This page contains the original text of As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 2. Shakespeare’s original As You Like It text is extremely long, so we’ve split the text into one Scene per page. All Acts are listed on the As You Like It text page, or linked to from the bottom of this page.

As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 2: A room in the palace

Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with Lords

DUKE FREDERICK

Can it be possible that no man saw them?
It cannot be: some villains of my court
Are of consent and sufferance in this.

First Lord

I cannot hear of any that did see her.
The ladies, her attendants of her chamber,
Saw her abed, and in the morning early
They found the bed untreasured of their mistress.

Second Lord

My lord, the roynish clown, at whom so oft
Your grace was wont to laugh, is also missing.
Hisperia, the princess’ gentlewoman,
Confesses that she secretly o’erheard
Your daughter and her cousin much commend
The parts and graces of the wrestler
That did but lately foil the sinewy Charles;
And she believes, wherever they are gone,
That youth is surely in their company.

DUKE FREDERICK

Send to his brother; fetch that gallant hither;
If he be absent, bring his brother to me;
I’ll make him find him: do this suddenly,
And let not search and inquisition quail
To bring again these foolish runaways.

Exeunt

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As You Like It Act 1, Scene 1
As You Like It Act 1, Scene 2
As You Like It Act 1, Scene 3

As You Like It Act 2, Scene 1
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 2
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 3
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 4
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 5
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 6
As You Like It Act 2, Scene 7

As You Like It Act 3, Scene 1
As You Like It Act 3, Scene 2
As You Like It Act 3, Scene 3
As You Like It Act 3, Scene 4
As You Like It Act 3, Scene 5

As You Like It Act 4, Scene 1
As You Like It Act 4, Scene 2
As You Like It Act 4, Scene 3

As You Like It Act 5, Scene 1
As You Like It Act 5, Scene 2
As You Like It Act 5, Scene 3
As You Like It Act 5, Scene 4

Read all of Shakespeare’s original texts >>