As You Like It by William Shakespeare | As You Like It | William Shakespeare | Plot | Characters | Themes | Style | Historical Context | Critical Overview | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
As You Like It
“As You Like It” is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. While the exact date of the first public performance of As You Like It remains shrouded in some mystery, the most widely accepted theory places it at the opening of the Globe Theatre London in 1599. Another possibility is a performance at Wilton House, a country estate in Wiltshire, England, in December 1603. This is documented in a letter written by Robert Cecil, a prominent figure at the time, mentioning a play called “As You Like It” being performed there. But most scholars consider the Globe opening the more likely debut.
Shakespeare’s comedy “As You Like It” is seen as both a celebration of simple, innocent country life (pastoral romance) and a satire of it. Audiences usually enjoy the light-hearted, love-focused banter in the Forest of Arden more than the serious, battle-filled scenes at Oliver’s home and Duke Frederick’s court. The forest could be a reference to the Arden woodlands near Shakespeare’s hometown and the Ardennes region in northeast France, where the play is set. The peaceful forest charms its visitors, who mostly think about love once they have food and shelter. The non-romantic plotlines from the first act mostly resolve themselves in the final scenes, largely because the forest seems to charm the antagonists too. The play’s magical nature becomes real when Hymen, the Greek god of marriage, appears to officiate at the weddings that end the play.
The last three acts let the audience experience how time seems to amble for those with lots of free time and no responsibilities, like the main characters. Even though Rosalind probably needs to disguise herself for safety, nothing really threatens her relationship with Orlando; they’re mutually infatuated from their first meeting. So, most of the play’s tension comes from the witty exchanges, not the original plotlines picked up only during the scene at the duke’s palace at the start of the third act. Touchstone and Jaques add to the play not through love affairs but through philosophical reflection, which the quiet pastoral setting encourages.
Shakespeare got the plot of “As You Like It” directly from Thomas Lodge’s 1590 novel “Rosalynde, or Euphues’ Golden Legacy,” which was itself based on a more action-filled 14th-century poem called “The Tale of Gamelyn.” Shakespeare didn’t change much from Lodge’s straightforward pastoral story, but he did strengthen the character of Rosalind and add his two philosophers, Jaques and Touchstone, giving the cast as a whole more opportunity for reflection.
Critics can’t agree on whether “As You Like It” should be read as a satire or a celebration of the pastoral ideal, but readers can enjoy the play’s festive atmosphere and various love affairs. “As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and best-loved comedies.
