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As You Like It - Act 5, scene 2
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As You Like It - Act 5, scene 2Act 5, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
Orlando, envious that his brother Oliver and “Aliena,” having fallen in love, plan to be married immediately, tells “Ganymede” how bitter he finds his own situation. “Ganymede” tells him that, if Orlando wishes to marry Rosalind, “Ganymede” can, through magic, make Rosalind appear at the wedding. “Ganymede” also exacts a promise from Phoebe: if at the time of the wedding Phoebe refuses to marry “Ganymede,” she will marry Silvius.
Enter Orlando, ⌜with his arm in a sling,⌝ and Oliver.ORLANDO 2456 Is ’t possible that on so little acquaintance
2457 you should like her? That, but seeing, you should
2458 love her? And loving, woo? And wooing, she should
2459 grant? And will you persever to enjoy her?
OLIVER 2460 5Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the
2461 poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden
2462 wooing, nor ⌜her⌝ sudden consenting, but say with
2463 me “I love Aliena”; say with her that she loves me;
2464 consent with both that we may enjoy each other. It
2465 10 shall be to your good, for my father’s house and all
2466 the revenue that was old Sir Rowland’s will I estate
2467 upon you, and here live and die a shepherd.
Enter Rosalind, ⌜as Ganymede.⌝
ORLANDO 2468 You have my consent. Let your wedding be
2469 tomorrow. Thither will I invite the Duke and all ’s
2470 15 contented followers. Go you and prepare Aliena,
2471 for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede, to Oliver⌝ 2472 God save you,
2473 brother.
OLIVER 2474 And you, fair sister.⌜He exits.⌝
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ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝
2475
20O my dear Orlando, how it2476 grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf.
ORLANDO 2477 It is my arm.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2478 I thought thy heart had been
2479 wounded with the claws of a lion.
ORLANDO 2480 25Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2481 Did your brother tell you
2482 how I counterfeited to swoon when he showed me
2483 your handkercher?
ORLANDO 2484 Ay, and greater wonders than that.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2485 30O, I know where you are.
2486 Nay, ’tis true. There was never anything so sudden
2487 but the fight of two rams, and Caesar’s thrasonical
2488 brag of “I came, saw, and ⌜overcame.⌝” For your
2489 brother and my sister no sooner met but they
2490 35 looked, no sooner looked but they loved, no sooner
2491 loved but they sighed, no sooner sighed but they
2492 asked one another the reason, no sooner knew the
2493 reason but they sought the remedy; and in these
2494 degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage,
2495 40 which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent
2496 before marriage. They are in the very wrath
2497 of love, and they will together. Clubs cannot part
2498 them.
ORLANDO 2499 They shall be married tomorrow, and I will
2500 45 bid the Duke to the nuptial. But O, how bitter a
2501 thing it is to look into happiness through another
2502 man’s eyes. By so much the more shall I tomorrow
2503 be at the height of heart-heaviness by how much I
2504 shall think my brother happy in having what he
2505 50 wishes for.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2506 Why, then, tomorrow I cannot
2507 serve your turn for Rosalind?
ORLANDO 2508 I can live no longer by thinking.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2509 I will weary you then no
2510 55 longer with idle talking. Know of me then—for
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2511
now I speak to some purpose—that I know you are2512 a gentleman of good conceit. I speak not this that
2513 you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge,
2514 insomuch I say I know you ⌜are.⌝ Neither do I labor
2515 60 for a greater esteem than may in some little measure
2516 draw a belief from you to do yourself good, and
2517 not to grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I
2518 can do strange things. I have, since I was three year
2519 old, conversed with a magician, most profound in
2520 65 his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind
2521 so near the heart as your gesture cries it out,
2522 when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry
2523 her. I know into what straits of fortune she is
2524 driven, and it is not impossible to me, if it appear
2525 70 not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes
2526 tomorrow, human as she is, and without any
2527 danger.
ORLANDO 2528 Speak’st thou in sober meanings?
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2529 By my life I do, which I
2530 75 tender dearly, though I say I am a magician. Therefore
2531 put you in your best array, bid your friends; for
2532 if you will be married tomorrow, you shall, and to
2533 Rosalind, if you will.
Enter Silvius and Phoebe.
2534 Look, here comes a lover of mine and a lover of
2535 80 hers.
PHOEBE, ⌜to Rosalind⌝
2536 Youth, you have done me much ungentleness
2537 To show the letter that I writ to you.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝
2538 I care not if I have. It is my study
2539 To seem despiteful and ungentle to you.
2540 85 You are there followed by a faithful shepherd.
2541 Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
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PHOEBE, ⌜to Silvius⌝ 2542 Good shepherd, tell this youth what ’tis to love.
SILVIUS
2543 It is to be all made of sighs and tears,
2544 And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE 2545 90And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO 2546 And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2547 And I for no woman.
SILVIUS
2548 It is to be all made of faith and service,
2549 And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE 2550 95And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO 2551 And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2552 And I for no woman.
SILVIUS
2553 It is to be all made of fantasy,
2554 All made of passion and all made of wishes,
2555 100 All adoration, duty, and observance,
2556 All humbleness, all patience and impatience,
2557 All purity, all trial, all observance,
2558 And so am I for Phoebe.
PHOEBE 2559 And so am I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO 2560 105And so am I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2561 And so am I for no
2562 woman.
PHOEBE
2563 If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
SILVIUS
2564 If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ORLANDO
2565 110 If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2566 Why do you speak too,
2567 “Why blame you me to love you?”
ORLANDO 2568 To her that is not here, nor doth not hear.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝ 2569 Pray you, no more of this.
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2570
115 ’Tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the2571 moon. (⌜To Silvius.⌝) I will help you if I can. (⌜To
Phoebe.⌝) 2572 I would love you if I could.—Tomorrow
2573 meet me all together. (⌜To Phoebe.⌝) I will marry
2574 you if ever I marry woman, and I’ll be married
2575 120 tomorrow. (⌜To Orlando.⌝) I will satisfy you if ever I
2576 ⌜satisfy⌝ man, and you shall be married tomorrow.
2577 (⌜To Silvius.⌝) I will content you, if what pleases you
2578 contents you, and you shall be married tomorrow.
2579 (⌜To Orlando.⌝) As you love Rosalind, meet. (⌜To
Silvius.⌝) 2580 125As you love Phoebe, meet.—And as I love
2581 no woman, I’ll meet. So fare you well. I have left
2582 you commands.
SILVIUS 2583 I’ll not fail, if I live.
PHOEBE 2584 Nor I.
ORLANDO 2585 130Nor I.
They exit.