Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

AUDREY

in As You Like It — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayAs You Like It
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1599
Decade1620s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Aud. | Awd.
Words150
Characters715
Typicality0.14 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.10
BritDrama no.1237
ClusterCluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Your features, Lord warrant us: what features? I do not know what Poetical is: is it honest in deed and word: is it a true thing? Do you wish then that the Gods had made me Poetical? Would you not have me honest? Well, I am not fair, and therefore I pray the Gods make me honest. I am not a slut, though I thank the Gods I am foul. Well, the Gods give us joy. God you good even William. Do good William. I do desire it with all my heart: and I hope it is no dishonest desire, to desire to be a woman of y e world? Here come two of the banished Dukes Pages. Faith the Priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying. I, I know who it's: he hath no interest in me in the world: here comes the man you mean.

Plot summary

Plot — As You Like It
Before the start of the play, Duke Senior was usurped and banished by his younger brother Frederick. Some loyal lords have gone into voluntary exile with him in the Forest of Arden, but his daughter, Rosalind, has remained at court with her beloved cousin, Celia. Upon inheriting his father’s estate, Oliver has neglected his responsibility to educate his younger brother Orlando, keeping him instead in rustic poverty. Orlando remonstrates with Oliver about it without success, then asks for his small inheritance, determined to make his own way in the world. He intends to compete against Charles the wrestler, who has challenged all comers at a forthcoming court show. Charles consults Oliver, concerned that he may injure the young man, but Oliver persuades him that Orlando is a bad lot and that the world would benefit if Charles were to kill him in the match. In the event, Orlando is victorious, but Duke Frederick’s pleasure in his success disappears on learning that he is the son of Sir Rowland, a personal enemy. Rosalind falls in love with Orlando, but he is too tongue-tied to speak to her. Frederick banishes Rosalind. She and Celia flee to the forest in disguise, taking the court fool Touchstone with them; for security, Rosalind poses as a youth, Ganymede, and buys a cottage on arrival. Frederick hears rumours that Orlando may have absconded with them. Meanwhile, Oliver attempts to murder Orlando by burning down his lodging, so the young man escapes to the forest with the old servant Adam, who offers his life savings to finance their departure. Oliver is unable to produce his brother at Frederick’s command, so Frederick confiscates his property until he does so, In Arden, Adam’s strength fails him, so Orlando tries to force a meal out of the local foresters, only to find that they are Duke Senior and his entourage, and only too happy to succour the needy servant. Orlando hangs love-poems to Rosalind on the trees. He encounters ‘Ganymede’, who offers to cure him of love by role-play: ‘he’ will pose as Rosalind, and Orlando will woo ‘her’. When he fails to arrive on time for a session, ‘Ganymede’ encounters another pair of lovers: Silvius dotes on Phoebe, who rejects him. 1600 | ‘Ganymede’ intervenes, disdaining Phoebe’s self- conceit, which makes Phoebe fall in love with ‘him’. She persuades Silvius to carry what she says is a taunting letter to ‘Ganymede’, but it turns out to bea - love-poem. When Orlando finally turns up, the play-~ acting begins, and…