56 pages • 1 hour read
As You Like It
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During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
ACTS I-II
Reading Check
1. To whom is Orlando complaining about Oliver at the beginning of the play?
2. Who tries to persuade Orlando to give up his match with Charles?
3. With whom does Rosalind fall in love?
4. Who accompanies Rosalind and Celia when they go into exile?
5. Who is Silvius’s love interest?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why do Orlando and Oliver almost have a physical altercation? What does their interaction reveal about Orlando’s and Oliver’s respective characters?
2. Why does Oliver hate Orlando so much?
3. Why is Jaques upset about Duke Senior’s deer hunting? What does his attitude reveal about his character?
4. Why must Orlando go into exile in the Forest of Arden?
5. Why does Jaques say he wants to be a fool?
Paired Resource
“What Was Life Like for a Court Jester?”
- This 5-minute TedEd video by Beatrice K. Otto describes the life of a jester or “fool” in various cultures.
- The idea of a jester and the information in this resource connects to the theme of Court Versus Country Life.
- Why do jesters have so much freedom of speech? How does this freedom contribute to their unique relationship to power?
“Ganymede”
- The Caldwell Gallery’s brief explanation of Ganymede in Greek myth accompanies visual images of a portrait of the figure.
- In the play, Rosalind assumes the name Ganymede for her male alter ego.
“Ganymede in Greek Mythology: Zeus’ Young Lover and Cupbearer”
- This article provides detailed discussion of the Greek mythological figure of Ganymede. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing due to mature content.)
- The information in this article connects to the theme of The Fluidity of Gender Roles.
ACTS III-IV
Reading Check
1. What does Duke Frederick threaten to do to Oliver if he fails to bring Orlando back?
2. Who writes love poems to Rosalind?
3. Whose wedding ceremony is the vicar Sir Oliver Martext called in to perform?
4. With whom does Phoebe fall in love?
5. Who disapproves of Rosalind’s ploy to marry Orlando as Ganymede?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Consider Touchstone’s discourse on life in the country versus life in the court. What does Touchstone like about country life? What does he dislike?
2. How does Rosalind (as Ganymede) advise Orlando to cure his lovesickness?
3. How does Phoebe describe her feelings towards Silvius?
4. What brings about Oliver’s reform and his new attitude towards Orlando?
5. In what way do Oliver’s observations on Ganymede’s reaction to the news about Orlando demonstrate dramatic irony?
Paired Resource
“Love and Marriage in Medieval England”
- This overview of marriage practices in Medieval England is provided by Sally Dixon-Smith, the Historic Royal Palaces’ collections curator at the Tower of London. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing due to mature content.)
- This information connects to the themes of The Fluidity of Gender Roles and Romantic and Platonic Love.
“Irony: What Is Irony? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples”
- This detailed introduction to the different types of irony, a commonly misunderstood literary device, offers a variety of examples from different genres.
- How does Shakespeare use each form of irony to develop the relationships between the various characters of As You Like It?
ACT V-EPILOGUE
Reading Check
1. Who is Touchstone’s rival for Audrey’s love?
2. With whom does Oliver say he is willing to live as a shepherd?
3. Who is Hymen?
4. Who comes in to announce Duke Frederick’s change of heart at the end of the play?
5. Who delivers the Epilogue?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. How does Touchstone demonstrate that he is superior to William? To what conclusion does this demonstration lead Touchstone?
2. How does Orlando feel about Oliver’s upcoming wedding to Celia (as Aliena)?
3. How does Rosalind (as Ganymede) convince Phoebe to marry Silvius?
4. What happens that causes Duke Frederick to turn his lands back over to Duke Senior?
5. How does Rosalind’s speech in the Epilogue reflect the theme of The Fluidity of Gender Roles?
Recommended Next Reads
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
- In one of Shakespeare’s later romances, a queen’s daughter is raised by shepherds after being exiled by her father.
- Shared themes include Court Versus Country Life.
- Shared topics include pastoral themes and court intrigue.
- The Winter’s Tale on SuperSummary
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- This romantic comedy by Shakespeare was likely produced during the same period as As You Like It. A Duke convinces a woman disguised as a man to woo a countess.
