As You Like It Act 2, Scene 3

 

As You Like It Act 2, Scene 3

Summary

Act 2, Scene 3 takes place outside Oliver’s house. Adam, the faithful old servant, intercepts Orlando with urgent news. He reveals that Oliver, enraged by Orlando’s public praise after the wrestling match, has plotted to murder him that very night by burning down his lodgings.

Adam pleads with Orlando to flee immediately. Orlando, despairing, sees no good options—he refuses to become a beggar or a thief, yet returning home means death. In a moving act of loyalty, Adam offers his life savings of five hundred crowns, money he had saved for his own retirement. He begs to accompany Orlando as his servant, pledging his strength and loyalty despite his age. Deeply touched by this embodiment of "the constant service of the antique world," Orlando accepts. They decide to leave together in search of a new, humble life.

Analysis

1.     Themes of Loyalty vs. Betrayal:

o   This scene presents the play's most stark contrast between brotherly betrayal and servile loyalty. Oliver’s fratricidal plot represents the ultimate perversion of natural kinship. In contrast, Adam’s selfless devotion represents a truer, chosen kinship that transcends blood. His actions are a moral counterpoint to the play’s corrupt fathers and brothers.

o   Generational Contrast: Adam embodies an older, vanishing ideal of service "for duty, not for meed" (reward). Orlando’s praise of him is a critique of the modern, self-seeking world of the court, where service is only for promotion. Adam is a living relic of the virtuous world Orlando’s father represented.

2.     Character Development:

o   Orlando’s Crisis and Nobility: Orlando faces a true moral crossroads. His refusal to turn to crime (“this I will not do”) reaffirms his inherent nobility. His decision to accept Adam’s offer, acknowledging it as a debt he may never repay (“thou prun’st a rotten tree”), shows humility and grace. He transitions from a frustrated youth to a responsible protector.

o   Adam as Archetype: Adam is the loyal retainer archetype, but given profound emotional depth. His speech is filled with both urgency and elegy. His offering is not just money, but his entire being (“To the last gasp with truth and loyalty”). He chooses a perilous journey and likely death in service over safe betrayal.

3.     Plot Function: The Final Push to Arden:

o   This is the immediate catalyst for Orlando’s flight. There is no longer any hesitation; he is now an outlaw from both the state (wanted by Frederick) and his own home. His and Adam’s departure completes the exodus of all major virtuous characters from the corrupt society.

o   Their stated goal—“some settled low content”—foreshadows the simplified, essential life they will find in the Forest of Arden. Their journey is now one of survival and seeking a new, honest community.

4.     Symbolism and Key Speeches:

o   The Five Hundred Crowns: Ironic poetic justice. This sum mirrors the "poor thousand crowns" of Orlando’s inheritance withheld by Oliver. Adam’s savings, earned under Sir Rowland’s just rule, become the instrument of Orlando’s salvation, fulfilling the father’s will where the brother failed.

o   “The constant service of the antique world”: This is a central thematic statement. It explicitly contrasts the corrupt, fashionable present (the court, Oliver’s world) with a lost ideal of duty and love (Sir Rowland’s world, now preserved only in Adam and sought in Arden).

o   Animal Imagery: Adam’s plea references divine providence feeding ravens and sparrows. This aligns their desperate flight with natural, innocent creatures under God’s care, further justifying their turn toward the natural world of the forest.

In essence, this scene is the emotional and moral pivot from the court to the forest. It resolves Orlando’s domestic conflict through the worst possible means (murderous intent), forcing a clean break. The profound bond formed between Orlando and Adam replaces the fractured brotherhood, providing Orlando with a true family as he enters the wilderness. Their exit marks the definitive end of the protagonists' life in the corrupt world and commits them fully to the uncertain, but morally coherent, adventure in the Forest of Arden.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Clouds Summary

The Clouds is a comedy by Aristophanes, an ancient Greek playwright who lived around 450–385 BCE. The play was first performed in 423 BCE at a festival called the City Dionysia, where it came in third place. Aristophanes later tried to rewrite it, but he never finished the revision. The version we have today is based on this unfinished rewrite. The story follows Strepsiades, an old man who wants to learn tricky arguments (sophistry) from Socrates to avoid paying his debts. The play explores important ideas, such as the conflict between old and new ways of thinking, the role of education, and the connection between gods and morality. Plot Summary Strepsiades is unable to sleep because he is worried about the debts his son, Pheidippides, has accumulated. Pheidippides loves horses and spends too much money on them, but he sleeps peacefully in the bed next to his father. Strepsiades thinks of a way to get rid of his debts. He wakes Pheidippides and asks him to enroll in a school c...
Read more

explain the irony in the chapter a letter to god

Explain the irony in the chapter a letter to god. Ans: The core irony of the story is  situational irony , where the outcome of an event is the opposite of what was intended or expected. The Central Situational Irony: The Helpers are Called Crooks This is the most powerful irony in the story. What happens:  The postmaster and his employees, touched by Lencho's faith, make a great effort to collect money to help him. They perform a selfless act of charity. The Ironic Outcome:  When Lencho receives only part of the money, he doesn't thank these anonymous helpers. Instead, he concludes that the post office employees must have stolen the missing amount. In his second letter, he calls them a "bunch of crooks." Why it's ironic:  The very people who were the answer to his prayer are accused of the crime of stealing from him. Their good deed is rewarded with an accusation. Dramatic Irony: The Reader Knows the Truth This occurs when the audience (the reade...
Read more

The Suppliants Summary

The earliest surviving play by Aeschylus is The Suppliants (also called The Suppliant Maidens ). This tragedy is the first part of a trilogy that was likely performed in the fifth century BCE . It tells the story of the fifty daughters of Danaus, known as the Danaides , who flee from Egypt to Argos to escape forced marriages to their cousins, the sons of Egypt. The play’s plot is straightforward. The Danaides seek protection from the king of Argos. Since they are asking for help, they are called “suppliants.” At first, the king is unsure what to do, so he asks the people of Argos for their opinion. The people decide to offer the Danaides asylum. Later, when a herald from Egypt’s sons arrives to take the women back, the king steps in to stop him. In the end, the Danaides find safety in Argos. From a literary perspective, this tragedy follows the traditional style of early classical drama. The chorus, made up of the Danaides, plays the central role. The entire action of the play r...
Read more