Quote 1
CHARLES
There's no news at the court, sir, but the old
news. That is, the old duke is banished by his
younger brother the new duke, and three or four
loving lords have put themselves into voluntary
exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich
the new duke. Therefore he gives them good leave
to wander. (1.1.97-103)
Dang. Life at court sounds pretty treacherous, what with Duke Frederick usurping his brother's title and sending him into exile. So, where exactly did the old Duke Senior flee? Keep reading...
Quote 2
They say
many young gentlemen flock to him every day and
fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden
world. (1.1.115-118)
When Charles compares Arden to the "golden world," he implies the Forest of Arden is like a paradise on earth for the exiled Duke Senior. (In Greek mythology, the "golden age" is the first "stage of man," when the world enjoyed peace, happiness, prosperity, and perfect weather.) The court, though it is more civilized, has its own failings when compared to the freedom of the forest.
Quote 3
CHARLES
There's no news at the court, sir, but the old
news. That is, the old duke is banished by his
younger brother the new duke, and three or four
loving lords have put themselves into voluntary
exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich
the new duke. Therefore he gives them good leave
to wander. (1.1.97-103)
Hmm. We seem to be detecting a pattern of fraternal discord here. It turns out that Duke Frederick gained power by usurping his older brother's (Duke Senior's) title. Not only that, but Duke Frederick has banished his older brother into exile. Although we're not given any explanations about Frederick's motives, we can certainly speculate. We're guessing that Duke Senior inherited his dukedom from his father because he was the eldest son, which didn't sit well with his little bro, Duke Frederick. If this is the case, then the system of primogeniture has created problems for yet another family. So, Shakespeare seems to be asking the following question: Is it OK for a younger brother to take his older brother's titles/land/wealth/etc.by force, just because he was left out of the family will? Let us know when you work that one out.