As You Like It Comprehension Questions

Act 1
Scene 1
1. Orlando’s situation he finds himself in at the beginning of the play is that of an issue of primogeniture. Upon Orlando’s father’s death he was bequeathed a small 1000 crowns, which is not an amount sufficient for his social standing. His brother Oliver is his only chance of redemption of his former life, to gain the education his father wanted him to have. Oliver provided this to Orlando’s younger brother however he did not afford Orlando any education whatsoever and as such Orlando was raised to bear hatred towards his family as he was treated like that of livestock.
2. Oliver plans for Orlando’s death. He plans for his court wrestler Charles to attend a royal court wrestling match which Orlando plans on fighting in disguised not as himself. Oliver deceives Charles into believing Orlando will use foul means to defeat Charles and as such Charles swears to repay Orlando in that he will kill him.

Scene 2
3. Celia promises to Rosalind that upon the death of her father she will give the throne to Rosalind. Celia also warns Rosalind against being melancholy; she speaks of passing the time pleasurably with all, however to only actually fall in love with pure intentions.
4. It would appear that Touchstone is attempting to point out the ladies that you should not make promises you never had the intentions of intending to keep this promise, such is to swear to something, on something that never once did exist.
5. Touchstone is outwitted by Rosalind in the way that when Celia tells Touchstone that he may have gone a little too far with his impersonation of Le Beau, he replies to her “Nay, if I keep not my rank-”, Rosalind interrupts with “Thou loosest thy old smell”, Touchstone implying that his gifts and position as a fool were quite secure, to which, before he could finish making this clear, Rosalind interrupts him, stating that he would instead loose his rank as a fool, clearly showing her great wit.
6. Le Beau brings news to the ladies of a wrestling match starring the wrestler Charles, whom exhibits astronomical strength.
7. When Orlando defeats Charles, Duke Frederick is impressed with him and asks for his name. When the duke discover he is the son of Rowland de Bois, Duke Frederick laments that Orlando could not have been someone else for he Sir Rowland was an enemy of Duke Frederick and as such he does not feel kindly towards Orlando.

Scene 3
8. I believe that Celia and Rosalind are joking about Rosalind’s melancholy attitude, her love of Orlando. They joke of this love for she has no reason to love him, she desires him so much that they speak, in metaphor, of her want to attract him.
9. Duke Frederick makes a stormy entrance into the court as he wishes for Rosalind to leave and so exiles her. He does so because he despises Rosalind’s father and has noticed how much the people love her, he wants her gone so that his own daughter, Celia, can flourish outside of the shadow of Rosalind.
10. As a result of this Celia and Rosalind devise a plan to escape to not banishment but liberty together. They decide to disguise themselves as common peasants to escape the dukedom into the Forest of Arden, Rosalind as a man named Ganymede and Celia as a woman.

Act 2
Scene 1
1. Duke Senior has been banished from court by his younger brother Duke Junior to the Forest of Arden, where he now resides. Duke Senior quite enjoys his solace and company out in the forest.
Scene 2
2. He plans to financially and otherwise liquidate Oliver if he does not bring Orlando back to the court within a month.
Scene 3
3. Adam warns Orlando that Oliver is coming for him and that they should run away together and lives happily ever after.
Scene 4
4. The two Shepard’s in the Forest of Arden, Corin and Silvius, are discussing the nature of Silvius’ devotion to Phoebe, the he loves. Corin argues that his devotion is foolish and useless. Rosalind and Touchstone enter and respond that love makes one do foolish things.
5. Rosalind approaches Corin to request lodgings and food for the night as they have had a long day, alas he does not have any available as he is shepherd for another. However he does tell Rosalind that his master’s lodgings are for sale and Rosalind and Celia decide to but it.
Scene 5
6. Jaques requests of Amiens to continue singing the song he is singing, however Amiens hesitates as Jaques is a melancholy man and it will make him more so. This scene reveals to us the melancholy, cynical nature of Jaques; it shows us how he offers a sullen perspective on the usually comedic nature of the happenings in Arden. He turns Amiens song about leisurely life and its pleasures into a song of reprimanding foresters. It reveals Jaques’ desire to become a fool, in the sense that he has a critical opinion on everything in the world in which he lives; however he does not fully inhabit this realm.
Scene 6
7. Adam and Orlando reach the Forest of Arden, and upon entering, Adam tells Orlando that he is weary from the journey and implies that this may be his last as he will soon die from hunger. Orlando reconciles Adam, telling him that he will find them some food, however Adam must rest.
Scene 7
8. Jaques informs Duke Senior that he has met a fool and tells him of the fool’s witty observations of Lady Fortune and proclaims that he himself would like to be a fool. He and Duke Senior banter of the hypocritical nature that Jaques would present himself in if he ever were to be a fool.
9. Orlando rushes into the camp sword drawn and then realises after Duke Senior makes Orlando aware of whom he is, that he has made a mistake. All forgiven he is offered a seat at the banquet about to be had. Orlando graciously accepts and rushes to get Adam.
10. I believe that in the speech Jaques is attempting to get across that each person has a set role or destiny to play out in life and that there is no escaping this. I do not agree with Jaques as I do not believe life is set out as a series of points you must reach (after school) and everything you do in life was meant to be that way from the beginning, I believe that everyone has the opportunity to change their lives for the better or for worse and that there is no one straight narrow path one can take rather there are hectic intersections in which one frequently finds obstructions or they themselves become the obstructions, it all depends on what you can deal with and how you deal with it.
Act III
Scene 1
1. Oliver meets with Duke Frederick claiming he has not been able to locate Orland, upon hearing this Duke Frederick gets very angry at Oliver commanding him to retrieve Orlando within a year or his property will be taken. Duke Frederick begins to realise that maybe Oliver does not want to find Orlando or that he already has but denies it happening.
Scene 2
2. At the beginning of this scene Orlando runs through the Forest of Arden mad with love for Rosalind, hanging love poems about everywhere.
3. Corin and Touchstone first discuss the Shepard’s life, then if Corin has ever been to court, then that if you had not been to court you are damned for you never learnt good manners then your manners must be wicked and if he has wicked manners then he is damned.
4. Touchstone mocks the poem that Rosalind reads stating that a rhyming structure is simplistic and a layman could do it and then proceeds to insult Rosalind for admiring it.
5. The news that Celia tells Rosalind is that Orlando has been writing these verses.
6. Rosalind tricks Orlando by convincing him that he must not love this Rosalind as he does not have the signs of a man in love. He is very upset by this and Rosalind tells him that the only cure is to treat her like Rosalind (while she is Ganymede).
Scene 3
7. Touchstone wishes to marry Audrey, when this would not be possible as no one is there to give her away, Jaques intervene by volunteering to give her away; however he manages to convince Touchstone that this is not a suitable place for him to be wed as such the wedding is postponed.
Scene 4
8. Rosalind is upset and complaining because Orlando is late for meeting, thinking that he does not love her. Celia states that a lover’s promise is worth nothing, feeding Rosalind’s fears.
9. Corin enters telling Rosalind and Celia he has found Silvius and Phoebe and that if she wished to watch the two lovers to go with him.
Scene 5
10. Phoebe scorns at Silivius’ love and tells him she does not pity him for the pain he feels for loving her as she does not love him. Rosalind then enters and interferes with their conversation and insults Phoebe, however despite this Phoebe falls in love with her/him, Rosalind wishes for Phoebe to listen to Silivius and scorns her love.

