Why the First Folio?
As you begin to delve into the script, it is important to keep in mind that we are working from the First Folio version of the text. The First Folio was compiled by friends and colleagues of William Shakespeare, John Heminges and Henry Condell, in 1623 following Shakespeare's death in 1616. This was the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays. There were also Quartos published prior to the First Folio for some plays, but As You Like It was not previously published as mentioned by the printers of the First Folio among those "not formerly entered to other men." We have chosen to use the First Folio for the clues that it contains for actors and directors to use in their interpretation of the text. For a more thorough understanding with examples of how to find and understand these clues, you can read the article I've provided to the right. For your convenience, I've summarized some key things to look for below:
1. Look for repetitions of consonants, vowels, words, and phrases.
Shakespeare uses a repetition of consonants, vowels, words, and phrases to emphasize important words, cue the audience to listen closely, and to give the actor the opportunity to use certain phonetic sounds to accent their tone. John Basil of the American Globe Theatre and author of the book Will Power: How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days says, "Remember the basic rule. Say the sound the second time because it sounded good the first time. Say it the third time because it sounded so good the first and the second time." As an actor, you can use repetition to relish what you're saying, to emphasize your intention, or to discover new meaning with each repetition.
2. Look for unusually capitalized words.
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Capital letters in the First Folio are used in the same way an actor may underline or circle important words or phrases. This can indicate which words to stress and suggestions in vocal expression.
3. Look for words with added vowels.
Added vowels are a clue telling the actor how to phrase that line of text and how to emphasize specific words. According to John Basil, vowels and diphthongs reveal a character’s feelings and emotions. Consonants reveal the character’s thoughts and intellect. Kristin Linklater, in her book Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice, states, "[V]owels can be seen as the emotional component in word-constructions and the consonants as the intellectual component… Consonants are formed by a closure or near-closure of some part of the mouth, creating an explosive, reverberative, buzzing or liquid sound with breath or vibration. Because of the direct and uninterrupted connection with the breath source, vowels can be directly connected with emotion." Linklater also states, “The beauty of a vowel does not lie in the correctness of its pronunciation according to some arbitrary standard; it lies in its intrinsic musicality, its sensuality, its expressiveness." Repetition gives opportunity for vocal variety, that causes the audience to lean in a little closer. The dialogue below offers the actor playing Leonato several options for how to refer to his niece, Beatrice, when using the word “she” or “shee" and shows how added vowels can indicate where to place emphasis:
Prince.: Hath shee made her affection known to Bene-dicke?
Leonato.: No, and sweares she neuer will, that's her torment.
Claud.: 'Tis true indeed, so your daughter saies: shall I, saies she, that haue so oft encountred him with scorne, write to him that I loue him?
Leo.: This saies shee now when shee is beginning to write to him, for shee'll be vp twenty times a night, and there will she sit in her smocke, till she haue writ a sheet of paper: my daughter tells vs all.
Clau.: Now you talke of a sheet of paper, I remember a pretty iest your daughter told vs of. Leon.: O when she had writ it, & was reading it ouer, she found Benedicke and Beatrice betweene the sheete.
4. Pronounce words phonetically.
This is the most tricky part of working with the Folio text, and why many choose to work with modern acting or class editions of Shakespeare's plays. The First Folio uses typeface and spellings that are unfamiliar to our modern English eyes. To adjust the typeface, we have changed in the First Folio places where "U" is used for "V", "V" for "U", and "I" for "J", and "J" for "I." However, many other spellings of words that may look incorrect, are based on the way such words were pronounced at the time. According to Gail Tompkins in her book, Literacy for the 21st Century, when you read the word exactly as it is written on a page, you are interpreting letters and words based on modern phonics. When reading a First Folio text, allowing the eyes to relax and soften a bit, looking at the text as it is written, not at what ought to be there, will allow the actor to read the text with much greater ease. It’s a bit like using phonics when learning to read. I've provided a pronunciation guide below if you're ever unsure of a word or would like to confirm how to pronounce something, but your own skills can get you most of the way.
