Characters in As You Like It

The following is a list of characters in William Shakespeare's As You Like It.

The Court of Duke Frederick

Duke Frederick

Rosalind

Celia

Celia is the daughter of Duke Frederick. She has been portrayed as a foil to her cousin, Rosalind. She displays qualities of the head and heart similar to her cousin. Rosalind and Celia are intimate friends who have been bred and brought up together. It is the love for Rosalind that makes Celia choose a life of voluntary exile. In fact, Celia effects her own individuality so that her cousin may shine brilliantly all the more. 'Celia' literally means 'heavenly' and she is really divine. She may be called the 'moral heroine' of the play as Rosalind is its 'intellectual heroine'.

Touchstone

Touchstone is called a 'clown' or 'fool' but his role is much more than what is expected of a fool. His importance in the play is two-fold.

Le Beau

Charles

Charles is the court-wrestler, who appears in the first Act of the play. He is a source of some preliminary information regarding the two Dukes and their two daughters. Orlando fights against him in the wrestling match. It is his defeat which makes Orlando a hero enabling him to win the heart of Rosalind. He is also the means to convey Oliver's villainy and serves as a foil to Orlando.

The Exiled Court of Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden

Duke Senior

Jaques

Amiens

Amiens is one of the lords attending on Duke Senior in the forest of Arden. He agrees with the Duke when the latter says "sweet are the uses of adversity". He is not prepared to exchange his life in the forest with the comfortable life at the court. He is deeply attached to Duke Senior and, therefore, has willingly accompanies him to the forest of Arden. Amiens does not, in any way, contribute to the action of the play nor is

The Household of the deceased Sir Rowland de Bois

Oliver de Bois

Jaques de Bois

Orlando de Bois

Adam

Adam is the old faithful servant of the family of Sir Rowland de Bois, who spent four-score years in the family with unflinching devotion to his master. His loyalty to the old master is evidenced by the touching reference to the dead master when Oliver calls him an old dog. He loves Orlando, because he is the image and 'memory of old Sir Rowland'. He places all the savings of his thrifty life and faces all unknown perils to save the life of the young master from the clutches of the cruel brother. Thus Adam has the 'soul of a servant to him'.

Dennis

Country folk in the Forest of Arden

Phebe

Phebe is a country-maiden and a shepherdess. She has considerable physical charm. She has been depicted as having silky black hair and large black eyes. Phebe is proud and arrogant though she is of a considerable lower status in life than that of Celia and Rosalind representing the city and court. She is proud of her good looks and puts on an air of superiority. She belittles the humble advances of the love-sick Silvius. The contrast between the court life and country life is one of the leading themes of the play, and the contrast between the princesses and Phebe heightens the country.

Silvius

Silvius is a young shepherd who represents the romantic lover. He is madly in love with Phebe, a rural girl who does not return his love. Throughout the play, Silvius behaves like a love-sick youth, pining away forPhebe. He commits many follies and performs many ridiculous actions; even threatening to commit suicide ifhis love is not returned. Silvius is a typical dejected lover who has no self-respect. Phebe treats himin an indifferent manner and exploitshim to acquire the love of Ganymede whom she loves. She constantly rebukes and insults Silvius, yet he longs for her love. Rosalind feels sympathy for him and scolds hi? For having become a 'tame snake' becauseof his passion for Phebe. Finally, he marries Phebe with the cleaver manipulation of Rosalind.

Audrey

Audrey is a homely, ugly and ignorant shephard girl. Touchstone introduces her to the Duke as 'a poor virgin, an ill-favoured thing but my own'. She is attracted by the courtly manners and wit of Touchstone and Touchstone probably discovers in her rich honesty. Touchstone falls in love with Audrey. Their love is a parody of the romantic love of the hero and the heroine of the play.

Corin

Corin is an old shepherd, who too in his youth had been a lover. But he has outgrown his youthful folly and has attained worldly wisdom. He feels deeply for the love - shaken Silvius and tries to console him. He is a simple-hearted shepherd, who eats what he earns envies ni man's happiness and is content with his lot. Touchstone calls him a 'natural philosopher'. Thus Corin is a type of simple-hearted, innocent rustic, with a good deal of humanity in him.

William

William is a country lad - humble and silly. He comes to profess his love for Audrey but during his conversation with Touchstone, he does not show the depth of his feelings. He appears to be a coward. When he is threatened that he would be beaten and killed if he does not give up Audrey, he does not challenge Touchstone, his rival in love. Audrey's silence and her request that William should go away shows that the love between William and Audrey is superficial.

Sir Oliver Martex

Other characters

Lords and ladies in Duke Frederick's court

Lords in Duke Senior's forest court

Pages and musicians

Hymen, the God of Marriage