←

As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 2

William Shakespeare
Every note, for your class

The story so far

Earlier in the play

In Arden, Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, has Orlando woo her as Rosalind. Phoebe loves Ganymede, while Silvius loves Phoebe. Orlando has rescued Oliver from a lioness, wounded his arm and reconciled with his brother. Oliver brings Rosalind a bloodstained handkerchief; she faints, then claims she is pretending.

In the last scene: Act 5, Scene 1

Touchstone tells Audrey they will find a time to marry. William admits he loves her, but Audrey denies he has any claim on her. Touchstone threatens to kill William unless he leaves her alone, and William departs. Corin summons Touchstone and Audrey to their master and mistress.

SCENE II. Another part of the Forest

Enter Orlando and Oliver.
ORLANDO
Is’t possible that on so little acquaintance you should like her? That but seeing, you should love her? And loving woo? And wooing, she should grant? And will you persever to enjoy her?
OLIVER
Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting. But say with me, I love Aliena; say with her that she loves me; consent with both that we may enjoy each other. It shall be to your good, for my father’s house and all the revenue that was old Sir Rowland’s will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd.
Enter Rosalind.
ORLANDO
You have my consent. Let your wedding be tomorrow. Thither will I invite the Duke and all’s contented followers. Go you and prepare Aliena; for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.
ROSALIND
God save you, brother.
OLIVER
And you, fair sister.
Exit.
ROSALIND
O my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf!
ORLANDO
It is my arm.
ROSALIND
I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a lion.
ORLANDO
Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.
ROSALIND
Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon when he showed me your handkercher?
ORLANDO
Ay, and greater wonders than that.
ROSALIND
O, I know where you are. Nay, ’tis true. There was never anything so sudden but the fight of two rams, and Caesar’s thrasonical brag of “I came, saw and overcame.” For your brother and my sister no sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before marriage. They are in the very wrath of love, and they will together. Clubs cannot part them.
ORLANDO
They shall be married tomorrow, and I will bid the Duke to the nuptial. But O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes! By so much the more shall I tomorrow be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how much I shall think my brother happy in having what he wishes for.
ROSALIND
Why, then, tomorrow I cannot serve your turn for Rosalind?
ORLANDO
I can live no longer by thinking.
ROSALIND
I will weary you then no longer with idle talking. Know of me then—for now I speak to some purpose—that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit. I speak not this that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch I say I know you are. Neither do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and not to grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I can do strange things. I have, since I was three year old, conversed with a magician, most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry her. I know into what straits of fortune she is driven and it is not impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes tomorrow, human as she is, and without any danger.
ORLANDO
Speak’st thou in sober meanings?
ROSALIND
By my life, I do, which I tender dearly, though I say I am a magician. Therefore put you in your best array, bid your friends; for if you will be married tomorrow, you shall, and to Rosalind, if you will.
Enter Silvius and Phoebe.
ROSALIND
Look, here comes a lover of mine and a lover of hers.
PHOEBE
Youth, you have done me much ungentlenessTo show the letter that I writ to you.
ROSALIND
I care not if I have; it is my studyTo seem despiteful and ungentle to you.You are there followed by a faithful shepherd.Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
PHOEBE
Good shepherd, tell this youth what ’tis to love.
SILVIUS
It is to be all made of sighs and tears,And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE
And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO
And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND
And I for no woman.
SILVIUS
It is to be all made of faith and service,And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE
And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO
And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND
And I for no woman.
SILVIUS
It is to be all made of fantasy,All made of passion, and all made of wishes,All adoration, duty, and observance,All humbleness, all patience, and impatience,All purity, all trial, all observance,And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE
And so am I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO
And so am I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND
And so am I for no woman.
PHOEBE
[To Rosalind.] If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
SILVIUS
[To Phoebe.] If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ORLANDO
If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ROSALIND
Why do you speak too, “Why blame you me to love you?”
ORLANDO
To her that is not here, nor doth not hear.
ROSALIND
Pray you, no more of this, ’tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon.[to Silvius.] I will help you if I can.[to Phoebe.] I would love you if I could.—Tomorrow meet me all together.[to Phoebe.] I will marry you, if ever I marry woman, and I’ll be married tomorrow.[to Orlando.] I will satisfy you if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married tomorrow.[to Silvius.] I will content you, if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married tomorrow.[to Orlando.] As you love Rosalind, meet.[to Silvius.] As you love Phoebe, meet.—And as I love no woman, I’ll meet. So fare you well. I have left you commands.
SILVIUS
I’ll not fail, if I live.
PHOEBE
Nor I.
ORLANDO
Nor I.
Exeunt.

Characters

Speaking

  • 15 speeches
  • 14 speeches
  • Phoebe7 speeches
  • 5 speeches
  • 2 speeches

All the characters ›

Themes

All the themes ›

Questions on this scene

  • Reading

    Whom does Oliver want to marry?

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 · 1 quote in this scene

Also mentioned

  • Oliver's house and orchard?1 quote in this scene
  • Ireland1 quote in this scene
  • The shepherd's cottage and pastures?characters travel here or from here