Shakespeare’s Dramatization of “Rosalynde." When Shakespeare wrote “As You Like It” he did precisely what so many dramatists of to-day are blamed for doing, that is, he dramatized a well-known novel.  Lodge’s “Rosalynde” was at this time (about 1598) in its third edition, and the fact that the story was so familiar to the reading public imposed upon Shakespeare certain restrictions which he evidently did not feel in dealing with material that he took from sources less well known.  In the case of material drawn from foreign sources he freely altered, omitted, or combined different stories as suited the immediate purpose of his art.  In the dramatization of Lodge’s “Rosalynde” he changed the plot comparatively little, altering it only so far as was absolutely necessary to fit it for stage presentation, contenting himself with shortening the time of the action, omitting such incidents as were essentially nondramatic, and adding only such characters as would, while making the play more interesting, not materially change the already familiar story.

By condensation and omission Shakespeare shortened the time of the action, which is several months in the romance, to about ten days in the play.  This he accomplished by omitting all the preliminary narrative of the death of Sir John of Bordeaux, and the old knight’s will; and by shortening the time that elapses in the romance between the brother’s quarrel and the wrestling, which he makes occur on successive days.  A similar shortening occurs in the matter of Rosader’s flight from home.  In the play the hero, being warned by Adam, leaves immediately after the wrestling, instead of staying to play his part in the rowdyism at Oliver’s (Saladyne’s) castle.  The effect of this compression is to make the love plot more prominent.  The meeting of the two brothers in Arden is also managed somewhat differently.  Orlando is hurt in rescuing his brother from wild beasts, instead of being wounded, as in the romance, by rescuing Aliena from a band of robbers.  The play ends differently from the romance, as befits a comedy, the usurping duke being converted instead of being killed in battle.

It was, however, in the characterization that Shakespeare departed most widely from the romance.  The most obvious change was in the names of the characters.  Rosader appears as Orlando, Saladyne as Oliver, Torismond as Duke Frederick, Gerismond as the banished Duke, Alinda as Celia, Montanus as Silvius, and Corydon is shortened to Corin.  Of much greater significance than the changes in the names of the characters are the additions and changes in the list of dramatis personae.  Nine characters are added outright—­Dennis, Le Beau, Amiens, the First Lord, Sir Oliver Martext, William, Audrey, Touchstone, and Jaques.  The latter is most noteworthy.  Hazlitt calls him the only purely contemplative character Shakespeare ever drew.  From the beginning to the end of the play he does absolutely nothing except to think and moralize.