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In Arden, Rosalind, now "Ganymede," Celia, now "Aliena,"
and Touchstone, still Touchstone, meet some real shepherds, Corin and the
love-sick Silvius. Touchstone has some fun commenting about lovers as fools.
Jaques, Duke Senior's favourite courtier, comments on the folly of man too,
but he's a cynic, not a "natural fool" so his knowledge expressed
through fooling is bitter. When he encounters Touchstone's effortless fooling,
he's envious
Duke Senior and company sit down to dinner but are interrupted by Orlando
who bursts in with a sword, demanding food. The Duke says he doesn't need to
take the food. He's politely invited to sit down and join them. Orlando is
embarrassed, and says he must fetch Adam to join them.
The mention of age sets Jaques off on the famous "Seven Ages of
Man" speech.
Just as Jaques finishes with his terrible vision of old age as helpless
oblivion, Orlando tenderly carries in the exhausted Adam. Orlando's love and
concern negating Jaques imagery. Duke Senior welcomes Orlando to his
"court" especially for the sake of his late father.
Kinship may benefit Orlando, but it's not what Oliver wants to hear about.
Called before the irate Duke Frederick, he is sent to capture Orlando and bring
him back, or forfeit his entire inheritance.
Time passes ... we find Orlando swanning about the forest hanging lover
poems on the trees. The silliness of his behaviour gets Corin and Touchstone
discussing (humorously of course) what is appropriate behaviour for different
circumstances.
Rosalind, now "Ganymede," has found some examples of the bad
poetry addressed to Rosalind. She and Touchstone have some fun parodying it.
Celia has found some too, and she knows who the writer is (and tells Rosalind.)
It's Orlando!
Orlando meets Jaques, as the girls overhear. Jaques makes fun of Orlando's
love and leaves. When Orlando meets "Ganymede" he finds a much more
receptive audience.
All lovers love to talk about being in love and Orlando is no exception. He
agrees Ganymede's attempting to "cure" him of his love, secure in his
belief that his love is incurable. Funny he doesn't recognize Ganymede though...
The lunacy of love has affected Touchstone too. He is in love (or in lust)
with Audrey the Slut, to the great delight of Jaques. Touchstone is not entirely
abandoned to love, though. He's chosen Sir Oliver Martext as the minister, in
case he wants to be able to get out of the marriage later.
Celia teases Rosalind about being in love, but both are amused by the
courtship of the disdainful Phebe and spaniel-like Silvius
.
Rosalind gets annoyed and takes Phebe to task for her treatment of Silvius.
Phebe, of course, immediately falls in love with "Ganymede."
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