Act IV
Scene 1
1. Rosalind meets Jaques for the first time and learns that he is quite melancholy with an extremely pessimistic view on the world from his apparent ruminations of what he has seen of the world.
2. They speak of how Orlando was late and as such is not really in love with her. He states he would rather kiss than speak, and if Rosalind refused he claims he would die of love. Orlando asks if she will love him, she says yes and Celia pretends to marry them. She then tells Orlando of the way women act after marriage. After Orlando leaves, Rosalind admits to Celia that she is deeply in love with him but cannot yet reveal her true identity.
3. I believe an Elizabethan audience would indeed find this humorous; they would not be too shocked at the homosexuality implied as this is a major theme of the entire play but rather quite amused at this.
Scene 2
4. Jaques hate the idea of killing animals and as such ridicules one of the lords for killing a deer. He does this by making the lords sing a song which describes them wearing the deer’s horns, a sign of cuckoldry.
Scene 3
5. The letter delivered to Rosalind from Phoebe is a love poem and does not insult her in the least. Phoebe instead declares her love for Rosalind, Rosalind feels sorry for the hurt Silvius and so writes back to phoebe instructing her to love Silivius or she will never love her.
6. He states that Orlando saved him from a lioness and is now in the duke’s cave having fainted from loss of blood. Once Orlando woke he asked for Rosalind and to tell her this story. Once Oliver shows Rosalind the handkerchief with blood on it she faints and is then led back to Orlando.
Act V
Scene 1
1. Touchstone informs William that he will leave Audrey to him or he will kill him.
Scene 2
2. Rosalind describes their love at first sight like something happening before it can, yet she is pleased. She announces that this is a great love and that they will move immediately to great things or immediately be incontinent before marriage.
3. He describes being in love as all made of sighs and tears. This opinion is shared by everyone else as they have all gone through great hardships for love.
4. Rosalind has played on words very well here as she promises them everything they want to hear without lying. She pleases every one of them even though it sounds impossible; the audience know it to be possible however she has in a way tricked them all into getting both her way and their way.
Scene 3
5. He complains that it was out of tune and made little sense and as such was hopeless and foolish.
Scene 4
6. The duke agrees to marry Rosalind and Orlando. Orlando agrees to marry Rosalind if she shows up. Phoebe has agreed to marry Ganymede, however if she refuses to marry him then she must marry Silivius.
7. Touchstone’s argument effectively names the seven degrees of accusing someone of lying before a duel must be fought. He finishes this speech by explaining how using the word ‘if’ can settle all disputes.
8. As Rosalind now shows her true appearance Phoebe realises she has loved and woman and agrees to marry Silivius. The duke and Orlando are relieved, shocked and overjoyed.
9. He alerts them that Duke Frederick marches here with an army to arrest them all. However on his way here he converted to a man of religion and returned the crown to his brother and joined a monastery.
10. Jaques decides to leave the Forest and spend time with Duke Frederick in a solitary life. Everyone else rejoices at the grand news.
Epilogue
Rosalind performs the epilogue conveying to the audience she hoped they like it. She then remarks that if ‘she’ were a woman she would kiss all the men in the room (All female roles were played by men in Renaissance theatre). She then finishes the play with a curtsey and hope the complements will be returned to her with applause. She also tells the audience to take what they will from they play or… as you like it.