As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility.
As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. In the forest, they encounter a variety of memorable characters, notably the melancholy traveller Jaques, who speaks many of Shakespeare's most famous speeches. Jaques provides a sharp contrast to the other characters in the play, always observing and disputing the hardships of life in the country.
Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the play a work of great merit and some finding it to be of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works. The play has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.
Excerpted from As You Like It on Wikipedia.
As You Like It
Author | William Shakespeare |
Country | England |
Genre | Comedy, Drama |
Copyright | Public domain worldwide. |
Book cover | Heroine Rosalind, court jester Touchstone, and shepherd Corin Image: wikimedia |
Ebooks | Project Gutenberg |
Scans | Google-digitized |
Audio | Librivox | Internet Archive Reader: Group, Dramatic Readings 01 02 03 04 05 |
Read online | As You Like It |