5. Make note of when characters are speaking in verse or prose.
Generally, it is understood that characters of a lower station speak in prose while characters who are of a higher class speak in prose. This pattern is often true, but John Basil in Will Power suggests that when Shakespeare wrote in verse the character was speaking truth under pressure and that prose was used for exposition of information, for disguises and to make jokes and that, “The more regimented and formal the verse, the more heightened the emotional life it expresses”. Generally in As You Like It characters of nobility, such as the Dukes, speak in verse, whereas the shepherds and other forest-born characters, such as Corin and Audrey, speak in prose. However, Rosalind and other characters frequently break this pattern, for example Rosalind speaking with Celia in private chooses the less formal prose, potentially indicating their closeness and comfortability with each other. Over half of As You Like It is written in prose, but see where you can find moments of verse, for example, Orlando's line in Act I Scene 2, "What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue?" is in verse. For more information on Iambic Pentameter and the difference between verse and prose, go to the Shakespeare & The Play page.
6. Use punctuation as an acting tool.
According to John Basil, Shakespeare's punctuation isn't used for literary clarity, but for theatricality. Noting the difference between End Stops (. ! ?) and commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses can help you to find the thoughts, ideas, new ideas, and breath of the character. Basil says, "Punctuation is for the actors' eyes only" meaning the text is not meant for reading, the punctuation is meant to indicate how the words should flow verbally, so though it may not be logical or grammatical, it is actable.
Glossary
Names:
Rosalind: [RAWZ-ah-lind]
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Ganymede/Ganimed: [ga-nuh-meed]
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Orlando: [or-LAN-doh]
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Duke Senior: [dook sEE-nyuhr]
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Jaques: In The Oxford Dictionary of Original Shakespearean Pronunciation, David Crystal writes that the name has two different pronunciations in the play. The scansion of the blank verse requires it to be "Jayks" at some points and "Jayqueez" at others. The monosyllabic version is used for comic effect at times: "jakes" was 16th-century slang for "privy" (since Jaques is "full of shit"), and in one scene Touchstone refers to Jaques as "Master What-ye-call't" rather than say the coarse word "jakes" in mixed company. We've chosen to play on the comic effect and will us "jakes" throughout the play.
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Celia: [SEE-lee-yuh]
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Oliver: [ol-iv-er]
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Duke Frederick: [dook FRED-RIK]
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Touchstone: [TUCH-STOHN]
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Silvius: [SIL-vee-us]
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Phebe: [FEE-bee]
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Corin: [COR-in]
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Amiens: [AM-yenz]
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Audrey: [AW-dree]
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Le Beau: [luh-BOH] Meaning "the beautiful" in French, a nickname for a handsome man, and also ironically used to refer to an ugly man.
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Charles: [chAHRlz]
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Adam: [AE-duhm]
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Sir Rowland de Bois: [sUHR ROH-luhnd /dÉ™/ bwa] The name "Rowland" is the French name which derives from the German "Roland" meaning "land" or "territory". "de Bois" is French meaning "of wood" or "wooden".
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William: [WIL-YUHM]
Words A-Z:
Next to each word is the modern English translation. Some words also include a definition, but others are logical once you are able to see the modern translation. If you are looking for a translation of a word in the script that is not in the glossary, feel free to contact me or us the link below to the Folger edition of the script with all modern English spellings.
