As You Like It: Scene Index

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As You Like It: Scene Indexes

Simple Scene
Index:

Act One: Scene 1; Scene 2; Scene 3
Act Two: Scene 1; Scene 2; Scene 3; Scene 4; Scene 5; Scene 6; Scene 7
Act Three: Scene 1; Scene 2; Scene 3; Scene 4; Scene 5
Act Four: Scene 1; Scene 2; Scene 3
Act Five: Scene 1; Scene 2; Scene 3; Scene 4; Epilogue

Scene Index with Summaries:

ACT 1, SCENE 1

(1.1.1) Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.: Orlando tells Adam, an old family retainer, about how Oliver, Orlando's eldest brother, has mistreated him by denying him both his inheritance and an education.
(1.1.29) Enter OLIVER.: Oliver tries to bully Orlando and starts to push him around, but Orlando gets him in a headlock and forces him to say that he will give him "some part" of what Orlando demands.
(1.1.85) Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM.: Oliver makes it clear that he will not keep his word to Orlando. Instead he persuades Charles the Wrestler that Orlando is a dangerous back-stabber, and that Charles would be wise to break his neck when they wrestle.

ACT 1, SCENE 2

(1.2.1) Enter CELIA and ROSALIND.

Celia urges her cousin Rosalind to "be merry." Rosalind is melancholy because her father, who used to be the Duke, has been forced into exile by his brother, Duke Frederick, who is Celia's father. However, Celia promises her eternal affection for Rosalind and so persuades her to cheer up.

In a cheery mood, Rosalind and Celia trade witticisms about love, Fortune, and Nature.

(1.2.43) Enter Clown [Touchstone].

Touchstone, a professional fool, comes to tell Celia that her father wants to see her, but soon the women are enjoying hearing Touchstone make comic comments about a knight, some pancakes, and honor.

(1.2.92) Enter Le Beau.

Le Beau, a fancy gentleman and a kind of fool himself, though not a professional one, comes with the news that there is excellent wrestling to be seen. Le Beau excitedly tells the story of how Charles the wrestler has already broken the bones of three young brothers. Touchstone and Celia doubt that such wrestling is sport for ladies, but Le Beau informs them that the wrestling is coming to them, as "here is the place appointed for the wrestling."

(1.2.149) Enter DUKE FREDERICK, Lords, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants.

Duke Frederick has tried to persuade Orlando to drop the idea of wrestling Charles, but without success, so he asks Celia and Rosalind to try. Rosalind and Celia urge Orlando to give up his plan, but Orlando modestly tells them that if he loses to Charles, it will be no great loss, as there is no one in the whole world who cares if he lives or dies. So the ladies wish him well, and Orlando readies himself to wrestle Charles.
Charles mocks Orlando as one who is "desirous to lie with his mother earth," but when they wrestle, Orlando wins the fall and Charles has to be carried away.

David Prowse as Charles the Wrestler

Source: Star Warped

Duke Frederick asks the victorious Orlando his name, but when Orlando says that he is the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, the Duke's mood turns sour; he says that everyone considered Sir Rowland to be honorable, but he was always an enemy to the Duke. So the Duke and his entourage leave without giving Orlando any sort of reward except for the Duke's remark that he is "a gallant youth."

(1.2.231) Exeunt DUKE FREDERICK, train, and LE BEAU.

To make up for Duke Frederick's rudeness, Rosalind and Celia approach Orlando with words of praise, and Rosalind, obviously smitten, gives Orlando the gold chain that she wears about her neck. Orlando says nothing and there is an awkward moment, but when the two women go, Orlando beats up on himself for being a "lifeless block." Though he has said nothing, it is obvious is as smitten with Rosalind as she is with him.

(1.2.261) Enter LE BEAU.

Le Beau comes back to warn Orlando that he better leave; Orlando deserves "applause and love," but the Duke is in a foul mood which may turn out to be dangerous for Orlando. Orlando thanks Le Beau and asks him which of the two women is the Duke's daughter. Le Beau explains that Celia is the daughter of Duke Frederick, and Rosalind the daughter of the banished Duke. Le Beau also says that Rosalind may be in some danger from Duke Frederick, and then leaves.
Orlando comments on the irony of the fact that he has fled from the enmity of his brother only to be confronted with the enmity of Duke Frederick, but then he thinks a happy thought: "heavenly Rosalind!"

