Treatment of gender in Shakespeare’s As You Like It

The experimentation with gender roles and identity has always been a common theme in
Shakespeare’s plays, especially his comedies. He firmly believed that an individual’s identity can
be actively chosen by them and he propagated this idea through his plays. The gender of a person
is determined through a complex interrelationship between the body, identity and expression.
Gender is shaped by the influence of the world, society and community. Gender norms are the
subset of social norms that defines behaviour and expectations of a particular sex. Gender norms
change from time period to time period and from culture to culture. Elizabethan England was a
patriarchal society where people were governed by Puritan laws. The Renaissance society, much
like the present world, associated certain virtues and values to women. As the feminine
counterpart, they were expected to be obedient, silent, chaste, graceful, humble, docile and
patient. They were considered emotional and unable to make decisions whereas the masculine
counterparts weren’t over run by emotions and were expected to be courageous, independent,
violent, assertive, confident and strong. But all these traits were set by the society and not by the
individual. It was at this time, that Shakespeare introduced characters like Rosalind, Viola and
Portia who defied the norms and behaviour expected of a woman.

Shakespeare’s plays are the perfect example of art and literature. At a glance, they
revolve around the themes of love, hatred, wars, failure and faults of human beings, but deep
down they also reflect certain ideologies. Shakespeare wrote in a time when women were
believed to be both physically and intellectually inferior to men and his comedies show the fine
margin between both the sexes. His female characters were often intelligent, strong and often at
times, considered to be the heroes of his plays. He had projected the strength and ability of
women in front of the late sixteenth and seventeenth patriarchal society through his comedies
and showed that women are not the weaker sex. He often did this by interchanging and
experimenting with gender norms through disguise and deception. Since Elizabethan stage had
strict rules, where women weren’t allowed to act on stage, the strong and powerful female
characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays were enacted by young boys. This added more ambiguity
to the gender roles because the female character often disguised as a male. Thus gender identity
is further questioned when a male is acting as a female who is acting as a male.

The theme of disguise and deception allows the female character to step outside the social
constrains. In the play As You Like It Shakespeare presents a notable and incredible woman
named Rosalind. She is controlled by the issues of men and subjected to male domination but is
liberated from the restrictions of society and culture by using a disguise. When she flees to the
wood along with her cousin Celia she disguises herself as ‘Ganymede’ to avoid rapists and
thieves. This method of using a disguise is not only for comical effect but it challenges the
traditional ideas about what it means to be man or a woman. Rosalind is able to enjoy the
temporary power she gains when she is Ganymede. She manipulates people and situations but at
the same time is completely aware of the reality and the truth that eventually she will have to
return to society. The women in comedies have strong characteristics but must become men to
protect themselves and ultimately solve the problem of the play.

Shakespeare wanted his audience to perceive Rosalind and Ganymede not as an exclusive
female but an inseparable being with male qualities. She is frequently changing her identity and
role. At court, in front of Touchstone and Celia, she is Rosalind. She is humble and submissive.
But at Arden, in front of the other characters, she is Ganymede. She doesn’t feel any pressure or
anxiety playing the respective roles and her ease of transition shows that in reality the roles of
men and women do not have much differences and anyone can take on the persona of any
gender. Rosalind is also acutely aware that masculinity needs to be faked or imitated. As she
says,

“A gallant curtle-axe upon my thigh,

A boar-spear in my hand; and--in my heart
Lie there what hidden woman's fear there will--
We'll have a swashing and a martial outside,
As many other mannish cowards have
That do outface it with their semblances.’(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It. UBSPD,
2013.Print. 1.3.196).

Rosalind fully embraces the masculine characteristics expected out of her when in disguise.
When travelling, though being fully exhausted she is selfless and decides to comfort the “weaker
vessel”.

“I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's

apparel and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort
the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show
itself courageous to petticoat: therefore courage,
good Aliena!”(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It. UBSPD, 2013.Print. 2.4.206).

Though she has been banished she makes the most of the situation. She focuses on the needs of
others, like finding shelter and food for herself and her companions.

Rosalind could have easily discarded the disguise once in the safe haven of Arden she
doesn’t do so, instead she chooses to use her disguise to tutor Orlando and make him an ideal
lover. The character Rosalind is ruled by motives. Even though she feels the same passion
towards him she hides her love and her identity from him. She doesn’t even let herself celebrate
on reading Orlando’s long love poems. She is so extraordinarily well composed and romantic.
On meeting Orlando she decides to test his love and under the pretense of curing the love sick
Orlando she is even willing to act as a girl.
 “I would cure you, if you would but call me Rosalind
and come every day to my cote and woo me.”(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It.
UBSPD, 2013.Print. 3.2.250)

But at the same time she is aware of the realities of love and its follies. On the other hand
Orlando, who is the strongest and noblest, is portrayed as overemotional. He claims that he
would die without her but she explains that “but these are all lies: men have died from time to
time and worms have eaten them, but not for love”.(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It.
UBSPD, 2013.Print. 4.1.274). She often speaks sarcastically about love and knows the
seriousness of the situation. She is well educated and strong and won’t let herself to be carried
away by the sweet talk and romantic actions like other women.