Abhorre: abhor; to regard with disgust and hatred (pg. 16)
accoustrements: accoutrements; from the French, meaning additional items of dress or equipments, or other items worn or used by a person for a particular activity. (pg. 37)
adversitie: adversity; difficulties, misfortune (pg. 18)
all's: contraction of "all is" (pg. 41)
all's: contraction of "all of his" (pg. 55)
alwaies: always (pg. 7)
anie: any (pg. 9, 46)
assaid: assayed; attempted (pg. 15)
assoone: as soon (pg. 37)
atomyes: atomies; specks of dust (pg. 42)
awaie: away (pg. 10)
banisht: banished (pg. 13)
battell: battle (pg. 52)
bene: been (pg. 25)
bloud(y): blood(y) (pg. 3, 51)
boord: board; "board and bed" is the complete marital relationship, a place to live and a bed for marital relations. (pg. 61)
bowes: boughs, as in the boughs (branches) of a tree; pronounced "bow" as in a "stage bow" (pg. 32)
burthen: burden (pg. 27)
cal'd: called (pg. 34)
Chappell: chapel; a small church (pg. 40)
Cheerely: cheerily; in a happy and optimistic way (pg. 24)
Citie: city (pg. 19, 25)
comming: coming; to come along, at times with innuendo to sexual orgasm (pg. 8, 20, 46)
convertites: convertite, a convert especially a reformed prostitute (pg. 62)
Cosen: cousin (pg. 1, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 52)
counsaile: counsel; advice especially that given formally (pg. 11)
counterfeyted: counterfeited; imitated, pretended (pg. 55)
Countrie: country (pg. 19, 31)
courtesie: courtesy (pg. 3, 31)
Courtier: a person who attends the royal court (pg. 21, 31, 44, 59)
cowching: couching; bowing, prostration, stooping (pg. 51)
cri'de: cried (pg. 33)
daies: days (pg. 13)
dapled: dappled; "dapled fool" someone exceptionally stupid or foolish (pg. 18)
deerelie: dearly (pg. 12)
denide: denied (pg. 45)
denie: deny (pg. 9, 50)
disswade: dissuade; persuade someone to not take a particular course of action (pg. 4, 8)
divers: diverse (pg. 36)
do's: does (pg. 37)
dogge: dog (pg. 4)
doombe: doom (pg. 13)
dores: doors (pg. 29)
Dukdome: dukedom; a territory ruled by a duke (pg. 13)
dutie: duty (pg. 8, 57)
eate: ate, only on page 13
eies: eyes (pg. 56)
entrated: entreated; persuaded (pg. 8)
farre: far (pg. 14)
Farwel: farewell (pg. 23)
flattred: flattered (pg. 60)
flie: fly, to move or be hurled quickly through the air (pg. 14, 47)
flie: fly, a small winged insect (pg. 46)
formes: forms (pg. 25)
goard: gored; to pierce with something pointed, as if with a horn or tusk (pg. 18)
Gothes: Goths, a warlike Germanic tribe from Central Europe, 3rd-5th century (pg. 39) Pronounced in Shakespeare's time as:
graunt: grant; to agree or allow something requested to (pg. 55)
greasie: greasy (pg. 31)
guift: gift (pg. 40)
guiltie: guilty (pg. 9)
handkercher: short for handkerchief (pg. 51)
Hauthornes: hawthorns, a thorny shurb or tree (pg. 37)
heerein: here in; used to refer back to the situation or fact you have just mentioned or that has just been referenced (pg. 4)
Heerin: here in (see above) (pg. 6)
heire: heir; a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death. (pg. 6, 10, 14)
I'faith: contraction of "in faith"; indeed, truly, really (pg. 34)
injurie: injury
ipse: Latin for "he"; (see annotation Act V French Scene 1) (pg. 54)
Latine: Latin (pg. 36)
Lawiers: lawyers (pg. 36, 44)
legge(s): leg(s) (pg. 9, 19)
libertie: liberty (pg. 15, 54)
lin'd: lined (pg. 27)
lineaments: a distinctive feature or characteristic (pg. 6, 42)
livelesse: lifeless; dead or apparently dead; lacking vigor, vitality, or excitement (pg. 11)
loth: loathe, to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance (pg. 4)
Lye: to lie [verb]; be, remain, or be kept in a specific state/place (pg. 15, 16)
Lye: to lie [verb]; to tell an intentionally false statement (pg. 42)
Lyonnesse: lionness; a female lion (pg. 51)
Magitian: magician; one skilled in magic, a wiseman, or a sorcerer (pg. 56)
maist: mayest; old English word for "may" as in "they may go to the store" (pg. 6)
manie: many (pg. 15, 32, 33)
marre: mar, as in to maime or mutilate (pg. 35)
meanes: means; an action or system by which a result is brought about; a method (pg. 4, 10, 16, 25, 36, 42)
