As You Like It by William Shakespeare

PRIMARY SOURCE: As You Like It (perf. 1598-1600)
Context

• Publication: Published in 1623 Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies folio by Blount, Edward; Smethwick, John; Jaggard, Isaac; Aspley, William. "This edition exists in three distinct states: the first does not contain Troilus and Cressida; the second contains Troilus and Cressida but without its prologue and with a redundant final page of Romeo and Juliet crossed out by the printer; the third contains Troilus and Cressida with its prologue, which replaces the redundant page of Romeo and Juliet" (DEEP). EEBO link.
  • Aug 4, 1600(?): "as yow like yt: / a booke ... to be staied".
  • Nov 8, 1623: Entered to Edward Blount and Isaac Jaggard: "Comedyes. ... As you like it".
  • Jun 19(?), 1627: Transferred from the widow of Isaac Jaggard to Thomas Cotes and Richard Cotes: "her parte in Shackspheere playes."
  • Nov 16, 1630: Transferred from Edward Blount to Robert Allott, by a note of 26 June: "As you like it."
  • Jul 1, 1637: Transferred from the widow of Robert Allott to John Legat (2) and Andrew Crooke (1) (by order of a court): "saluo Iure cuiuscunque ... Shakespeares workes their Part."
• Scholarship: The scholarship addresses the treatment of the pastoral, both critiquing the court and affirming just power; the treatment of the forest as allusive to social injustice, by way of Robin Hood; Petrarchan love; cross-dressing, and the implications for essentialist philosophies. 
• Why I'm reading it: The Canon, the court, the pastoral.

Content

• Form: Five acts and an epilogue. Soliloquies in blank verse.
• Genre: Comedy; performed by the Chamberlain's Men.
• Plot: The Banished Duke lives a pastoral life in the Forest, while his daughter Rosalind stays at court under the protection of Celia, daughter of the usurping brother Frederick. Frederick tries to embarrass Orlando through a wrestling match with his champion, but Orlando wins and impresses Rosalind. Frederick banishes Rosalind, who leaves with Celia and Touchstone the jester. Rosalind takes the identity Ganymede, and Celia, Aliena. Orlando flees from his brother with his servant Adam. Orlando attacks the Banished Duke in desperation, but the Duke instead provides hospitality to Orlando and Adam. Orlando writes poems to Rosalind on trees, but Ganymede discovers them, meets Orlando, and instructs him in how to woo Rosalind. Touchstone shows his wit in response to Orlando's poems, and then woos Audrey. Silvius falls in love with Phebe, who falls in love with Ganymede. Orlando travels to visit Ganymede, but along the way saves sleeping Oliver from a snake and a lioness, ready to strike. Oliver and Orlando are reconciled. Orlando is wounded by the lioness and sends Oliver with a bloody handkerchief to Ganymede. Ganymede feints, and Aliena falls for now-compassionate Oliver. They agree to be married, inspiring Orlando to marry Rosalind. Ganymede promises to produce Rosalind for Orlando. Frederick marches into the forest to capture and kill the Banished Duke and his followers, but is dissuaded by an old hermit. Rosalind exposes herself as Ganymede and engineers four marriages for the same day: Orlando and Rosalind; Oliver and Celia; Silvius and Phebe; Touchstone and Audrey. Frederick takes religious orders and returns the dukedom to the Banished Duke.
• Other notes:
• Notable characters: The Banished Duke, brother of Frederick; Frederick, instigator against Orlando; Orlando, son of Rowland de Boys, brother of Oliver, and lover of Rosalind; Rowland de Boys, ardent supporter of the banished duke; Oliver, oldest son of Rowland but negligent guardian of Orlando; Rosalind, daughter of the Banished Duke, Celia, daughter of Frederick; Touchstone the jester, champion of courtly wit; Silvius;  shepherd; Phebe, shepherdess.
• The forest can be treated as both an idyllic space and the space of poverty and vagrancy. 
• Touchstone can be both aggressive and compassionate. 
• Rosalind produces all of the crucial plot points.
• Touchstone and Rosalind critique the Petrarchan traditions of Orlando's poetry and performance.

(NB: Written with anthology notes.)
Shakespeare, William, Stephen J. Greenblatt, and Andrew Gurr. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997. Print.

DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks. Ed. Alan B. Farmer and Zachary Lesser. Created 2007. Accessed18 January 2013. <http://deep.sas.upenn.edu>.