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William Shakespeare

As You Like It: characters

Principal characters

Rosalind

Duke Senior’s witty and resourceful daughter. Exiled from court, she adopts the disguise of a young man called Ganymede in the Forest of Arden.

Relationships

  • Duke Seniorfather
  • Celiacousin and closest friend
  • Orlandobeloved
  • Duke Frederickuncle who banishes her
  • Phebeadmirer of her disguise as Ganymede

Speaks in 10 of 22 scenes

Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5

Looks

age

Young 7

height

Unusually tall 1
Not very tall, but tall for his age 1

build

Slender 1
Little physical strength 1

complexion

White hand 1
Attractive complexion 1

face

Beautiful 9
Pretty, but not very pretty 1
Less attractive than Rosalind 1
Not beautiful 1
Red lips and rosy cheeks, lips a deeper, fuller red 1
Feminine-looking face 1
Resembles Rosalind 2

facial hair

No beard 1

eyes

Beautiful eyes 1
Bright eyes 1

voice

Refined accent 1

dress

Chain around her neck 2
Petticoats 1
Coat 1
Men's clothing 3
Doublet and hose 3
Women's clothing 1

carried

Proposed cutlass at her thigh 1
Proposed boar-spear in her hand 1

other

Reasonably well-shaped leg 1
Cheek like Helen’s 1
Pretty 1
Good-looking 1
Three years old when she began conversing with a magician 1
  • Orlando
  • Celia
  • Oliver
  • Touchstone
  • Jaques

The dukes and their followers

  • Duke Senior
  • Duke Frederick
  • Amiens
  • Charles
  • Le Beau

Country characters

  • Silvius
  • Phebe
  • Corin
  • Audrey
  • William

Other characters

  • Adam
  • Jaques de Boys
  • Sir Oliver Martext
  • Hymen

Access all 20 characters in As You Like It

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