As you like it door William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
As you like it
245 pages
1993, Oxford University Press

The setting is France, as it is divided into provinces, called dukedoms.
The duke had retired from his dominations to the Forest of Arden. He lives a life of careless ease.
At first, the scenery takes place in the orchard, a garden with herbs and fruit trees, of Oliver, the eldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, as Orlando (his brother) is put under the care of Oliver, when Sir Rowland de Boys dies.

Rosalind (daughter of Duke Senior) and Celia (daughter of Duke Frederick) travel to the Forest of Arden. They are afraid to travel in the rich clothes they then wore, so Rosalind, being tallest, dresses up as a young countryman, and Celia disguises herself as a country maid. They call themselves Ganymede and Aliena. And pretend to be brother and sister.
In this disguise, and taking their money and jewels to defray their expenses, Celia and Rosalind set out on their long travel; for the Forest of Arden was a long way off, beyond the boundaries of the duke's dominions.
In the woods they meet a servant of a shepherd and he offers them shelter as they are exhausted by their journey.
In those same woods Orlando and his loyal servant, Adam, are on the run for Orlando’s brother. Oliver wanted to burn down Orlando’s chamber as he was sleeping.
Orlando is in love with Rosalind, who he met on a wrestling match.
And destiny brings the lovers back together, although Orlando doesn’t realize Ganymede being Rosalind.
It all ends wonderfully as Oliver is saved by his brother. In spite of everything Oliver did, Orlando saved his brother from a lioness and a snake.
Oliver has a tremendously remorse of what he did.
Orlando was hurt during the fight with the lioness so he won’t be able to live up to his promise to visit Ganymede. So Oliver goes instead.
He meets Ganymede and Aliena. Aliena (Celia) and he fall in love and are to be married the next day. Ganymede visits Orlando and promises that he will marry his beloved Rosalind the same day Celia and Oliver are to be married.
So (Rosalind) Ganymede takes of (her) his disguise and the next day she appears as Rosalind and so they marry.

Shakespeare doesn’t go into details when describing where it all takes place. The story itself is far more important. I think he wants to make sure the dialogues get full attention in stead of the scenery. And let’s not forget that it’s a play, the actors don’t have to describe the surroundings, as people will be able to enjoy it with their own eyes.
I must say, in the book there’s an introduction to the play, which I wasn’t able to read, as a short of time, but perhaps Shakespeare reveals how the set should look like. I will try to read the introduction if I have the time, but reading a play of Shakespeare takes more time then a normal play, although I really enjoy it, but the syntaxes is very strange.
I do know the first recorded performance of ‘As you like it’ was at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on December 1740. The play itself was not printed until 1623. (as stated in the beginning of the introduction)