- Shared themes include The Fluidity of Gender Roles and Romantic and Platonic Love.
- Shared topics include characters in disguise and romantic confusion.
- Twelfth Night on SuperSummary
Reading Questions Answer Key
ACTS I-II
Reading Check
1. His servant Adam (Act I, Scene 1)
2. Rosalind and Celia (Act I, Scene 2)
3. Orlando (Act I, Scene 2)
4. The fool Touchstone (Act I, Scene 3)
5. Phoebe (Act II, Scene 4)
Short Answer
1. Orlando and Oliver have a physical altercation when Orlando confronts Oliver for denying him his inheritance. The altercation shows that Orlando is impulsive while Oliver is treacherous. (Act I, Scene 1)
2. Oliver hates Orlando because he envies his natural talents and his good character. He is upset that his people love Orlando more than they love him. (Act I, Scene 1)
3. Jaques does not like hunting because he does not approve of killing the native animals of the forest. Jaques’s attitude shows that he is a sensitive and melancholy character. (Act II, Scene 1)
4. As Adam explains to Orlando, Orlando angered Duke Frederick by beating his wrestler. Moreover, Orlando’s older brother Oliver is intent on killing him. The combination of Frederick’s displeasure and Oliver’s ire makes Orlando’s situation very dangerous. (Act II, Scene 3)
5. Jaques wishes to have the same freedom of speech as a fool; inspired by the fool he met, he believes speaking openly will help others see truth. (Act II, Scene 7)
ACTS III-IV
Reading Check
1. Confiscate his lands (Act III, Scene 1)
2. Orlando (Act III, Scene 2)
3. Audrey and Touchstone’s (Act III, Scene 3)
4. Rosalind (as Ganymede) (Act III, Scene 5)
5. Celia (Act IV, Scene 1)
Short Answer
1. Touchstone explains to Corin that he enjoys the solitude and the natural beauty of the countryside, but he misses the refinements of the court. (Act III, Scene 2)
2. Rosalind (as Ganymede) suggests that Orlando pretend that Ganymede is Rosalind and woo her. She says that this will cure him of his lovesickness. (Act III, Scene 3)
3. Phoebe does not want to be cruel, but she states that she does not love Silvius. She agrees to tolerate Silvius but will not love him. (Act III, Scene 5)
4. As Oliver tells Rosalind (as Ganymede), Orlando saved him from a lioness while he was sleeping, causing Oliver to feel indebted to his brother. (Act IV, Scene 3)
5. Oliver remarks that Ganymede does not behave like a man when Ganymede responds with evident concern to the news of Orlando’s injury. Dramatic irony is employed here as the audience knows that Ganymede is really the woman Rosalind in disguise (who would herself have been played by a male actor when the play was first performed). (Act IV, Scene 3)
ACT V-EPILOGUE
Reading Check
1. William (Act V, Scene 1)
2. Celia (as Aliena) (Act V, Scene 2)
3. The god of marriage (Act V, Scene 4)
4. Jaques de Boys, the brother of Oliver and Orlando (Act V, Scene 4)
5. Rosalind (Epilogue)
Short Answer
1. Touchstone questions William and demonstrates that he is more learned than he is. His superiority to William leads Touchstone to the conclusion that he rather than William should marry Audrey. (Act V, Scene 1)
2. Orlando is surprised by his brother’s sudden love for Celia (as Aliena). He is also saddened that Oliver will have a real wedding to Celia/Aliena while he will only have a mock wedding to Rosalind (whom he still believes to be Ganymede). (Act V, Scene 3)
3. Rosalind (as Ganymede) makes Phoebe promise that if she shows herself in her true form and Phoebe refuses to marry her, she will accept Silvius as her spouse. When Rosalind removes her disguise and shows Phoebe that she is a woman, Phoebe refuses to marry her and marries Silvius instead. (Act V, Scenes 2 and 4)
4. While setting out to fight against the exiles in the Forest of Arden, Duke Frederick is converted to a religious life. He decides to leave the court to become a monk and turns over his lands to Duke Senior. (Act V, Scene 4)
5. Rosalind notes the rarity of a female character delivering an epilogue in a play; she also urges the women as well as the men in the audience to enjoy the play. (Epilogue)
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