As You Like It Summary & Analysis

William Shakespeare's as you like it was

first performed in 1603 it is one of

Shakespeare's most famous comedies it

tells the story of the amusing courtship

and eventual marriage of Rosalind the

daughter of the Duke and Orlando the son

of a knight.

Although the play is a

comedy Shakespeare explores many serious

philosophical themes such as those of

love and pastoral life in regards to

love the play emphatically asserts that

love Springs from physical attraction

which is often established at first

sight the two main couples of the play

Rosalind and Orlando and Celia and

Oliver fall in love at first sight and

one character muses who ever loved that

loved not at first sight a man cannot

help being attracted to a particular

person he either is or is not attracted

to her a man's sexual preference depends

upon his genetics and the cultural

milieu in which he was raised love then

is like a madness or disease that is

passively caught not actively earned as

it is passively caught so to is it

passively lost

Rosalind warns Orlando of this

fickleness of love men are April when

they woo December when they Wed maids

are May when they are maids but the sky

changes when they are wives besides the

theme of love the theme of pastoral life

is prominence in the play while exiled

in the Forest of Arden the Duke comments

upon the boons he has gained and the

problems he has lost during his

banishment hath not old custom made this

life more sweet than that of painted

pomp are not these woods more free from

peril than the envious court here Phil

we but the penalty of Adam the seasons

difference as the icy Fang interest

chiding of the winter's wind which when

it bites and blows upon my body even

till I shrink with cold I smile and say

this is no flattery these are counselors

that feelingly persuade me what I am

sweet are the uses of adversity which

like the toad ugly and venomous whereas

yet a precious jewel in his head and

this our life exempt from public haunt

fine

tongues and trees books in the running

Brooks sermons and stones and good in

everything I would not change it

the Duke prefers the life of an exile in

the woods over the life of a Duke in the

city this is high praise of simple

country living and stern condemnation of

ambitious city living in the city there

are flatterers deceivers and liars there

are illusions and falsehoods in the

countryside on the other hand there is

truth rough as it may be nature does not

flatter it will show you your limits and

tell you who you truly are

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farewell