As You Like It

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Summary

"We that are true lovers run into strange capers..."

Banished from Duke Senior's court, young Rosalind flees to the Forest of Arden along with Duke Senior's daughter, her cousin Celia. Disguised as the handsome Ganymede and simple shepherdess Aliena, the two hide from her cruel uncle and hope for a new life.

Nearby, the dashing Orlando is also seeking shelter in the forest, far from his malicious brother Oliver and the feud that began with a wrestling match but has escalated into a plot against his life. Heartbroken at being away from his beloved Rosalind, he encounters 'Ganymede', who promises to cure Orlando with love lessons.

Meanwhile, local shepherdess Phoebe also has her eye on Ganymede, despite the advances of smitten shepherd Silvius. As the hopes and dreams of the group entangle with one another, can everyone get what they truly want?

As You Like It is Shakespeare's brilliant gender swapping, fake dating, classic comedy of errors in which four young lovers seek refuge and redemption in the Forest of Arden.

STAGED is a beautifully designed, six-part collection of Shakespeare's most beloved works and the archetypes that they popularised, celebrating the genius of the Bard and the tropes that remain present in best-selling YA titles to this day.

About the author

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, and was baptised on 26 April 1564. His father was a glove maker and wool merchant and his mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a well-to-do local land owner. Shakespeare was probably educated in Stratford’s grammar school. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, and the couple had a daughter the following year and twins in 1585.

Shakespeare’s theatrical life seems to have commenced around 1590. We do know that he was part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company, which was renamed the King’s Company in 1603 when James I succeeded to the throne. The Company acquired interests in two theatres in the Southwark area of London, near the banks of the Thames - the Globe and the Blackfriars.

Shakespeare’s poetry was published before his plays, with two poems appearing in 1593 and 1594, dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets were probably written at this time as well.

Records of Shakespeare’s plays begin to appear in 1594, and he produced roughly two a year until around 1611. His earliest plays include Henry VI and Titus Andronicus. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice and Richard II all date from the mid to late 1590s. Some of his most famous tragedies were written in the early 1600s; these include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Antony & Cleopatra. His late plays, often known as the Romances, date from 1608 onwards and include The Tempest.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. The first collected edition of his works was published in 1623 and is known as ‘the First Folio’.

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