Key Facts
Full title : As You Like It
Author : William Shakespeare
Type of work : Play
Genre : Comedy, pastoral
Language : English
Time and place written : 1598–1600; London, England
Date of first publication : First published in the Folio of 1623
Tone : Comic, romantic
Setting (time) : Sixteenth century
Setting (place) : France, primarily the fictional Forest of Ardenne
Protagonist : Rosalind
Major conflict : Rosalind and Orlando fall in love, but Rosalind is unjustly banished from Duke Frederick’s court; Orlando is both denied his birthright by his jealous brother Oliver and forced to flee from the vindictive Duke Frederick.
Rising action : In order to teach Orlando how to be a proper husband to her, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man named Ganymede and instructs him in the ways of love.
Climax : Rosalind promises to marry Orlando and gets Phoebe to agree to marry Silvius, should things go awry with her beloved Ganymede, who is actually Rosalind in disguise.
Falling action : Rosalind, appearing as herself, marries Orlando, and Phoebe marries Silvius.
Themes : The delights of love; the malleability of the human experience; city life versus country life
Full title : As You Like It
Author : William Shakespeare
Type of work : Play
Genre : Comedy, pastoral
Language : English
Time and place written : 1598–1600; London, England
Date of first publication : First published in the Folio of 1623
Tone : Comic, romantic
Setting (time) : Sixteenth century
Setting (place) : France, primarily the fictional Forest of Ardenne
Protagonist : Rosalind
Major conflict : Rosalind and Orlando fall in love, but Rosalind is unjustly banished from Duke Frederick’s court; Orlando is both denied his birthright by his jealous brother Oliver and forced to flee from the vindictive Duke Frederick.
Rising action : In order to teach Orlando how to be a proper husband to her, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man named Ganymede and instructs him in the ways of love.
Climax : Rosalind promises to marry Orlando and gets Phoebe to agree to marry Silvius, should things go awry with her beloved Ganymede, who is actually Rosalind in disguise.
Falling action : Rosalind, appearing as herself, marries Orlando, and Phoebe marries Silvius.
Themes : The delights of love; the malleability of the human experience; city life versus country life