Click on any scene below for a side-by-side translation from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Act 1, Scene 1
In an orchard at his big brother Oliver's house, Orlando complains to an old family servant (Adam).When Orlando's father died, Oliver inherited just about everything because he's the eldest son. Su...
Act 1, Scene 2
At Duke Frederick's court, we meet Celia and Rosalind. Rosalind is a little miffed that her father, Duke Senior, has been banished by Duke Frederick (her uncle and Celia's dad).Celia suggests that...
Act 1, Scene 3
Rosalind and Celia engage in some girl talk, where Rosalind is clearly in an emotional state over Orlando.Celia marvels that Rosalind could fall in love so quickly, and Rosalind points out that Orl...
Act 2, Scene 1
Back at the forest Duke Senior and his band of merry men are getting ready to hunt for some dinner.Duke Senior strikes us as a "glass is half-full" kind of guy—he says he loves the forest (even t...
Act 2, Scene 2
Back at the court, Duke Frederick is flipping out because no one is confessing about seeing Rosalind and Celia run away together.Frederick concludes that some court members were in on the girls' es...
Act 2, Scene 3
Orlando is on his way back to Oliver's house when he meets Adam, their old, family servant.Adam says Oliver has heard about Orlando's victory and is concerned about the effect that it's going to ha...
Act 2, Scene 4
Rosalind (Ganymede), Celia (Aliena), and Touchstone have been wandering around in the Forest of Arden and they're all exhausted.Rosalind makes a joke about not wanting to "cry like a woman." Since...
Act 2, Scene 5
Amiens (another lord attending Duke Senior) enters singing a song about how much fun it is to run around the countryside singing.Jaques begs him to keep singing, but Amiens counters it will only ma...
Act 2, Scene 6
Adam, the old servant of the de Boys family, is in the forest with the young Orlando, and he's hungry and weak. He bids farewell to his master, as he must prepare his grave.Orlando tells Adam to su...
Act 2, Scene 7
Duke Senior and his band of merry men are readying to settle down to dinner and they're looking for Jaques.Jaques arrives and, shockingly, he's in a good mood. He says he ran into a "motley fool" i...
Act 3, Scene 1
Back at the Court, Frederick is still in a rage trying to find Orlando. He demands that Oliver find Orlando and bring him back within a year, alive or dead.To help motivate Oliver, Duke Frederick's...
Act 3, Scene 2
Back in the forest of Arden, Orlando busies himself posting poems on the trees of the forest, all dedicated to the oh-so-dreamy Rosalind.Corin and Touchstone enter, bantering as usual.Corin asks ho...
Act 3, Scene 3
Touchstone has been busy finding love of his own with Audrey, a simple shepherd girl. He intends to marry her.As Touchstone fawns over Audrey, Jaques follows. Touchstone woos Audrey with pretty wor...
Act 3, Scene 4
Still in the forest with Celia, Rosalind gushes for a bit over Orlando, who has such pretty red-brown hair.Rosalind, however, is upset—Orlando promised to show up that morning to pretend-woo "Gan...
Act 3, Scene 5
Silvius and Phoebe enter bickering and Rosalind, Celia, and Corin eavesdrop.Silvius is pretty pathetic. He says Phoebe may not love him, but he asks her to at least not be so bitter about the whole...
Act 4, Scene 1
Rosalind/Ganymede chats with Jaques about his melancholy. Jaques thinks that a solid approach to life is to be sad and silent, and Rosalind/Ganymede claims he might as well be a fencepost.Jaques th...
Act 4, Scene 2
Jaques and the lords are back at the forest and, because all the talking in the play needs to be broken up by something, there's a musical interlude.Jaques suggests that the guy who killed the deer...
Act 4, Scene 3
Over two hours later, Rosalind/Ganymede and Celia/Aliena ponder over Orlando, who hasn't shown up yet.Silvius enters, with a letter from Phoebe to "Ganymede."Rosalind reads the thing and is shocked...
Act 5, Scene 1
In another part of the forest, Audrey admits to Touchstone that another man is in love with her.Just then, the other man, William, wanders in and Touchstone chats with him about his background.Touc...
Act 5, Scene 2
Now conferring in the forest with Orlando, Oliver shares some surprising news with his brother. He has fallen in love with "Aliena," and she with him, even though they just met that afternoon. ...
Act 5, Scene 3
Audrey and Touchstone are in the forest, and both look forward to getting married tomorrow (completely coincidentally). Audrey hopes that her desire to be a married woman isn't immodest.Two of Duke...
Act 5, Scene 4
Orlando and Duke Senior confer, each professing hope that Ganymede can keep all of his promises.Rosalind/Ganymede enters, and for dramatic effect, s/he makes Silvius, Phoebe, and Orlando promise to...
Epilogue
Rosalind appears on stage and admits it's strange to have a female character give the epilogue, but she assures the audience that a good play is made even better by a good epilogue.The problem is,...