Sir John of Bordeaux
Sir Roland de Boys
Three sons
Saladyne Fernandyne Rosander
[eldest]
[scholar] [youngest]
[inherits]
Three sons
Oliver Jaques
Orlando
[eldest] [scholar] [youngest]
[inherits]
Saladyne keeps Rosander “in servile
subjection”.
Oliver keeps Orlando “like a
peasant”.
Kingdom of France
Gerismond
Torismond
[exiled to Arden]
[ursurps]
Alinda & Rosalynde devoted cousins
Dukedom
Duke Senior
Duke Frederick
[exiled to Arden]
[usurps]
Celia & Rosalind devoted cousins
Wrestling match
Saladyn bribes wrestler
to kill Rosander
Rosander kills wrestler.
Wrestling match
Oliver urges wrestler (Charles)
to kill Orlando
Orlando defeats wrestler.
mutually attracted
Rosalynde & Rosander
Rosander escapes to Arden with
faithful retainer, Adam.
mutually attracted
Rosalind & Orlando
Torismund banishes Rosalynd
- & also Alinda when she pleads
D. Senior banishes Rosalind
Celia flees with Rosalind
cousins assume disguises:
Alinda becomes Aliena;
Rosalynde her ‘male’ page
Ganymede.
cousins assume disguises:
Celia becomes Aliena;
Rosalind her ‘male’ page
Ganymede.
Orlando escapes to Arden with
faithful retainer, Adam.
In Arden
In Arden
Aliena & Ganymede encounter old
shepherd, Coridon, comforting a
lovelorn young shepherd, Montanus.
[Montanus loves a shepherdess,
Phoebe.]
Aliena & Ganymede encounter old
shepherd, Corin, comforting a
lovelorn young shepherd, Silvius.
[Silvius loves a shepherdess,
Phoebe.]
Aliena buys cottage & flocks from
Coridon’s master.
Aliena buys cottage, land & flocks
from Corin’s master.
Rosander & Adam dying of hunger;
Rosander goes in search of food
- encounters King Gerisbond
celebrating his birthday with his
“lusty crew of outlaws”.
Orlando & Adam dying of hunger;
Orlando goes in search of food
- encounters D. Senior and his
followers “as outlaws”
Rosander & Adam break their fast.
Orlando & Adam break their fast.
[Torismond imprisons Saladyn &
seizes his lands;
In prison Saladyn repents his wrongs
against Rosander.]
Rosander wanders the forest carving
on trees sonnets to Rosalynde.
Orlando is discovered hanging on
trees verses to Rosalind.
Ganymede suggests that Rosander
should woo ‘him’ as if ‘he’ were
Rosalynde.
Ganymede suggests that Orlando
should woo ‘him’ as if ‘he’ were
Roslalind.
Now banished, Saladyne wanders
Arden and sleeps;
he is discovered by Rosander about
to be attacked by a lion;
Rosander kills the lion.
Orlando encounters Oliver
asleep in the forest. His
approach disturbs a serpent
coiled around his brother’s neck;
then he kills a lioness waiting to kill
Oliver but is wounded.
Saladyn does not recognise his
brother but pours out his remorse.
The brothers are reconciled and
Oliver repents of his former
wickedness.
Rosander reveals himself and takes
Saladyn to Gerismond.
Orlando takes Oliver to D. Senior
who gives him “ fresh array and
entertainment”.
Aliena’s beauty provokes an attack
on her and her ‘page’ by robbers;
this is defeated by Rosander and
Saladyn – who falls instantly in love
with Aliena.
Oliver seeks out Ganymede to
explain Orlando’s failure to keep
his promise to woo ‘him’ – and
shows a blood-stained napkin.
Seeing Aliena, he instantly falls in
love with her.
Next day Coridon brings Ganymede
and Aliena to where Montanus
is wooing a disdainful Phoebe.
Phoebe falls in love instantly with
Ganymede and then takes to her bed
with lovesickness.
Phoebe is persuaded to love
Montanus if reason can end her love
for Ganymede.
Rosander is promised that he will
marry Rosalynde who will appear
Corin tells Aliena and Ganymede of
Silvius’s love and Phoebe’s disdain;
When Ganymede rebukes Phoebe
she instantly falls in love with ‘him’
and determines to write ‘him’ a love
letter – with Corin as the bearer.
Ganymede sets up the riddle by
which Phoebe, Orlando and Corin
are promised they will all be
married “tomorrow” while
Ganymede ‘himself’ will “marry
no woman”.
through the agency of a friend of
Ganymede who is experienced “in
necromancy and magic”.
Ganymede has told Orlando
that she has been tutored by ‘his’
uncle, “ a great magician”.
Preparations for the weddings are
made to which come the shepherds
and exiled lords.
[Gerismond is reminded of his
daughter, Rosalynde, by the features
of Ganymede.]
D. Senior is reminded of Rosalind
by certain features of “this shepherd
boy”.
The ‘page’ re-enters as Rosalynde Gerismond is overjoyed and gives her
to Rosanda;
Phoebe now accepts Montanus;
Saladyn is delighted to find that
‘Aliena’ is in fact the princess,
Alinda.
The three marriages are solemnised.
Fernandyne (remember him?) arrives
with news that the nobles of France
are about to rise against Torismond
in defence of Gerismond.
The King and three brothers arm
themselves, join the nobles and
defeat Torismond – who is slain.
Gerismond resumes the throne.
A final paragraph points moral
lessons.
2nd & subsequent editions add a
‘Testament’ which states that the
tale also shows “love atomiz’d”.
Rosalind and Celia return “as
themselves” with Hymen, Greek
god of marriage.
The four marriages are blessed
by Hymen.
Jacques (second son of Sir Roland
de Boys) enters with news that Duke
Frederick had been on his way to
Arden with an army intending to
kill his brother but has met an “old
religious man”, been ‘converted’
and restores D. Senior to his rightful
position
Rosalind addresses an Epilogue to
the audience seeking their approval
of the play.