meanes: means; resources, financial or otherwise (pg. 30)
mercie: mercy (pg. 12, 29)
mightilie: mightly; to a great extent, amount, or degree (pg. 4, 9)
Mounsier: Monsieur; French for "Mr.", mode of address for a French-speaking man (pg. 4)
Mounsieur: Monsieur (see above) (pg. 45)
Musitians: musicians (pg. 44)
mutinie: mutiny; an open rebellion against the proper authorities or against a person in authority (pg. 2)
Ne're: contraction of "never" (pg. 40, 60)
neast: nest (pg. 48)
nere: contraction of "never" (pg. 21) (see pronunciation guide above)
new-falne: new-fallen; that has newly or recently fallen (pg. 62)
neyther: neither (pg. 4)
nourture: nuture (pg. 26)
Oades: odes; love poems; an "ode" is a lyrical poem (pg. 37)
onely: only (pg. 9, 24)
ore: over (pg. 15)
ore-growne: contraction of over-grown (pg. 51)
ore-heard: contraction of over-heard (pg. 17)
ore-run: contraction of over-run (pg. 54)
pannell: panel; as in a panel of wood, a plank or board (pg. 40)
past: passed (pg. 14)
payre: pair; a set of two things, a couple (pg. 59)
pezant: pesant; a person of low social status (pg. 3)
pitteous: piteous; deserving or arousing pity (pg. 19)
pittie: pity (pg. 13, 21, 34, 50)
plentie: plenty (pg. 30)
povertie: poverty (pg. 13)
powr'd: poured; to pour (pg. 54)
poyson: poison (pg. 4)
praie: pray (pg. 9)
praiers: prayers (pg. 50)
prethee: prithee; old English term for "please", used to convey a polite request (pg. 6, 14, 21, 22, 34, 36, 37, 44, 53)
prowd: proud (pg. 42)
pursuite: pursuit (pg. 15)
ranckenesse: rankness; excessive wild growth (pg. 4)
Readie: ready (pg. 9)
rode: road; a path to travel from one place to another (pg. 16)
saist: sayest; old English for "say" as in to speak (pg. 2, 43, 54)
sawce: sauce (pg. 39)
sawcie: saucy; lecherous, lascivious, lustful; insolent, impudent, defiant, presumptuous (pg. 36)
sayde: said (pg. 34)
scarre: scar (pg. 42)
Sceane: scene (pg. 26)
Schollers: scholars; studious or highly educated people with an aptitude for study (pg. 45)
seaventie: seventy (pg. 16)
seaventeene: seventeen (pg. 16)
sennight: aka se'nnight, seven-night; old English word for [seven night] meaning a week (pg. 36)
shalbe: contraction of shall be (pg. 7)
shew: show (pg. 26, 38, 42, 48, 55, 56)
shoo: shoe (pg. 37)
sixt: sixth (pg. 27)
smoake: smoke (pg. 12, 47)
smoothnes: smoothness; the quality of being smooth or charismatic (pg. 14)
sodaine: sudden (pg. 27, 55)
sodainly: suddenly (pg. 12, 17, 22, 51)
sonne: son; a male descendant (pg. 3, 10, 12, 15)
soule(s): soul(s) (pg. 5, 10, 32)
Soveraigne: sovereign; a ruler, monarch or authority figure (pg. 13)
spheare: sphere; place in the heavens; star, planet (pg. 30)
staies: stays; remains in the same state/place (pg. 2, 36)
stile: style (pg. 18, 50)
stomacke: stomach; appetite, inclination (pg. 30)
strait: straight; directly (pg. 19)
subtile: subtle (pg. 13)
sundred: sundered; split apart (pg. 14)
Sutor: suitor; someone pursuing another romantically (pg. 38)
sweate: sweat (pg. 31)
swound: swooned; to faint or swoon (pg. 42)
synowie: sinewy; lean and muscular (pg. 17)
t'ane: contraction of taken (pg. 49)
tane: contraction of taken (pg. 4, 11, 18, 26)
teares: tears; a drop of liquid secreted from the glands of the eye when crying (pg. 4, 10, 18, 19, 20, 38, 41, 52, 56)
termes: terms (pg. 24)
then: In several instances "then" is used in the place of "than"; they are pronounced the same but be aware when it is meant to be "than" to finish a comparative phrase (I like this better than that) rather than the use of "then" to show a sequence of events (I went to the store then to the movie theater). (pg. 1, 6, 11, 14, 16, 36, 37, 44,
toong: tongue (pg. 11)
travaile: travel (pg. 15, 21, 45)
trie: try (pg. 9)
trulie: truly (pg. 39)
uncleanlie: uncleanly (pg. 31)
verie: very (pg. 13, 32, 36, 40, 45, 56, 59)
villanous: villainous (pg. 5)
waies: ways (pg. 9, 16, )
waight(s): weight(s) (pg. 6, 11)
Weele: we'll; contraction of "we will" (pg. 15, 16)
witte: wit; intelligence (pg. 7)
woe: woo; to seduce, flatter, charm (pg. 15, 24, 38, 47)
wofull: woeful; characterized by, expressive of, or causing sorrow or misery (pg. 26, 27)
wold: would (pg. 36)
wooe: woo (see above) (pg. 43)
wrastle: wrestle (pg. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 17, 34)
yeare: year (pg. 56)
yfaith: contraction of "in faith" (see "i'faith") (pg. 53)