What is Phoebe's role in Shakespeare's "As You Like It"?

Question

and what is the play about? brief summary would help.

I'm thinking of using one of her monologues for an audition,

but it would help if I knew what she was like,

what the play is about and how she is feeling in this monologue.

Here's what I was thinking of doing:

http://www.mirroruptonature.com/shakespeare-monologues/female/ayli-3-5-8-phoebe.pdf

thanks in advance

Answer 1

The great thing about Shakespeare is that you don't have to read the whole play to understand the smaller characters.  The only thing you need to know about Phoebe in the play is that she's a shepherdess who is loved by Silvius and who falls in love with Ganymede who is actually Rosalind dressed as a boy.

Go through the play and find the first time Phoebe comes on.  Everything you need to know about Phoebe is in that scene.  So read her lines out loud (in Shakespeare you always learn more that way), and maybe read the other lines in the scene out loud, too.

The speech you're looking at is spoken by a young woman who is trying to get away from the guy who's crazy about her.  Let the words in the speech tell you what you need to know.