‘As You Like It’ Act One – “The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.”

‘As You Like It’ Act One – “The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.”

I like to think that as the summer was drawing to a close in 1599, Shakespeare thought it was time for a good pastoral comedy; a rustic love story which starts in a duchy somewhere in France and moves to the mystical Forest of Ardenne (aka Arden). Perhaps writing ‘Julius Caesar’ had made him question the machinations of power and city life and he yearned for the simple pleasure of country life. Some people put the writing of 'As You Like It' as late as 1603 but elements of the story and allusions in it to events in 1599 mean that it was more likely written in 1599 or 1600.

If you did happen to see 'As You Like it' at The Globe Theatre in June of 1600. This is probably how your day would have gone. You probably woke about 8am if it was a Saturday. If you did have breakfast since it was a rite "more honoured in the breach than in the observance", you probably had a small ale with bread and butter. If you were of French origin, like the Mountjoy family who Shakespeare lodged with around this time, you probably had muscadel wine with eggs beaten up in it for breakfast. You would have either had this breakfast provided at your lodging or you would have got it from a local inn just around the corner.

Around 10am you would have heard one of the bells from one of the local churches which indicated the time of day. You would then venture into the streets.

As you walked across London Bridge (unless you took a ferry-boat or punt across the Thames River), you probably saw the white flag flying above the Globe Theatre to indicate that a comedy would be playing in the theatre in the afternoon. As you came across the bridge and into Bankside in Southwark, you were probably handed a pamphlet to advertise the day's play at the Globe which would have been 'As You Like It'. Bankside was outside the city limits of London and it was considered a 'den of iniquity" with brothels, gambling houses, bear-baiting pits and theatres. 

You may have visited a herbalist or tobacconist while you were waiting to pick up Trinidada tobacco or Henbane of Peru for your pipe.

A trumpet would sound about 30 minutes before the play was about to begin at about 1pm. This would signal to you that you better make your way down to the Globe Theatre. You would pay 1 penny for a ticket to stand with the groundlings or 3 to 5 pennies to purchase a seat and a cushion. You could for a halfpenny purchase an ale in the groundling area or in the yard outside the theatre and food such as bread, roasted chestnuts or smoked pig's ears were also available for about a halfpenny too. Eating raw fruit was regarded with suspicion in Elizabethan times so you would not have had fruit. You may even have bought an oyster to eat and you probably got two oysters for about a halfpenny. But wine and ale were the main items consumed for lunch. In 1598, the German lawyer Paul Hentzner visited the theatre in Bankside in London and he reported seeing wine and ale for sale at the theatre.

Then a final trumpet would sound three times and the performance of 'As You Like It' would begin. 

The play starts with a feud between brothers. Orlando, whose father Sir Rowland de Bois has recently died, describes to Adam (an old family servant), how since his father’s death his brother, Oliver, who inherited his father’s estate, has deprived him of education and a decent allowance. This is against his father’s expressed wishes. Moreover, Oliver allows Orlando’s older brother to be educated widely and broadly. Orlando wants to confront his brother with his grievances.

Just then Oliver enters, and the brothers start to argue both verbally and physically. Orlando claims that their father’s blood runs through both of them in the same way. Oliver is taken back and insults Orlando who grabs his brother around the neck. Old Adam tries to part the two by evoking the name of their good father. Orlando refuses to let go until Oliver promises to treat him with more respect or else give him his portion of his father’s estate to make his own destiny. Oliver unwillingly agrees and Orlando and Adam exit.

But Oliver will not give up his money nor his honour so easily. He gets his servant Denis to bring the court wrestler, Charles, to him, who has been waiting to see Oliver about some matter. Since Shakespeare has no Chorus in this play, he has to give the audience a quick background and Charles is the man to do it. So when Oliver asks Charles for the “new news at the new court” Charles, who must be the most articulate wrester ever to have lived launches into his narration. Charles tells Oliver (and the audience) that Duke Frederick has seized power over Duke Senior and fled into the Forest of Ardenne has been usurped by his younger brother, Duke Frederick, and has forfeited his property and fled with a number of loyal lords to the Forest of Ardenne where he lives “…like the old Robin Hood of England…” and that Duke Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, although banished, lives with her beloved cousin and childhood friend Celia, Duke Frederick’s only daughter. Then Charles reveals that the real reson he wanted to talk to Oliver was because he had heard that Orlando, Oliver’s brother, plans to enter the court wrestling match against Caharles in disguise. Charles reveals that his problem is that his reputation is built on breaking bones and hurting his opponents (no fake acting here) and he worries that he will hurt Orlando. Oliver tells Charles that Orlando is scoundrel who will probably try a trick like poisoning Charles to win the match. Charles becomes resolved to win the match and perhaps hurt the ‘dishonest’ Orlando. Charles leaves and Oliver gloats alone (well maybe not so alone if the two thousand people in the Globe Theatre that day were quiet enough to be listening).

We shift then to Rosalind and Celia where Celia is trying to cheer Rosalind up who is distressed over the banishment of her father Duke Senior. Celia promises to always look after her cousin and Rosalind promises less depressing. Suddenly the court jester Touchstone arrives and after telling a story of a courtier named Le Beau who swore by honour he didn’t possess, informs the ladies of the wrestling entertainment and the strength of Charles the wrestler.

Then the wrestling contestants and the spectator’s for the match enter. Duke Frederick acknowledges both Rosalind and Celia and then reinforces his belief that Charles will hurt and defeat anyone. Rosalind and Celia try to convince the young challenger, Orlando in disguise, to back down but the young challenger refuses. Charles and his young opponent wrestle and surprisingly, Orlando wins. Duke Frederick asks the young winner to reveal his identity and Orlando divulges that he is the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois. Duke Frederick admits that he and Sir Rowland were enemies and the Duke exits. Rosalind and Celia congratulate Orlando and Rosalind gives Orlando a chain from around her neck and before she leaves, suggests that he has won more in this battle than the wrestling match.

“Sir, you have wrestled well and overthrown

More than your enemies.”

The scene ends with Le Beau warning Orlando that his win might cause more problems with the Duke and that he wishes

“Hereafter, in a better world than this,

I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.”

In another room in the palace, Celia is wondering how Rosalind is could fall in love so easily and so quickly. Then Duke Frederick enters and denounces Rosalind as a traitor and demands that she leaves the court under threat of death. Celia pleads to her father for Rosalind.

“But now I know her: if she be a traitor,

Why so am I; we still have slept together,

Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together,

And wheresoever we went, like Juno's swans,

Still we went coupled and inseparable.”

The Duke remains unmoved and reinforces Rosalind’s banishment and leaves. Celia proclaims that she will also go with Rosalind and they devise a plan to find Duke Senior in the Forest of Ardenne. They decide to disguise themselves for this dangerous journey, Celia as a shepherdess and Rosalind as a young man. Although this seems confusing for us, Shakespeare’ audience had no problem with a young man laying a young girl playing a young man. They decide that they will take the jester Touchstone, with them on their journey into the Forest of Ardenne.