The Beatles: Their Music

comes upon Duke Senior’s court having a feast and threatens them for sustenance. The duke offers him a seat at the table without fear, and Adam and Orlando join the courtiers. Duke Senior is overjoyed when he hears that Orlando is the son of his old friend, Sir Rowland.

Meanwhile, Duke Frederick has told Oliver he must find his brother within the year or he will take all of Oliver’s titles and holdings. So, into the forest Oliver must go.

After the exiled travelers have settled in the forest, Celia (as Aliena) and Rosalind (as Ganymede) discover love notes Orlando has posted on trees in the forest. At first, Rosalind does not realize that the notes are about her from Orlando, but Celia opens her eyes to the truth. Rosalind is completely smitten. When they come upon Orlando in the flesh, Rosalind (as Ganymede) points out to Orlando that he is not showing any signs of “lovesickness” so his love must not be true. She schemes a plan where Orlando will practice the behaviors of love by pretending that Ganymede is Orlando’s lady love, Rosalind, in order to “cure” him of his love. Orlando agrees to woo Ganymede as a stand-in for Rosalind, having no idea it is actually her.

Act II

Touchstone has a prospective wife in a local goatherd, Audrey, and the two plan to marry quickly. As the two go off to church, the scene transitions to Rosalind and Celia waiting on Orlando’s arrival for the first of the wooing ruse appointments. Rosalind is distraught that Orlando has not arrived, but Corin tells the two to come and watch the drama between Silvius and Phoebe. Phoebe rebukes Silvius’ advances, but when Ganymede approaches, she finds herself charmed even as Rosalind encourages her to love Silvius. Phoebe plans to write a letter to Ganymede and have Silvius deliver it. Orlando arrives and greets Ganymede as Rosalind, ready to play into the scheme. Celia “plays the priest” and pretends to marry the two. Orlando plans to leave to eat with Duke Senior, but promises to return in two hours.

When the appointed time comes, Silvius arrives with Phoebe’s letter in which she talks of all of Ganymede’s bad qualities, but she still is more interested in him than Silvius. When Orlando does not arrive, Rosalind is upset. Oliver appears and tells the story of Orlando’s absence. Oliver was asleep in the woods and would have fallen victim to the mauling or killing by a lion, but Orlando saved him, injuring himself in the process. Oliver and Orlando went to Duke Senior, where Orlando fainted, but he implored Oliver to come to Rosalind in his place to explain his absence with his bloody handkerchief in hand. Rosalind swoons at the news and Oliver returns to Orlando to commend the acting of Ganymede.

Touchstone and Audrey have still not married, and a young man named William who is in love with her arrives, but Touchstone tells him off. In another part of the woods, Celia and Oliver have quickly fallen in love. Oliver tells Orlando that he will hand over all his lands and titles so he can stay in the woods and marry the young woman he thinks is a peasant named Aliena. Orlando meets with Ganymede and says that he can no longer play pretend. Ganymede tells Orlando that he knows a magic elder who can make Rosalind appear and marry him tomorrow when his brother marries Aliena. Silvius and Phoebe arrive and all of the lovesick folks express their desires. Ganymede calls it enough and tells them all will be fixed tomorrow.

As the play ends, the Goddess Hymen appears, revealing Rosalind and Celia. Marriages between the respective couples commence and Rosalind is reunited with her father. Duke Frederick has renounced his title after an encounter with a religious guru as he pursued his exiled brother. He has gone off on a spiritual journey, which Jaques chooses to join. All is restored and all is well.