As You Like It: Character Mind Map & Summary
Shakespeare’s As You Like It in brief: the key characters, the four couples, Jaques’s Seven Ages of Man, the famous lines, a quick summary and the exam facts.
The Character Mind Map
Tap any name to open the details.
Rosalind
Daughter of the banished Duke Senior. Exiled by her uncle, she flees to the Forest of Arden disguised as a young man, Ganymede, and teaches Orlando how to woo her. She has the largest female role in Shakespeare and speaks the Epilogue.
Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.Ending: marries Orlando
👑 The Two Dukes
Court vs forestDuke SeniorThe rightful Duke · Rosalind’s father
Role: Banished by his brother, he lives happily in the forest “like the old Robin Hood of England”.
Sweet are the uses of adversity…Restored to his dukedom
Duke FrederickThe usurper · Duke Senior’s brother
Role: Seizes the dukedom and banishes Rosalind. At the end he meets “an old religious man”, is converted and gives the dukedom back.
CeliaFrederick’s daughter · Rosalind’s cousin
Role: Rosalind’s loyal friend who goes into exile with her, disguised as the shepherdess Aliena.
Marries Oliver🏡 The Brothers
Sons of Sir Rowland de BoysOrlandoYoungest son · the hero
Role: Defeats the wrestler Charles, falls in love with Rosalind and hangs love poems on the trees of Arden.
Marries RosalindOliverEldest son · the cruel brother
Role: Plots Orlando’s death, but is reformed when Orlando saves him from a lioness.
Marries Celia🌳 The Forest
Commentators & shepherdsJaquesThe melancholy lord
Role: A gloomy cynic in Duke Senior’s band; speaks “All the world’s a stage”.
Refuses to return to courtTouchstoneThe court fool
Role: Follows the girls to Arden and mocks both court and country life.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.Marries Audrey, a goat-girl
Silvius & PhebeShepherd and shepherdess
Role: Silvius adores the scornful Phebe, who falls for “Ganymede” instead, then must marry Silvius when Ganymede turns out to be Rosalind.
Marry each otherThe Ending: 4 Couples, 1 Wedding Day
Hymen, the god of marriage, marries all four couples at once.
Jaques’s Seven Ages of Man
From “All the world’s a stage” (Act 2, Scene 7).
Famous Lines: Who Says What
The lines most often asked about in exams.
Quick Summary
The plot in five lines.
Act 1Banished
- Orlando beats Charles the wrestler and falls for Rosalind. Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind, who flees with Celia and Touchstone.
Act 2Into Arden
- Orlando escapes his brother and joins Duke Senior’s exiles in the forest; Jaques gives his “Seven Ages” speech.
Act 3The Wooing Game
- Rosalind, as Ganymede, offers to “cure” Orlando of love by pretending to be his Rosalind. Phebe falls for Ganymede.
Act 4The Lioness
- Orlando saves Oliver from a lioness and Oliver reforms. Rosalind faints at the sight of Orlando’s blood.
Act 5Four Weddings
- Rosalind reveals herself and four couples marry. Frederick converts, Duke Senior is restored, and Rosalind speaks the Epilogue.
Must-Know Exam Facts
Quick points for UGC NET, SET and PGT.
Date & Source
Written c. 1599–1600; first printed in the First Folio (1623). Source: Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde (1590). Shakespeare added Jaques and Touchstone.
Genre
A pastoral comedy, one of the romantic comedies with Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing.
The Epilogue
Spoken by Rosalind, a rare case of a female character speaking the epilogue.
Key Themes
Court vs country, love in its many forms, disguise and gender, and forgiveness.
100+ Key Works of English Literature
All the character mind maps in one printed book.
