As You Like It: Act 3, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 1 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, and Oliver. DUKE FREDERICK, to Oliver Not see him since? Sir, sir, that cannot be. But were I not the better part made mercy, I should not seek an absent argument Of my revenge, thou present. But look to it: Find out thy brother wheresoe’er he is. 5 Seek him with candle. Bring him, dead or living, Within this twelvemonth, or turn thou no more To seek a living in our territory. Thy lands and all things that thou dost call thine, Worth seizure, do we seize into our hands 10 Till thou canst quit thee by thy brother’s mouth Of what we think against thee. OLIVER O, that your Highness knew my heart in this: I never loved my brother in my life. DUKE FREDERICK More villain thou.—Well, push him out of doors, 15 And let my officers of such a nature Make an extent upon his house and lands. Do this expediently, and turn him going. They exit.	Back at the Court, Frederick is still in a rage trying to find Orlando. He demands that Oliver find Orlando and bring him back within a year, alive or dead. To help motivate Oliver, Duke Frederick's tough guys have seized all of his land until he can hand over Orlando to the Duke and prove that he (Oliver) had nothing to do with Celia's disappearance. Oliver grumbles that he never loved his brother Orlando. The Duke says that makes Oliver even more of a villain. (Slightly ironic considering what Duke Frederick did to his own bro, Duke Senior, isn't it?) Duke Frederick tells Oliver to throw Orlando out and have the Duke's soldiers seize Orlando's house and lands, too. That'll show him.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, and Oliver.

DUKE FREDERICK, to Oliver
Not see him since? Sir, sir, that cannot be.
But were I not the better part made mercy,
I should not seek an absent argument
Of my revenge, thou present. But look to it:
Find out thy brother wheresoe’er he is. 5
Seek him with candle. Bring him, dead or living,
Within this twelvemonth, or turn thou no more
To seek a living in our territory.
Thy lands and all things that thou dost call thine,
Worth seizure, do we seize into our hands 10
Till thou canst quit thee by thy brother’s mouth
Of what we think against thee.

OLIVER
O, that your Highness knew my heart in this:
I never loved my brother in my life.

DUKE FREDERICK
More villain thou.—Well, push him out of doors, 15
And let my officers of such a nature
Make an extent upon his house and lands.
Do this expediently, and turn him going.

They exit.

Back at the Court, Frederick is still in a rage trying to find Orlando. He demands that Oliver find Orlando and bring him back within a year, alive or dead.

To help motivate Oliver, Duke Frederick's tough guys have seized all of his land until he can hand over Orlando to the Duke and prove that he (Oliver) had nothing to do with Celia's disappearance.

Oliver grumbles that he never loved his brother Orlando.

The Duke says that makes Oliver even more of a villain. (Slightly ironic considering what Duke Frederick did to his own bro, Duke Senior, isn't it?)

Duke Frederick tells Oliver to throw Orlando out and have the Duke's soldiers seize Orlando's house and lands, too. That'll show him.

As You Like It: Act 3, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 1 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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