Abigail Flynn as Rosalind (left)
Amanda Flynn as Celia (right)

Source: AmandaBeth

ACT 1, SCENE 3

(1.3.1) Enter CELIA and ROSALIND.: Rosalind has fallen madly in love with Orlando, and Celia teases her about it.
(1.3.20) Enter DUKE [FREDERICK], with Lords.: Duke Frederick announces that Rosalind is exiled; if she's not gone within three days, she will be executed. Rosalind proclaims her innocence of any fault, and Celia declares that she and Rosalind are best friends for life, but Duke Frederick tells his daughter that she is a fool to trust Rosalind. Repeating the threat against Rosalind's life, he storms out.
(1.3.90) Exit DUKE, etc.

ACT 2, SCENE 1

(2.1.1) Enter DUKE SENIOR, AMIENS, and two or three Lords, like foresters.: The former Duke, Rosalind's father, and his followers, praise their life in the forest, where there are "tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, / Sermons in stones and good in every thing."
The conversation turns to Jacques, a courtier who loves to adopt a melancholy mood and make nature a metaphor for human faults. Hearing that Jacques is lying under a tree, "weeping and commenting" upon a wounded deer, the Duke leads the rest out to find Jacques, saying "I love to cope him in these sullen fits, / For then he's full of matter."

ACT 2, SCENE 2

(2.2.1) Enter DUKE [FREDERICK], with Lords.: Duke Frederick discovers that his daughter Celia, together with Rosalind and Touchstone, have fled the court. Someone tells him that Rosalind and Celia were heard praising Orlando, and so it is thought that Orlando must be in the company of the runaways. Duke Frederick sends for Orlando's brother, to make him find Orlando and the rest.

ACT 2, SCENE 3

(2.3.1) Enter ORLANDO and ADAM, [meeting].: When Orlando returns home, Adam, the elderly servant, warns him that Orlando's brother plans "To burn the lodging where you use to lie / And you within it." Adam also offers Orlando his life savings and his service. Orlando accepts Adam's offer and they go off to find a place where they can live in peace and safety.

ACT 2, SCENE 4

(2.4.1) Enter ROSALIND for Ganymede, CELIA for Aliena, and Clown, alias TOUCHSTONE.: Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone arrive in the Forest of Arden, all extremely weary. Each deals with the situation in her/his own way. Celia complains; Touchstone makes jokes; and Rosalind declares that she'll be strong because she's wearing men's clothes—doublet and hose.
(2.4.19) Enter CORIN and SILVIUS.: Corin and Silvius, an old shepherd and a young one, wander in, deep in a discussion about love. Silvius, the young one, is sure that Corin, because he is old, can't possibly understand how it feels to be in love, or how many "actions most ridiculous" love can cause. To prove his point, Silvius lists his own love-follies, ending with the most dramatic one, which Silvius demonstrates by rushing off into the forest, crying "O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe!"
(2.4.44) Exit [SILVIUS].: Silvius' grand passion reminds Rosalind of her passion for Orlando, but Touchstone mocks all such passion by recounting all the follies he had engaged in under the influence of a passion for one "Jane Smile," a milkmaid. For example, he kissed a cow's udders, just because Jane had milked that cow!
Celia breaks into the back-and-forth between Rosalind and Touchstone by asking if one of them could please ask Corin, the old rustic, "If he for gold will give us any food." This request leads to a conversation with Corin which has an extremely satisfactory conclusion. The person that Corin works for is selling his farm, and Rosalind and Celia will give Corin the money to buy it, so that they all will have a place to live. This makes everyone happy.

ACT 2, SCENE 5

(2.5.1) Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and others.: A group of the old Duke's followers pitch into a song about the carefree pleasures of the country life. Jaques asks for more, and the principal singer, Amiens, says that more will only make Jaques melancholy, but Jaques replies that that's just what he wants, because, he can "suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs." So they sing another verse, but then Jaques asks them to sing a verse that he has composed. They do so, but it turns out that Jaques' verse makes fun of fools who sit around singing about the pleasures of the country life.
With that, Jaques goes to be melancholy somewhere else, and the rest all go to find the old Duke, who is about to have a picnic.

