As You Like It — William Shakespeare

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 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 many of Shakespeare s most famous speeches such as All the world s a stage too much of a good thing and A fool A fool I met a fool in the forest Jaques 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