As You Like It

As You Like It
First page of As You Like It from the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623
Written by	William Shakespeare
Characters	Old Sir Rowland (recently deceased) Duke Senior (exiled duke) Duke Frederick (usurping duke) Rosalind (female romantic lead) Orlando (male romantic lead) Jaques Celia Touchstone Corin Oliver Adam (a servant of Old Sir Rowland's) Audrey William Silvius Phebe Monsieur Le Beau Lord Amiens Charles the Wrestler Hymen (a god) Sir Oliver Martex Lords and ladies in Duke Frederick's court Exiled Lords, Pages, Foresters and Attendants
Date premiered	? 1599
Place premiered	? Wilton House
Original language	English
Series	First Folio
Subject	Love
Genre	Shakespearean comedy
Setting	The Court of a usurping duke; The Forest of Arden

As You Like It from Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb

An account of the plot of the play.

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As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 (the house having been a focus for literary activity under Mary Sidney for much of the later 16th century) has been suggested as a possibility.

As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. In the forest, they encounter a variety of memorable characters, notably the melancholy traveller Jaques, who speaks one of Shakespeare's most famous speeches ("All the world's a stage") and provides a sharp contrast to the other characters in the play, always observing and disputing the hardships of life in the country.

Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the play a work of great merit and some finding it to be of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works.

The play has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.