As You Like It (Bantam Classic) - Softcover

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William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King’s New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as “an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers.” Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later under James I, called the King’ s Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

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funny comedy, which contains some of Shakespeare's loveliest poetry, contrasts a country's world of envy and rivalry with a forest's world of compassion and harmony.  In the Forest of Arden, the banished young heroine, Rosalind, disguised as a gentleman farmer, encounters an extraordinary assemblage of characters, including a fool, a malcontent traveler, her own banished father, and the banished young man she loves.  Romantic happiness triumphs, even as we laugh at the excesses of love, at the ways of court and countryside, indeed, at everything, in this masterpiece of comic writing,

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This wisely funny comedy, which contains some of Shakespeare's loveliest poetry, contrasts a court's world of envy and rivalry with a forest's world of compassion and harmony. In the Forest of Arden, the banished young heroine, Rosalind, disguised as a gentleman farmer, encounters an extraordinary assemblage of characters, including a fool, a malcontent traveler, her own banished father, and the banished young man she loves. Romantic happiness triumphs, even as we laugh at the excesses of love, at the ways of court and countryside, indeed, at everything, in this masterpiece of comic writing.
Each Edition Includes:
- Comprehensive explanatory notes
- Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship
- Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English
- Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories
- An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography

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[Dramatis Personae

Duke Senior, a banished duke

Duke Frederick, his usurping brother

Rosalind, daughter of Duke Senior, later disguised as Ganymede

Celia, daughter of Duke Frederick, later disguised as Aliena

Oliver,

Jaques, sons of Sir Rowland de Boys

Orlando,

Amiens, lords attending Duke Senior

Jaques,

le beau, a courtier attending Duke Frederick

Charles, a wrestler in the court of Duke Frederick

Adam, an aged servant of Oliver and then Orlando

Dennis, a servant of Oliver

touchstone, the clown or fool

Corin, an old shepherd

Silvius, a young shepherd, in love with Phoebe

phoebe, a shepherdess

William, a country youth, in love with Audrey

Audrey, a country wench

sir Oliver mar-text, a country vicar

hymen, god of marriage

Lords and Attendants waiting on Duke Frederick

and Duke Senior

scene: Oliver's house; Duke Frederick's court;

and the Forest of Arden]

1.1 Location: The garden of Oliver's house.

1-3 it was . . . crowns it was in this way that I was left, by the terms of my father's will, a mere thousand crowns or £250

3 crowns coins worth five shillings

3-4 charged . . . well my brother was instructed as a condition of my father's blessing to educate me well

5 My . . . school My oldest brother Oliver maintains my other brother, Jaques, at university

6 profit progress.

8 stays detains.  unkept poorly supported

11-12 fair . . . feeding kept well groomed with good diet

12 manage manage, paces and maneuvers in the art of horsemanship

13 riders trainers.  dearly expensively

17 countenance behavior; (neglectful) patronage

19 hinds farm hands.  bars me excludes me from

19-20 as much . . . education with all the power at his disposal, undermines my right to be educated as a gentleman.

26 Go apart Stand aside

27 shake me up abuse me.

28 make do. (But Orlando takes it in the more usual sense.)

1.1 * Enter Orlando and Adam.

Orlando As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fash- 1

ion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand 2

crowns and, as thou say'st, charged my brother on his 3

blessing to breed me well; and there begins my 4

sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and 5

report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he 6

keeps me rustically at home--or, to speak more

properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you 8

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 11

feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end 12

riders dearly hired. But I, his brother, gain nothing 13

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 countenance 17

seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his

hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as 19

in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. 20

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.

Enter Oliver.

Adam Yonder comes my master, your brother.

Orlando Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how 26

he will shake me up. [Adam stands aside.] 27

Oliver Now, sir, what make you here? 28

30 mar ("To make or mar" is a commonplace antithesis.)

31 Marry i.e., Indeed. (Originally an oath by the Virgin Mary.)

34-5 be naught awhile i.e., stay in your place, don't grumble.

36-8 Shall . . . penury? (Alluding to the story of the Prodigal Son, in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 15:11-32, who, having wasted his "portion" or inheritance, had to tend swine and eat with them.)

39 where in whose presence. (But Orlando sarcastically takes the more literal meaning.)

40 orchard garden.

43-4 in . . . blood acknowledging the bond of our being of gentle birth

44-5 courtesy of nations recognized custom (of primogeniture, whereby the eldest son inherits all the land)

47 blood (1) gentlemanly lineage (2) spirit

49 is nearer . . . reverence is closer to his position of authority (as head of family).

52 young inexperienced (at fighting)

53 villain i.e., wicked fellow. (But Orlando plays on the literal meaning of "bondman" or "serf," as well as Oliver's meaning.)

55 he anyone

59 railed on thyself insulted your own blood.

60-1 your father's remembrance the sake of your father's memory

Orlando Nothing. I am not taught to make anything.

Oliver What mar you then, sir? 30

Orlando Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that 31

which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours,

with idleness.

Oliver Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught 34

awhile. 35

Orlando Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with 36

them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I 37

should come to such penury? 38

Oliver Know you where you are, sir? 39

Orlando Oh, sir, very well: here in your orchard. 40

Oliver Know you before whom, sir?

Orlando Ay, better than him I am before knows me.

I know you are my eldest brother, and in the gentle 43

condition of blood you should so know me. The cour- 44

tesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are 45

the firstborn, but the same tradition takes not away

my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I 47

have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I con-

fess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. 49

Oliver What, boy! [He strikes Orlando.]

Orlando Come, come, elder brother, you are too

young in this. [He seizes Oliver by the throat.] 52

Oliver Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? 53

Orlando I am no villain. I am the youngest son of Sir

Rowland de Boys. He was my father, and he is thrice 55

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. 59

Adam Sweet masters, be patient! For your father's 60

remembrance, be at accord. 61

66 qualities (1) characteristics (2) accomplishments.

68 exercises employments

69 allottery portion

74 will (1) desire (2) portion from your father's will (3) willfulness (i.e., you'll get what is coming to you).

82 grow upon me take liberties with me; grow too big for your breeches.

83 physic your rankness apply medicine to your overweening

84 neither either.

88 So please you If you please

Oliver Let me go, I say.

Orlando I will not till I please. You shall hear me. My

father charged you in his will to give me good educa-

tion. You have trained me like a peasant, obscuring

and hiding from me all gentlemanlike qualities. The 66

spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no

longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as 68

may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery 69

my father left me by testament. With that I will go buy

my fortunes. [He releases Oliver.]

Oliver And what wilt thou do? Beg when that is

spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled

with you; you...