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AS YOU LIKE IT

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

DUKE, living in banishment.

FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions.

AMIENS,

JAQUES,

lords attending on the banished duke.

LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick.
CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick.

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} shepherds.

WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey.

A person representing Hymen.

ROSALIND, daughter to the banished duke.

CELIA, daughter to Frederick.

PHEBE, a shepherdess.

AUDREY, a country wench.

Lords, pages, and attendants, etc.

SCENE: Oliver's house; Duke Frederick's court; and the
Forest of Arden.

DURATION OF TIME

The action of the play covers, according to Mr. Daniel's division, ten days, with intervals, thus :

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An interval of a few days: the journey to Arden.

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In II. 3. the time recedes to Day 2, and in III. 1. to Day 3. There is inconsistent time-reckoning (or 'double time')—

(1) In the date of the Duke's banishment, which in I. 1. 1OI sq. is quite recent, in I. 3. 69 sq. and II. 1. 2 sq. has lasted for several years.

(2) (Perhaps) in Oliver's journey to Arden, which lies between III. 1. and IV. 3. A much longer interval is suggested by the description of him in IV. 3. 107 as a wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair.'

INTRODUCTION

AS YOU LIKE IT was first published in the Folio of 1623. A quarto edition contemplated in 1600 was 'staied' before publication, and the inaccuracy of the Folio text favours the view that the printers had nothing but MS. before them,-probably one derived from the stage copy. No plausible reason for this 'staying' has been suggested. Mr. Wright (Clarendon Press edition, preface) dwells upon the marks of hasty execution, the discrepancy about Rosalind's height, the gratuitous ambiguity of the two Jaques, the artless dénoûment, and infers that Shakespeare sought to check the publication of his imperfect work. If he did so, he at least allowed it to remain imperfect.

The entry in the Stationers' Register is our one definite indication of the date. The play was probably written within the year preceding the entry (1599-1600); but the evidence is rather circumstantial than cogent. Meres does not mention it in his list (published autumn 1598). The famous allusion to Marlowe 2- Shakespeare's only pointed and direct

1 Stationers' Register, 4th August. Three other playsMuch Ado, Henry V., and Every Man in His Humour - were stayed at the same time. The embargo on the first two was shortly removed (23rd August), and both were published,— -one

from an authentic text, the other surreptitiously and in a highly corrupt form.

2. Dead shepherd, now I find thy saw of might;

Whoever loved that loved not at first sight?'

(iii. 5. 81.)

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