ACT 2, SCENE 6

(2.6.1) Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.: Old Adam, weak from hunger, can go no further. He says farewell to Orlando, but Orlando gives him a pep talk, vows to find food for him, then takes him away to find him some shelter.

ACT 2, SCENE 7

(2.7.1) [A picnic laid out.] Enter DUKE SENIOR, AMIENS, and Lords like outlaws.

Duke Senior and his followers are wondering where Jaques is. The Duke is extremely surprised to hear that when last seen, Jaques was "merry," but sure enough, in he walks in a very merry mood.
It turns out that Jaques has been vastly amused by a fool that he stumbled upon in the forest. The fool was perfect: perfect motley costume, perfect fey manner, perfect foolish-wise pronouncements about the nature of life. And so Jaques wants to be a fool, free to say anything about anybody without fear of any blowback, because who can be offended at the comments of a fool? Jaques is sure that if he had the freedom of the fool, he would cleanse the world of all of its corruption. However, the Duke is sure that what Jaques really wants is to accuse of others of the guilty deeds he himself has committed.

(2.7.88) Enter ORLANDO [with his sword drawn]

Adam and Orlando

Source: MnArtists.org:
Marianna Caldwell

As Jaques is again praising virtues of foolery, Orlando rushes in, sword drawn, deadly serious in pursuit of food for Adam and himself. Jaques mocks Orlando, but Duke Senior deals with him in a civilized manner, and so Orlando's misunderstanding is cleared up. He had thought that the forest must be full of savages who would only give a stranger food at the point of a sword, but the Duke assures him that he and his companions "have with holy bell been knoll'd to church / And sat at good men's feasts and wiped our eyes / Of drops that sacred pity hath engender'd." Orlando, now realizing that he is among civilized people, ask them to put off the feast while he goes to fetch his dear companion, old Adam. The Duke assures him that they all will wait for him to bring Adam.

(2.7.135) Exit Orlando.

          As Orlando leaves, the Duke comments that Orlando's story should remind them that they don't have it so bad, since there are many people in worse situations. This comment inspires the cynical philosopher Jaques to deliver his opinion about the meaninglessness of life. (This is the speech beginning "All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players," which is the most famous passage in the play.)
          Jaques' speech ends with the assertion that people end their life story in "second childishness and mere oblivion, / Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything," but just that moment Orlando brings in old Adam, who is feeble but supported by the love and friendship of young Orlando.
          The Duke welcomes Orlando and Adam, then asks for a song. The song tells how "this life is most jolly" because in the forest, though the winter wind is bitter, there is not the greater bitterness of ingratitude or the forgetting of friends.

ACT 3, SCENE 1

(3.1.1) Enter DUKE [FREDERICK], Lords, and OLIVER.: The tyrant Duke Frederick demands that Oliver, Orlando's older brother, find Orlando and bring him in. To make sure that his order is obeyed, the Duke seizes all of Oliver's land. When Oliver protests that he never loved his brother Orlando, Duke Frederick sneers, "More villain thou."

