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As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 1

William Shakespeare
Every note, for your class

The story so far

Earlier in the play

Rosalind, banished from court, lives in Arden disguised as Ganymede with Celia and Touchstone. Orlando practises wooing Ganymede as Rosalind. Touchstone plans to marry Audrey, but leaves their intended ceremony with Jaques, who advises marriage in church with a better priest.

In the last scene: Act 4, Scene 3

Silvius delivers Phoebe’s love letter to Ganymede; Rosalind sends him back urging Phoebe to love him. Oliver reports that Orlando has saved him from a lioness, suffering an arm wound, and that they have reconciled. He brings Orlando’s bloodstained handkerchief. Rosalind faints, then claims she has pretended.

SCENE I. The Forest of Arden

Enter Touchstone and Audrey.
TOUCHSTONE
We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.
AUDREY
Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman’s saying.
TOUCHSTONE
A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.
AUDREY
Ay, I know who ’tis. He hath no interest in me in the world.
Enter William.
AUDREY
Here comes the man you mean.
TOUCHSTONE
It is meat and drink to me to see a clown. By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for. We shall be flouting; we cannot hold.
WILLIAM
Good ev’n, Audrey.
AUDREY
God ye good ev’n, William.
WILLIAM
And good ev’n to you, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Good ev’n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head. Nay, prithee, be covered. How old are you, friend?
WILLIAM
Five-and-twenty, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A ripe age. Is thy name William?
WILLIAM
William, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A fair name. Wast born i’ th’ forest here?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I thank God.
TOUCHSTONE
“Thank God.” A good answer. Art rich?
WILLIAM
Faith, sir, so-so.
TOUCHSTONE
“So-so” is good, very good, very excellent good. And yet it is not, it is but so-so. Art thou wise?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
TOUCHSTONE
Why, thou sayst well. I do now remember a saying: “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth, meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?
WILLIAM
I do, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
WILLIAM
No, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Then learn this of me: to have is to have. For it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out of cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other. For all your writers do consent that ipse is “he.” Now, you are not ipse, for I am he.
WILLIAM
Which he, sir?
TOUCHSTONE
He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon—which is in the vulgar, “leave”—the society—which in the boorish is “company”—of this female—which in the common is “woman”; which together is, abandon the society of this female, or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage. I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel. I will bandy with thee in faction; will o’errun thee with policy. I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways! Therefore tremble and depart.
AUDREY
Do, good William.
WILLIAM
God rest you merry, sir.
Exit.
Enter Corin.
CORIN
Our master and mistress seek you. Come away, away.
TOUCHSTONE
Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend.
Exeunt.

Characters

Speaking

  • 13 speeches
  • 11 speeches
  • 5 speeches
  • 1 speech

Mentioned

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Themes

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Questions on this scene

  • Reading

    Who lays claim to Audrey?

Locations

  • Forest of Arden?Scene

    The principal setting, where the banished Duke Senior lives with his followers, Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede, and the lovers are eventually united. Shakespeare's forest evokes both Warwickshire's Arden and the continental Ardennes, but its dramatic geography cannot be located precisely.

    Set here · 2 quotes in this scene