Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke), who is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed duke. When the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester, and incidentally Orlando, all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed duke holds court. Romantic mix-ups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.