ACT 3, SCENE 2

(3.2.1) Enter ORLANDO, with a paper.: Orlando tacks to a tree some of the extravagant love poetry that he has written in praise of Rosalind. He then runs off into the forest, bent on carving Rosalind's name in every tree.
(3.2.11) Enter CORIN and [TOUCHSTONE the] Clown.: Now amble in the courtly Touchstone and the simple shepherd Corin, conversing about the country life v. the courtly life. Touchstone mocks both the country life and Corin, and also himself and the snobbish sensibilities of courtiers. For instance, he claims that Corin must be a kind of pimp, because his occupation is to "get [his] living by the copulation of cattle."
(3.2.88) Enter ROSALIND [with a paper, reading].: When Rosalind shows up, the conversation between Touchstone and Corin stops, and Touchstone listens with amusement as Rosalind, thinking she is alone, reads aloud one of Orlando's love poems. Hearing Orlando's extravagantly besotted poetry, Touchstone steps forward to tease Rosalind with his own extempore and naughty poem about her.
(3.2.123) Enter CELIA, with a writing.: While Rosalind and Touchstone are exchanging witticisms about Orlando's poetry, Celia strolls in, reading more of it. When she's done reading, Celia sends away Touchstone and Corin, apparently so that she can have full freedom to tease Rosalind about Orlando, which she proceeds to do. She strongly hints that Orlando is the author of the amorous verses, and then enjoys Rosalind's wild eagerness to know more. Finally, Celia does tell Rosalind that the poet is Orlando, and begins the story (with many ecstatic interruptions from Rosalind) of how she saw him lying under a tree.
(3.2.252) Enter ORLANDO and JAQUES.: Before Celia can finish her story about seeing Orlando, Orlando himself shows up, in the company of Jaques, who desperately wants to impress Orlando. Jaques says that he had rather be alone than in Orlando's company, but that's fine with Orlando. Jaques criticizes Rosalind's name and Orlando's poetry, but his bullying only makes Orlando tired of Jaques, who finally gives up and leaves.
(3.2.295) [Exit JAQUES.]: As soon as Jaques has left Orlando alone, he is approached by a very cheeky young man with a good wit who lures him into playing a game. To cure Orlando of the disease of love, the young man (Rosalind in disguise, of course) will pretend to be Orlando's beloved Rosalind, and that Rosalind will be so impossibly silly and moody that Orlando will fall out of love. Orlando agrees to go to the cottage of "Ganymede" and "his" sister Celia to play their love-game, and so all three traipse away.

ACT 3, SCENE 3

(3.3.1) Enter Clown [TOUCHSTONE], AUDREY; and JAQUES [behind].: Jaques watches from hiding as Touchstone, the supremely witty court fool, courts his opposite, Audrey, a simple and sweet goat girl. Touchstone's idea of how to court Audrey is to make classical allusions, comment on the relationship between beauty and honesty, and meditate on horns and husbands. Audrey understands none of this, but Touchstone is determined that they should be married, and she is hopeful and happy.
(3.3.64) Enter SIR OLIVER MARTEXT: Touchstone has arranged for an ignorant priest, Sir Oliver Martext, to marry them, but when Sir Oliver shows up, he insists there must be someone to give the bride away. Jaques, who has been much amused by everything, now steps forward to give away the bride, but ends up talking Touchstone out of being married out in the woods by Sir Oliver. Jaques urges Touchstone to go with him and hear some good advice, and Touchstone agrees. So Touchstone and Audrey follow Jaques, Touchstone singing a farewell song to Sir Oliver, who storms off.

ACT 3, SCENE 4

(3.4.1) Enter ROSALIND and CELIA.: Rosalind is in the throes of a fit of doubt about the sincerity of Orlando's love. Celia kids her out of it by exaggerating Rosalind's already melodramatic exclamations. The happy conclusion of this discussion is that Orlando is "such a man" that he quite eclipses any discussion of Rosalind's father, who she has briefly met in her disguise as the young man, Ganymede.
(3.4.47) Enter CORIN.: Corin's news is that there is an opportunity to see "a pageant truly play'd, / Between the pale complexion of true love / And the red glow of scorn and proud disdain" — that is, an encounter between Silvius and his beloved Phebe. Rosalind is eager to go, saying, "The sight of lovers feedeth those in love." And they all trip off to see this pageant.

