As You Like It

Characters:

• Rosalind 
• daughter of Duke Senior
• independent-minded, strong-willed, good-hearted, clever
• disguises herself as shepherdess, Ganymede
• Orlando
• youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois, brother of Oliver
• prevented from receiving a gentleman's education by Oliver
• saves Oliver's life nonetheless
• Duke Senior
• father of Rosalind
• rightful ruler of dukedom in which the play is set whose power has been usurped by Fredrick
• lives in exile in the Forest of Ardenne like Robin Hood
• Jaques
• faithful lord who accompanies Duke Senior into the Forest of Ardenne
• possesses hopelessly melancholoic disposition
• refuses to follow Duke Senior back to court and decides to go to a monastery instead
• Lord Amiens
• faithful lord who accompanies Duke Senior into the Forest of Ardenne
• jolly and loves to sing
• Celia
• daughter of Duke Frederick
• Rosalind's best friend
• follows her cousin into exile under the disguise of a shepherdess, calling herself Aliena
• marries Oliver 
• Duke Fredrick
• brother of Duke Senior who usurps his throne
• mounts army against exiled brother but aborts mission after meeting an old religious man on the way to the Forest of Ardenne
• changes his ways, becomes a monk, and returns the crown to his brother
• Touchstone
• clown in Duke Fredrick's court who accompanies Rosalind and Celia to Ardenne
• Oliver
• oldest son of Sir Rowland de Bois
• hates Orlando and goes to great lengths to ensure his brother's downfall
• Orlando saves his life
• loves Celia
• Silvius
• young shepherd in love with Phoebe whom he eventually marries
• Phoebe
• young shepherdess who falls in love with Ganymede, who is actually Rosalind in disguise
• tricked by Rosalind into marrying Silvius
• Audrey
• goatherd who marries Touchstone
• William
• country boy in love with Audrey
• Charles
• professional wrestler in Duke Frederick's court 
• Corin
• shepherd who attempts to counsel Silvius in ways of love
• Sir Rowland de Bois
• father of Oliver and Orlando
• his estate goes to Oliver upon his death
• friend of Duke Senior
• Adam
• elderly former servant of Sir Rowland de Bois
• accompanies Orlando on exile and funds their journey with his meager savings

Plot Summary:

• Sir Rowland de Bois leaves his estate to Oliver. Oliver denies Orlando, his younger brother, a proper gentleman's education. 
• Duke Senior's throne has been usurped by Duke Frederick and he flees to the Forest of Ardenne. Rosalind, Duke Senior's daughter, is allowed to remain at court because of her friendship with Celia, Duke Frederick's daughter.
• Charles, a wrestler of Duke Frederick's court, beats Orlando in a match. 
• Orlando and Rosalind fall in love with each other.
• Adam, Orlando's faithful servant, warns Orlando of Oliver's plot against his life and Orlando leaves for Ardenne.
• Duke Frederick also banishes Rosalind from court and she goes to Ardenne with Celia and the court jester. For their safety, Rosalind disguises herself as a young man called Ganymede and Celia disguises herself as a shepherdess, Aliena.
• Duke Frederick discovers Celia's disappearance which coincides with that of Orlando. He orders Oliver to lead the manhunt under the threat of confiscating all of Oliver's property. He also assembles an army against Duke Senior.
• Orlando and Adam arrive at Duke Senior's camp in the forest and is provided shelter because Sir Rowland de Bois was once Duke Senior's friend.
• Rosalind and Celia arrive in the forest and meet Silvius, a shepherd in love with Phoebe. They purchase a modest cottage together.
• Orlando meets Rosalind. Believing her to be a man, Orlando confesses his love for Rosalind. Rosalind suggests that the cure for his affliction is for Orlando to pretend that Ganymede is Rosalind and to woo her everyday.
• Phoebe falls in love with Ganymede. 
• One day, Orlando fails to turn up for his lesson and Oliver appears instead. He describes how Orlando saved him from being attacked by a lioness. Oliver falls in love with Aliena/Celia.
• Orlando grows tired of pretending that Ganymede is Rosalind and Rosalind decides to end the charade. She promises that Ganymede will marry Phoebe, if Ganymede will ,marry a woman, and makes everyone agree to meet at the wedding.
• Rosalind gathers all the couples - Phoebe and Silvius, Celia and Oliver, Touchstone and Audrey, and Orlando, in front of Duke Senior. Still disguised as Ganymede, she reminds the lovers of their vows, and then makes Phoebe promise that if she refuses to marry Ganymede she will marry Silvius. She also makes Duke Senior promise that he will allow Rosalind to marry Orlando if she appears. 
• Rosalind leaves with Celia and they return as themselves accompanied by Hymen, the god of marriage.
• Rosalind/Orlando, Phoebe/Silvius, Audrey/Touchstone and Oliver/Celia all get married.
• They receive news that Duke Frederick has a change of heart while on the way to attack Duke Senior - he met a holy man and now wants to change his ways and return the throne to Duke Senior.