overcome. Orlando has to overcome several obstacles to be married, however Rosalind and Orlando is only met a couple of times in the disguise of Ganymede and it's hard to say therefore whether they really truly know each other because we don't really see that many interactions between them when Rosalind isn't dressed as Ganymede. However Rosalind is also interesting because in terms of her perception of love she doesn't seem to be very unrealistic. Although she enjoys being on the wooing side of love she's also aware that it's not sometimes always genuine and which is why she tests Orlando's love for her through her disguise of Ganymede. There's also sisterly and brotherly love and this is clearly evident between Celia and Rosalind as Celia abandons her home and privileges to join Rosalind in the forest. Also brotherly love is severely lacking at the beginning of this play. Oliver hates his brother Orlando and wants him dead however this shifts. Also Duke Frederick has banished Duke Sunore who's usurped his dukedom. However this love is restored when Oliver has a miraculous change of heart when Orlando bravely saves him from being killed. It appears in the forest that the forest is responsible for this change of character in both the evil brothers Oliver and Duke Frederick which helps further the plot in terms of the importance of reconciling but also the importance of familial love. The other important theme is fatherly love. Duke Frederick loves his daughter Celia and has indulged her in that he's allowed Rosalind to stay. When he has a change of heart and wants to banish Rosalind he doesn't do it for his daughter. However once he does firm his intention to have Rosalind banished he feels very sad when he realises that Celia has left. Indeed Celia rejects the father's attempts at loyalty and leaves him to join Rosalind in the forest. His love for her as his daughter is somewhat unrequited due to his wrong dipping which he ultimately does change his mind on. Also there's this interesting contrast between city and country life. So there's lots of pastoral literature and it thrives on this contrast. Often it suggests that the oppressions of the city can be remedied by a trip to the country's therapeutic woods and fields which can resolve a lot of the issues that arise in the city. Also the country is seen as restoring a person's sense of balance and rightness and this type of restoration in turn enables one to return to the city a better person and we see this with lots of the characters who go into the country and then combat changed. For example in Act 21 Orlando rolls against the injustices of life with Oliver and complains. Later in that scene as Charles relates the whereabouts of Duke Sunour and his followers the remedy is clear. It's in the forest of Ardeen where the usurped Duke resides. As the characters prepare to return for a life at court the play does not lord country over city or vice versa but instead suggests a delicate and necessary balance between the two. The simplicity of the forest provides shelter from the strains of the court but it also creates a need for an urban star on sophistication. The other theme is that of foolishness and this play makes it clear that human beings can be very ridiculous. So naturally much of the play is spent poking fun at such foolish behaviour. From Orlando's silly notion that love should look like a 14th century Italian card to Jacques Melancholy and highly cliched outlook on life. Touchstone the character who does most of the mocking of the play just happens to also be a licenced fool. Like Shakespeare's other fools Touchstone's quick wit and insight into human nature allow him to point out the folly of those around him. Despite this play's critique of human folly it also acknowledges that foolishness and folly are the very things that make us human and we can recognise this way ahead of the game. So that's all if you enjoyed this video then please do consider subscribing to our channel and giving this video a thumbs up. Also if you want access to useful essay questions, model answers that you can use for revision as well as additional support in English as well as other subjects do visit our website which is www.firstretutors.com. Thank you so much for listening. .