ACT 3, SCENE 5

(3.5.1) Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE. Alyssa Rojecki as Phebe; Kees van Haasteren as Silvius; and Becca Voinche as Rosalind. Source: Schoolhouse Arts Center:           Poor Silvius, the rustic would-be Romeo, is pursuing Phebe, the bewitching beauty of the forest. Silvius abases himself, saying that it's ok if Phebe says that she loves him not, if only she won't scorn him, because scorn will kill him. Naturally, this brings Phebe's scorn for Silvius into full bloom.
          Rosalind, Celia, and Corin arrive just at the moment when Phebe launches into a rather long speech about how it's not her fault if her brilliantly beautiful eyes are irresistibly attractive to Silvius. This exhibition of Phebe's vain pride inspires Rosalind to step forward to put Phebe in her place. She asks,
                What though you have no beauty,—
As, by my faith, I see no more in you
Than without candle may go dark to bed—
Must you be therefore proud and pitiless?
The scorn of "Ganymede" instantly wins the proud heart of Phebe, even though the disdainful young man played by Rosalind very strongly warns Phebe against falling in love with him. "Ganymede" also instructs Silvius to continue wooing Phebe, but as "Ganymede" turns his back on her, Phebe has eyes only for the handsome young man who has scorned her.
(3.5.81) Exeunt ROSALIND, CELIA and CORIN.: Poor Silvius again asks Phebe to take pity on his wounded heart, but she barely hears him, so entranced is she with Ganymede. And then, when Phebe does give Silvius a word, it's only so that she can make use of him in her pursuit of Ganymede. Phebe promises friendly, neighborly love (but certainly not anything more) to poor Silvius. In return, Silvius is to carry a letter, written by Phebe, to Ganymede. Poor Silvius willingly agrees, because he can feed his heart on the least little thing from Phebe, even a "scatter'd smile." Phebe tries to make it clear to Silvius that she is not in love with the fair young Ganymede, but of course every word she says betrays her passion for the scornful youth. To try to keep a bit of dignity, Phebe promises that she will "be bitter with him and passing short." So off she marches to write her letter, followed by poor faithful Silvius.

ACT 4, SCENE 1

(4.1.1) Enter ROSALIND and CELIA and JAQUES.

As he did earlier with Orlando, Jaques is trying very hard to impress a young man. In this case, the young man is "Ganymede" (Rosalind in disguise), and he/she is even less impressed with Jaques than was Orlando. Orlando merely said he was tired of Jaques' company; Ganymede actively mocks Jaques and his affected melancholy.

(4.1.30) Enter ORLANDO.

Not only does "Ganymede" mock Jaques, but soon Orlando shows up and "Ganymede" immediately dismisses Jaques, telling him that he should "chide God for making you that countenance you are."

Katherine Hepburn as Rosalind and William Prince as Orlando
1950

          As soon as Jaques is out of the way, "Ganymede" jumps into "his" role as "Rosalind," the impossibly difficult beloved of Orlando. She scolds Orlando for being late, compares him to a snail, complete with horns, and demands that he woo her. When his wooing falls short, and she refuses him, he says he will die. At that "Ganymede" makes some very realistic comments about the whole idea of dying for love, ending with the funny and true observation that "men have died from time to time and worms have eaten them, but not for love."
          And so it goes: "Rosalind" lures Orlando into a mock wedding ceremony (with Celia as the priest), only to make fun of him when he promises to love her "For ever and a day." Men and women change once they're married, "Rosalind" declares, and she will will be jealous, manipulative, and cunning. She will take pride in outwitting her husband, because that's the special talent of every true woman.
          Rosalind's harangue against "Rosalind" comes to a stop only when Orlando says he must leave to keep a lunch date with Rosalind's father. Though Orlando promises to return by two, "Rosalind" won't let up. She accuses him of unfaithfulness and declares that she will heap even more scorn upon him if he doesn't return promptly at two.

(4.1.201) Exit [ORLANDO].

As soon as Orlando is out of earshot, Celia accuses Rosalind of slandering all women in her "love-prate." Rosalind doesn't care; she's so much in love that she doesn't care about anything, and makes the melodramatic declaration that "I'll go find a shadow and sigh till he come." And so Rosalind and Celia wander away into the forest.

ACT 4, SCENE 2

(4.2.1) Enter JAQUES, Lords, and Foresters.: A group of the old Duke's followers are returning from a hunt and sing a song in honor of the man who killed a deer. In a humorous twist, the song segues from a celebration of hunting to a celebration of cuckoldry.
The whole scene is very short and may be intended to indicate that a little time passes between Orlando's departure in the previous scene and his return in the next scene.

ACT 4, SCENE 3

(4.3.1) Enter ROSALIND and CELIA.

