Orlando is compelled to serve his brother Oliver and seeks his fortune by entering a wrestling contest. There, he encounters Rosalind, a woman from the court. Rosalind is traveling with Celia, the niece of the deposed Duke, when the current duke banishes her from the kingdom. She and Celia, along with the court jester (who is also Orlando), flee to the forest of Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Amidst romantic confusion, disguises, love poems posted on trees, and a lion, their lives become intertwined.