As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 2
The forest
(stage directions) : Enter ORLANDO and OLIVER
Orlando : Is't possible that on so little acquaintance you should
[p]like her?
that but seeing you should love her? and loving woo?
[p]and, wooing,
she should grant? and will you persever to enjoy
[p]her?
Oliver : Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty
[p]of her,
the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her
sudden
[p]consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say with her
that she
[p]loves me; consent with both that we may enjoy each other.
It
[p]shall be to your good; for my father's house and all the
revenue
[p]that was old Sir Rowland's will I estate upon you, and here
live
[p]and die a shepherd.
Orlando : You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow.
[p]Thither will I
invite the Duke and all's contented followers. Go
[p]you and prepare
Aliena; for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.
(stage directions) : Enter ROSALIND
Rosalind : God save you, brother.
Oliver : And you, fair sister. Exit
Rosalind : O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear
[p]thy heart in
a scarf!
Orlando : It is my arm.
Rosalind : I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a
[p]lion.
Orlando : Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.
Rosalind : Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon
[p]when he
show'd me your handkercher?
Orlando : Ay, and greater wonders than that.
Rosalind : O, I know where you are. Nay, 'tis true. There was never
[p]any thing
so sudden but the fight of two rams and Caesar's
[p]thrasonical brag
of 'I came, saw, and overcame.' For your brother
[p]and my sister no
sooner met but they look'd; no sooner look'd but
[p]they lov'd; no
sooner lov'd but they sigh'd; no sooner sigh'd but
[p]they ask'd one
another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but
[p]they sought the
remedy- and in these degrees have they made pair
[p]of stairs to
marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else
[p]be incontinent
before marriage. They are in the very wrath of
[p]love, and they will
together. Clubs cannot part them.
Orlando : They shall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the Duke
[p]to the
nuptial. But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into
[p]happiness
through another man's eyes! By so much the more shall I
[p]to-morrow
be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how much I
[p]shall think my
brother happy in having what he wishes for.
Rosalind : Why, then, to-morrow I cannot serve your turn for
[p]Rosalind?
Orlando : I can live no longer by thinking.
Rosalind : I will weary you, then, no longer with idle talking. Know
[p]of me
then- for now I speak to some purpose- that I know you are
[p]a
gentleman of good conceit. I speak not this that you should
[p]bear a
good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch I say I know you
[p]are;
neither do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some
[p]little
measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and
[p]not to
grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I can do
[p]strange
things. I have, since I was three year old, convers'd
[p]with a
magician, most profound in his art and yet not damnable.
[p]If you do
love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries
[p]it out, when
your brother marries Aliena shall you marry her. I
[p]know into what
straits of fortune she is driven; and it is not
[p]impossible to me,
if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set
[p]her before your eyes
to-morrow, human as she is, and without any
[p]danger.
Orlando : Speak'st thou in sober meanings?
Rosalind : By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, though I say I
[p]am a
magician. Therefore put you in your best array, bid your
[p]friends;
for if you will be married to-morrow, you shall; and to
[p]Rosalind,
if you will.
[p][Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE]
[p]Look, here comes a lover
of mine, and a lover of hers.
Phebe : Youth, you have done me much ungentleness
[p]To show the letter that I
writ to you.
Rosalind : I care not if I have. It is my study
[p]To seem despiteful and
ungentle to you.
[p]You are there follow'd by a faithful
shepherd;
[p]Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
Phebe : Good shepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love.
Silvius : It is to be all made of sighs and tears;
[p]And so am I for Phebe.
Phebe : And I for Ganymede.
Orlando : And I for Rosalind.
Rosalind : And I for no woman.
Silvius : It is to be all made of faith and service;
[p]And so am I for Phebe.
Phebe : And I for Ganymede.
Orlando : And I for Rosalind.
Rosalind : And I for no woman.
Silvius : It is to be all made of fantasy,
[p]All made of passion, and all made
of wishes;
[p]All adoration, duty, and observance,
[p]All humbleness,
all patience, and impatience,
[p]All purity, all trial, all
obedience;
[p]And so am I for Phebe.
Phebe : And so am I for Ganymede.
Orlando : And so am I for Rosalind.
Rosalind : And so am I for no woman.
Phebe : If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
Silvius : If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
Orlando : If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
Rosalind : Why do you speak too, 'Why blame you me to love you?'
Orlando : To her that is not here, nor doth not hear.
Rosalind : Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish
[p]wolves
against the moon. [To SILVIUS] I will help you if I can.
[p][To PHEBE]
I would love you if I could.- To-morrow meet me all
[p]together. [ To
PHEBE ] I will marry you if ever I marry woman,
[p]and I'll be married
to-morrow. [To ORLANDO] I will satisfy you if
[p]ever I satisfied man,
and you shall be married to-morrow. [To
[p]Silvius] I will content you
if what pleases you contents you, and
[p]you shall be married
to-morrow. [To ORLANDO] As you love
[p]Rosalind, meet. [To SILVIUS] As
you love Phebe, meet;- and as I
[p]love no woman, I'll meet. So, fare
you well; I have left you
[p]commands.
Silvius : I'll not fail, if I live.
Phebe : Nor I.
Orlando : Nor I. Exeunt
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Next: Act 5 - Scene 3