Rosalind is impatiently awaiting the return of Orlando when Silvius shows up to deliver a letter from Phebe to Ganymede. Rosalind, as Ganymede, tries to talk Silvius out of his foolish obsession with Phebe. Ganymede tells Silvius that the letter is cruel and insulting, and then, as though to prove the point, reads it to him. The letter is actually proud Phebe's abject plea for love from Ganymede, but Ganymede commands Silvius to tell Phebe that "that if she love me, I charge her to love thee; if she will not, I will never have her unless thou entreat for her."

(4.3.75) Exit SILVIUS. Enter OLIVER.

As soon as Silvius goes out one way, a strange man comes in another. He is looking for a boy "Of female favour" and carrying a bloody handkerchief which Orlando has sent to "that youth he calls his Rosalind."
"Ganymede" acknowledges that "he" is the youth whom the man is seeking, and asks him to explain the bloody handkerchief. At this, the man tells a thrilling story of how Orlando discovered his elder brother Oliver asleep under a tree, about to be attacked by a lioness, and of how Orlando almost turned away, but then fought the lioness and saved his brother's life.

Orlando rescuing his brother Oliver.
by
Raphael West (1769 - 1850)

Source: The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd.: Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery

At the end of his story, the man reveals that he is Oliver, and that he and Orlando have become true brothers. Orlando was wounded by the lioness, and Oliver treated his wound, so it is Orlando's blood on the handkerchief, which he has sent to Ganymede to help explain why he didn't show up at two o'clock, as he promised he would. At this, Rosalind faints.
"Ganymede" tries to pretend that "he" only pretended to faint, but "he" has to be helped up by both Celia and Oliver, who lead "him" away towards the cottage.

ACT 5, SCENE 1

(5.1.1) Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.

          Soon after their foiled attempt to get married, Touchstone and Audrey are meandering through the forest. Audrey is pouting, but Touchstone promises her that they will "find a time" to marry after all. Then Touchstone brings up a related topic: Audrey's boyfriend.
          Touchstone says he has heard that "there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you." Audrey replies that the youth in question has no claim to her at all, and just then that same youth shows up. His name is William and he is the most stereotypical of country bumpkins: simple, stupid, and sweet.
          Touchstone interrogates William about his name, his age, his wealth, his wit, and his love of Audrey. William answers every question modestly and truthfully. His name is William; he is 25 years old; his wealth is "so so"; his wit is "pretty"; and he loves Audrey.
          Having completed his interrogation of William, Touchstone proceeds to fling at him a storm of chop logic, false rhetoric, and fantastic threats, ending with the demand that William "tremble and depart."
          Stunned, simple William is agape, and says nothing until Audrey adds, "Do, good William." William then leaves, and Touchstone and Audrey trip away.

Touchstone, Audrey, and William.
by
William Knight Keeling (1807 - 1886)

ACT 5, SCENE 2

(5.2.1) Enter ORLANDO and OLIVER.: About twelve minutes ago in stage time, Oliver told Rosalind ("Ganymede") the story of how his brother Orlando saved his life. The last we saw of Oliver, he and Celia ("Aliena") were assisting "Ganymede," who had fainted upon learning that Orlando was wounded. Now we learn, through Orlando's incredulous questions, that Oliver has fallen in love with "Aliena," wooed her, and won her hand in marriage. He now plans to live forever in the forest with "Aliena," and so gives all his worldly goods to his brother Orlando.
(5.2.17) Enter ROSALIND.: Just as Oliver goes to make wedding preparations for the morrow, in comes Rosalind, still pretending to be Ganymede. And "Ganymede" continues the charade of pretending to be Rosalind. "He" jokes with Orlando about the "his" fainting and about "his" sister and Orlando's brother being in "the very wrath of love." But the tone changes when Orlando says he longs to marry Rosalind, so that he can have the same happiness as Oliver will have in his marriage to "Aliena" (Celia). "Ganymede" jests, "Why then, tomorrow I cannot serve your turn for Rosalind?" To this, Orlando replies, "I can live no longer by thinking," which prompts "Ganymede" to stop jesting and make an astonishing promise. "He" says that he knows white magic which "he" can use to make Orlando's dearest wish come true. "He" tells Orlando, "if you will be married tomorrow, you shall, and to Rosalind, if you will."
(5.2.75) Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE.:           Before Orlando has a chance to say a word about being married to Rosalind, Silvius and Phebe rush in. Phebe is unhappy with "Ganymede" for not giving a loving response to her love letter, and she instructs Silvius to instruct "Ganymede" about how a true lover should feel.
          What follows is one of the most hilarious scenes in the play. Silvius says something sappy about true love, and says he feels that feeling for Phebe; then Orlando exclaims that he feels that same feeling about Rosalind, and "Ganymede" says "he" feels that feeling about no woman. They all do three rounds of this super silly stuff, until "Ganymede" says, "Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon."
          "Ganymede" then adds more promises to the one "he" has already given Orlando. "He" promises Phebe that "he" will marry her if "he" ever marries a woman, and declares "he" is to be married tomorrow. "He" again promises Orlando that "I will satisfy you, if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married tomorrow," and "he" promises Silvius all that he has ever wished.
          The scene closes with everyone eagerly promising to meet "Ganymede" on the morrow.

