Shakespeare took the basic plot elements for As You Like It from Thomas Lodge’s 1586-87 romance Rosalynde, though he changed many character and plot details: he added a primogeniture conflict into the de Bois family, made Dukes Senior and Frederick brothers, invented several new characters (including Jaques and Touchstone), and focused more of the story on Rosalind and her love story. Another source text Shakespeare drew on was The Tale of Gamelyn (author unknown). The play also directly refers to the character of Robin Hood, whose exploits appeared in popular ballads during Shakespeare’s time.
As You Like It shares common elements with several other Shakespeare plays. Like Twelfth Night...
