In Shakespeare's As You Like It, when
Duke Frederick unexpectedly banishes Rosaline in Act One, scene three, Rosalind has no
choice but to obey: he threatens her with death if she does not go. However, Celia,
Frederick's daughter, does not take this announcement quietly. In
fact, she defies her father, who is a very powerful, but evil man. When he banishes
Rosalind, Celia first reasons with him—Rosalind is like a sister to Celia. When he
refuses to budge, Celia says:
readability="10">CELIA.
Pronounce
that sentence, then, on me, my liege:I cannot live out of
her company.It is at this
point, when Duke Frederick will not change his mind, Celia tells Rosalind that if she is
to be banished, they will search for Celia's uncle, Rosalind's
father:readability="8">ROSALIND.
Why,
whither shall we
go?CELIA.
To
seek my uncle in the Forest of
Arden.Celia secretly devises
a plan to disguise Rosalind and herself, and go to find Duke Senior (Rosalind's
father—Frederick's brother, who Frederick usurped and banished as well) in the Forest of
Arden. Dressing as poor people (and Rosalind as a boy), Celia says they will be safe
traveling without an escort—though they will take Touchstone, a
jester her Frederick's court, who will help them.readability="13">CELIA.
I'll
put myself in poor and mean attire,And with a kind of
umber smirch my face;The like do you; so shall we pass
along,And never stir
assailants.
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