ACT 5, SCENE 3

(5.3.1) Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.: Touchstone and Audrey are still meandering through the forest and talking about getting married. Touchstone promises Audrey that "tomorrow" will be the day, and then suddenly some young followers of the exiled duke show up and sing a song about how "hey ding a ding, ding / Sweet lovers love the spring."

ACT 5, SCENE 4

(5.4.1) Enter DUKE SENIOR, AMIENS, JAQUES, ORLANDO, OLIVER, CELIA.: Orlando has told the duke about the amazing promises of "Ganymede," and they are discussing whether or not those promises can be kept when "Ganymede" himself appears with Silvius and Phebe.
(5.4.5) Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and PHEBE.: With all of the concerned parties assembled, "Ganymede" proceeds to review the previously agreed-upon terms of their agreements: 1) If Ganymede brings in Rosalind, Duke Senior will give her as bride to Orlando, and Orlando will marry her. 2) Phebe will marry Ganymede, BUT 3) if Phebe changes her mind and refuses to marry Ganymede, she will marry Silvius.
Everyone agrees to all this, and "Ganymede" marches out, saying, that "he" is going to put an end to all doubt that "he" can do what "he" has promised.
(5.4.26) Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA.: As "Ganymede" departs, both Duke Senior and Orlando marvel that Ganymede looks like so much like Rosalind, even though Orlando is quite sure that Ganymede is a native of the forest. Orlando adds that Ganymede's uncle is a "great magician," and that Ganymede has studied with him somewhere deep in the forest.
We know, of course, that the magic trick that Ganymede is about to perform is to transform himself into herself—Rosalind. When that happens, there will be a whole lot of marrying going on, and—adding to the air of festivity and hilarity—here comes another couple to be married: the fool and his goat-girl, Touchstone and Audrey.
(5.4.35) Enter Clown [TOUCHSTONE] and AUDREY.: Jaques the cynic mockingly remarks that Touchstone claims to have been a courtier, and Touchstone takes this a cue to deliver a stand-up comedy routine about how he, like a true courtier, instigated a quarrel and then, like a wise fool, avoided actually engaging in swordplay.
(5.4.108) Enter HYMEN, ROSALIND, and CELIA.:           While Touchstone has been entertaining everyone else, Ganymede and Aliena have had time to change clothes, so that Rosalind and Celia (last seen, as far as anyone in the forest knows, in Duke Frederick's court) can magically appear.
          Here our author provides us with a bit of startling stage magic. Leading the ladies in, literally out of nowhere, totally unexpectedly, comes a literal deus ex machina: Hymen, the God of Marriage.
          As quiet music plays, Hymen sorts everything out, giving Rosalind to her father, that he might give her in marriage to Orlando. Phebe, seeing that the Ganymede that she adores is actually a girl, realizes that she must marry Silvius, but she accepts her fate with good humor, and so there are now eight who join hands, making four couples: Rosalind and Orlando; Celia and Oliver; Phebe and Silvius; and Touchstone and Audrey.
          There is more music, a song in honor of marriage, general joy, and then—another big surprise.
(5.4.151) Enter Second Brother [JAQUES DE BOYS].