As You Like It

This article is about Shakespeare's play. For other uses, see As You Like It (disambiguation).

As You Like It
A 16th century book page
First page of As You Like It from the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623
Written byWilliam Shakespeare
Characters
Date premiered? 1599
Place premiered? Wilton House
Original languageEnglish
SeriesFirst Folio
SubjectLove
GenreShakespearean comedy
SettingThe 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.