The Shakespeare Book

181

and he joins their band. Orlando,
pining for Rosalind, hangs poems
to her on the trees. Touchstone and
Corin compare lifestyles. Rosalind
finds Orlando’s poems and when
he appears, she, still disguised as
Ganymede, teaches him how to
woo her as Rosalind. Rosalind as
Ganymede and Celia as Aliena
come across Phoebe. Rosalind/
Ganymede suggests Phoebe should
be thankful for Silvius’s love; but
instead Phoebe falls for Ganymede.
Rosalind/Ganymede pretending
to be Rosalind goes through a mock
wedding with Orlando presided

over by Aliena as the vicar. Orlando

leaves promising to return in the

afternoon. He fails to return but

Rosalind is distracted by an

anguished love letter from Phoebe

to Ganymede. Oliver suddenly

arrives with a blood-stained cloth.

It seems that Orlando found him

under a tree about to be attacked

by wild beasts and saved his life,

only to be injured by a lioness.

Oliver is now reconciled with

Orlando, and the cloth is a message

from Orlando to Rosalind. Rosalind

swoons. Touchstone scares off

William, his rival for Audrey’s

THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MAN

Act 3 Act 4 Act 5

affections. Oliver and Alien decide

to marry. Orlando is impatient to

be with the real Rosalind and

Ganymede promises he will make

Rosalind appear by magic so they

can be married. He also promises

Silvius that he will marry Phoebe.

On the big day, Ganymede

and Aliena slip out to return with

Hymen as Rosalind and Celia. Four

wedding ceremonies are performed

by Hyman. News arrives that Duke

Frederick has become a hermit,

leaving the dukedom to Duke

Senior. The actor playing Rosalind

bids adieu to the audience. ❯❯

2.4

3.2 4.1 5.1

3.2 4.3 5.4

Rosalind as Ganymede
and Celia as Aliena
observe Silvius, a
young shepherd, in
love with Phoebe.

Orlando hangs love

poems to Rosalind

on trees.

Orlando and Ganymede

pretending to be “Rosalind”

have a mock wedding.

Ganymede promises

Orlando he shall

marry Rosalind.

Ganymede begins to

teach Orlando lessons

in love.

Orlando saves his

brother Oliver from a

lioness and Ganymede

faints at the

blood-stained cloth.

Four marriages take

place in the wood,

officiated by Hymen, and

Duke Frederick abdicates.

5.4

Rosalind bids farewell

to the audience.