But the most cursory examination will show that this is more than a mere “cutting.”  In the first place, the five acts have been cut to four and scenes widely separated, have often been brought together.  In this way unnecessary scene-shifts have been avoided.  But the action has been kept intact and only two characters have been eliminated:  Jacques de Bois, whose speeches have been given to Le Beau, and Hymen, whose role has been given to Celia.  Two or three speeches have been shifted.  But to a reader unacquainted with Shakespeare all this would pass unnoticed, as would also, doubtless, the serious cutting and the free translation.

A brief sketch of Wildenvey’s arrangement will be of service.

[Transcriber’s Note:  The summary is given here exactly as it appears in Ruud’s text.  Note in particular Wildenvey’s I, 2, and Shakespeare’s II, 1.]

  Act I, Sc. 1.

  An open place on the road to Sir Oliver’s house.

  The scene opens with a short, exceedingly free rendering of
  Orlando’s speech and runs on to the end of Scene 1 in Shakespeare.

  Act I, Sc. 2.

  Outside of Duke Frederik’s Palace.

  Begins with I, 2 and goes to I, 3.  Then follows without change of
  scene, I, 3. and, following that, 1, 3.

  Act II.

  In Wildenvey this is all one scene.

Opens with a rhapsodical conversation between the banished duke and Amiens on the glories of nature and the joys of out-door life.  It is fully in Shakespeare’s tone, but Wildenvey’s own invention.  After this the scene continues with II, 1.  The first lord’s speech in Wildenvey, however, is merely a free adaptation of the original, and the later speech of the first lord, describing Jacques’ reveries on the hunt, is put into the mouth of Jacques himself.  A few entirely new speeches follow and the company goes out upon the hunt.

There is then a slight pause, but no scene division, and Shakespeare’s II, 4 follows.  This is succeeded again without a break, by II, 5, II, 6, and II, 7 (the opening of II, 7 to the entrance of Jacques, is omitted altogether) to the end of the act.

  Act III.

  This act has two scenes.

  Sc. 1.  In Duke Frederik’s palace.  It opens with II, I and then
  follows III, 1.

  Sc. 2.  In the Forest of Arden.  Evening.

  Begins with III, 2.  Then follows III, 4, III, 5, IV, 1.

  Act IV.

  Wildenvey’s last act (IV) opens with Shakespeare’s IV, 2 and
  continues:  IV, 3, V, 1, V, 2, V, 3, V, 4.

A study of this scheme shows that Wildenvey has done no great violence to the fable nor to the characters.  His shifts and changes are sensible enough.  In the treatment of the text, however, he has had no scruples.  Shakespeare is mercilessly cut and mangled.

The ways in which this is done are many.  A favorite device is to break up long speeches into dialogue.  To make this possible he has to put speeches of his own invention into the mouths of other characters.  The opening of the play gives an excellent illustration.  In Wildenvey we read: