As You Like It Thrift Study Edition

William Shakespeare

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780486268958
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Everything you need to make the grade! Test? Paper? Class discussion? Don't worry, we have you covered. This book has everything you need.
Not only does it feature the complete text of As You Like It, it offers a comprehensive study guide that will easily help you understand Shakespeare's classic drama.
You'll make the grade with complete and unabridged text, scene-by-scene summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, Shakespeare biography, a list of characters, and more.
Includes the unabridged text of Shakespeare's classic play plus a complete study guide that helps readers gain a thorough understanding of the work's content and context. The comprehensive guide includes scene-by-scene summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, analytical paper topics, list of characters, bibliography, and more.

As You Like It

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Contents

Dramatis Personae

Act I

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Act II

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Scene VI

Scene VII

Act III

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Act IV

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Act V

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Epilogue

Dramatis Personæ¹

DUKE, living in banishment.
FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions.
AMIENS,		lords attending on the banished Duke.
JAQUES,
LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick.
CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick.
OLIVER,		sons of Sir Rowland de Boys.
JAQUES,
ORIANDO,
ADAM,		servants to Oliver.
DENNIS,
TOUCHSTONE, a clown.
SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar.
CORIN,		shepherds.
SYLVIUS,
WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey.
A person representing Hymen.
ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke.
CELIA, daughter to Frederick.
PHEBE, a shepherdess.
AUDREY, a country wench.

Lords, pages, and attendants, &c.

SCENE — Oliver’s house; Duke Frederick’s court; and the Forest of Arden

---

¹This play, which was first printed in the First Folio in 1623, is there divided into acts and scenes. There is no list of Dramatis Personae. This was supplied for the first time in Rowe’s edition of 1709.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Orchard of Oliver’s House.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM

ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion: bequeathed me¹ by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques² he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance³ seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education.⁴ This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother.

ORL. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.

Enter OLIVER

OLI. Now, sir! what make you here?

ORL. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.

OLI. What mar you then, sir?

ORL. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

OLI. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.⁵

ORL. Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

OLI. Know you where you are, sir?

ORL. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.

OLI. Know you before whom, sir?

ORL. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the firstborn; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.⁶

OLI. What, boy!

ORL. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.⁷

OLI. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

ORL. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pulled out thy tongue for saying so: thou hast railed on thyself.

ADAM. Sweet masters, be patient: for your father’s remembrance, be at accord.

OLI. Let me go, I say.

ORL. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education: you have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

OLI. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave me.

ORL. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

OLI. Get you with him, you old dog.

ADAM. Is “old dog” my reward?? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! ...