As You Like It E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: P
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the work of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works and some finding the play a work of great merit. The play features one of Shakespeare's most famous and oft-quoted speeches, "All the world's a stage", and is the origin of the phrase "too much of a good thing". The play remains a favorite among audiences and has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theater.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Persons represented

ACT I.

ACT II.

ACT III.

ACT IV.

ACT V.

William Shakespeare

As You Like It

First digital edition 2018 by Fabio De Angelis

Persons represented

DUKE, living in exile.FREDERICK, Brother to the Duke, andUsurper of his Dominions. AMIENS, Lord attending on the Duke in hisBanishment.JAQUES, Lord attending on the Duke in his Banishment.LEBEAU, a Courtier attending upon Frederick.CHARLES, hisWrestler.OLIVER, Son of Sir Rowland de Bois.JAQUES, Son of SirRowland de Bois.ORLANDO, Son of Sir Rowland de Bois.ADAM, Servantto Oliver.DENNIS, Servant to Oliver.TOUCHSTONE, a Clown.SIR OLIVERMARTEXT, a Vicar.CORIN, Shepherd.SILVIUS, Shepherd.WILLIAM, aCountry Fellow, in love with Audrey.A person representingHYMEN.

ROSALIND, Daughter to the banished Duke.CELIA, Daughter toFrederick.PHEBE, a Shepherdess.AUDREY, a Country Wench.

Lords belonging to the two Dukes; Pages, Foresters, and otherAttendants.

The SCENE lies first near OLIVER'S house; afterwards partly inthe Usurper's court and partly in the Forest of Arden.

ACT I.

SCENE I.An Orchard near OLIVER'S house.

[Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.]

ORLANDO.As I remember, Adam, it was upon thisfashion,--bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, asthou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well:and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school,and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps merustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here athome unkept: for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birththatdiffers not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bredbetter; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, theyare taught their manage, and to that end riders dearlyhired; but I,his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which hisanimals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besidesthis nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something thatnature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me: he lets mefeed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother,and as much asin him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it,Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I thinkis within me, begins to mutinyagainst this servitude; I will nolonger endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoidit.

ADAM.Yonder comes my master, your brother.

ORLANDO.Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake meup.

[ADAM retires]

[Enter OLIVER.]

OLIVER.Now, sir! what make you here?

ORLANDO.Nothing: I am not taught to make anything.

OLIVER.What mar you then, sir?

ORLANDO.Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made,apoor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

OLIVER.Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.

ORLANDO.Shall I keep your hogs, andeat husks with them?Whatprodigal portion have I spent that I should come to suchpenury?

OLIVER.Know you where you are, sir?

ORLANDO.O, sir, very well: here in your orchard.

OLIVER.Know you before whom, sir?

ORLANDO.Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know youaremy eldest brother: and in the gentle condition of blood, youshould so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better inthat you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not awaymy blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much ofmy father in me as you, albeit; I confess, your coming before me isnearer to his reverence.

OLIVER.What, boy!

ORLANDO.Come, come, elder brother, you are too young inthis.

OLIVER.Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

ORLANDO.I am no villain:I am the youngest son of Sir RowlanddeBois: he was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says sucha father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not takethis hand from thy throat till this other had pulled out thy tonguefor saying so: thou has railed on thyself.

ADAM.[Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; foryourfather's remembrance, be at accord.

OLIVER.Let me go, I say.

ORLANDO.I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. Myfathercharged you in his will to give megood education: you havetrained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me allgentleman-like qualities: the spirit of my father grows strong inme, and I will no longer endure it: therefore, allow me suchexercises as may become a gentleman, or giveme the poorallottery myfather left me by testament; with that I will go buy myfortunes.

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 shallhave some part of your will: I pray you leave me.

ORLANDO.I no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

OLIVER.Get you with him, you old dog.

ADAM.Is "old dog" my reward? Most true, I have lost my teethinyour service.--God be with my old master! he would not have spokesucha word.

[Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM.]

OLIVER.Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I willphysicyour rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither.Holla,Dennis!

[Enter DENNIS.]

DENNIS.Calls your worship?

OLIVER.Was not Charles, the duke'swrestler, here to speak withme?

DENNIS.So please you, he is here at the door and importunesaccess to you.

OLIVER.Call him in.

[Exit DENNIS.]

--'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

[Enter CHARLES.]

CHARLES.Good morrow to your worship.

OLIVER.Good Monsieur Charles!--what's the new news at the newcourt?

CHARLES.There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news;thatis, the old duke is banished by his younger brother the newduke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves intovoluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the newduke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

OLIVER.Can you tell if Rosalind, the duke's daughter, bebanishedwith her father?

CHARLES.O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, so lovesher,--being ever from their cradles bred together,--that she wouldhave followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is atthe court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his owndaughter;and never two ladies loved as they do.

OLIVER.Where will the old duke live?

CHARLES.They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and amanymerry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hoodof England: they say many young gentlemen flock to him every day,and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.

OLIVER.What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke?

CHARLES.Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with amatter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your youngerbrother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd againstme to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit;and hethatescapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Yourbrother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would beloath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in:therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaintyouwithal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, orbrook such disgrace well as he shall run into; in that it is thingof his own search, and altogether against my will.

OLIVER.Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thoushaltfindI will most kindly requite. I had myself notice ofmybrother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured todissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee,Charles,it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition,anenvious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret andvillainous contriver against me his natural brother:therefore usethy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as hisfinger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him anyslight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, hewill practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by sometreacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thylife by some indirect means or other: for, I assure thee, andalmost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and sovillainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; butshould I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, andthou must look pale and wonder.

CHARLES.I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If hecometo-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone againI'll never wrestle for prize more: and so, God keep yourworship!

[Exit.]

OLIVER.Farewell, good Charles.--Now will I stir this gamester:Ihope I shall see an end of him: for my soul, yet I know not why,hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never schooled and yetlearned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved;and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially ofmy own people, whobest know him, that I amaltogether misprised: butit shall not be so long; thiswrestler shall clear all: nothingremains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll goabout.

[Exit.]

SCENE II. A Lawn before the DUKE'S Palace.

[Enter ROSALIND andCELIA.]

CELIA.I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.

ROSALIND.Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of;and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me toforget a banished father, you must not learn me how to rememberanyextraordinary pleasure.

CELIA.Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight thatI love thee; if my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thyuncle, the duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, Icould have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldstthou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temperedas mine is to thee.

ROSALIND.Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, torejoice in yours.

CELIA.You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is liketo have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir: for whathe hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render theeagain in affection: by mine honour, I will; and when I break thatoath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose,be merry.

ROSALIND.From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports: let mesee; what think you of falling in love?

CELIA.Marry, I pr'ythee, do, to make sport withal: but love noman in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither thanwithsafety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again.

ROSALIND.What shall be our sport, then?