In the play both Orlando and Silvius play the lovesick characters and Rosalind and
Phebe, the female characters, take the upper hand in the relationships respectively. Though
Orlando is courageous, handsome and affectionate he can never match Rosalind’s charisma and
intellect. This is proved in all the scenes between Ganymede and Orlando and especially in the
climax of the play where Rosalind brings everything together. She proves her smartness and
brilliance by taking the superior position and tutoring Orlando about love and how to woo
women. There is a complete shift of power in their relationship as Rosalind not only gets the man
she loves but she is also teaches him to be the exact lover she wants. She becomes an assertive
woman who even disciplines Silvius, scolds Phebe and challenges Orlando’s version of an
idealized love. But her feminine aspects are revealed when she becomes restless over Orlando’s
delay and faints at the sight of blood.

Since cross dressing and love play such an important part in the play, the homosexual
equations that developed between the characters have to be addressed. This homoerotic love is
seen in Shakespearean Comedies like Twelfth Night and As You Like It. In the latter Phebe
develops feelings for Ganymede. This homosexual feeling is even seen between Orlando and
Ganymede. The very name ‘Ganymede’ has strong homosexual connotations. Ganymede was
traditionally the name of a boy that Jupiter (or Jove) kidnapped for his beauty. Phebe instantly
falls for Ganymede and notices the physical beauty as well as the domineering and dominating
part of Rosalind disguised as Ganymede. She says,

“It is a pretty youth: not very pretty

But, sure, he's proud, and yet his pride becomes him:
He'll make a proper man: the best thing in him
Is his complexion; and faster than his tongue
Did make offence his eye did heal it up.
He is not very tall; yet for his years he's tall:
His leg is but so so; and yet 'tis well:
There was a pretty redness in his lip,
A little riper and more lusty red
Than that mix'd in his cheek; 'twas just the difference
 Between the constant red and mingled damask.” (Shakespeare,William.As You Like It.
UBSPD, 2013.Print. 3.5.266).

Phebe also willingly submits to Ganymede's wishes and marries Silvius despite her true feelings.
On the other hand, Orlando is willing to see Ganymede as a female. In fact Orlando is even
willing to kiss Ganymede when imagining her to be Rosalind. He says to Ganymede,
“I would kiss before I spoke.”(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It. UBSPD, 2013.Print.
4.1.272).

Orlando's and Phoebe's physical attraction to Rosalind when she's dressed as Ganymede
is emphasized by Shakespeare throughout the play. But Rosalind as Rosalind is deeply loved by
Celia. Their strong relationship is shown from the beginning of the play. It is said,

“O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves

her, being ever from their cradles bred together,
that she would have followed her exile, or have died
to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no
less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and
never two ladies loved as they do.” .(Shakespeare,William.As You Like It. UBSPD,
2013.Print. 1.1.168)
Celia's love for Rosalind is so strong that she decides to run away with her cousin to the Forest
and Arden. She willingly takes on the name "Aliena" to show her own alienation from her family
and social status. Her love for Rosalind isn't merely sisterly affection. At times she displays
pangs of jealousy over Rosalind’s love for Orlando.

Even the dynamics between Rosalind and Celia changed from their time at court to their
time in the forest. At court Celia is more dominating often at times comforting and encouraging
Rosalind. But once Rosalind turns to Ganymede she takes over the reins and makes all the
decisions. Celia hardly ever speaks in the forest whereas at court she was more active and even
went against her father's wishes. She spoke for Rosalind, took her side and finally decided to
escape with Rosalind. Celia is sharp contrast against the stereotypical image of a devoted
daughter. But Celia's character shift is from strong to a submissive female which is in contrast
with Rosalind's transformation.

All these character transformation is only possible because of the idyllic setting.
Shakespeare is known for creating idyllic locations in his comedies. Forest of Arden is no
exception. The characters eventually reach the forest where all their problems are solved and
finally end in a happy communion. But this mini paradise is also set far away from the society.
Arden is not governed by any rules and is far from the pompous and materialistic life at court.
This allows Shakspeare to experiment freely. All characters that come into the forest experience
a 'liberating effect'. Rosalind, Celia, Orlando and Duke Senior all undergo a certain change.
There is a reversal of gender roles and the finer aspects of their real personality are revealed.
Rosalind's stronger side is revealed whereas Orlando's feminine aspects are highlighted. Arden
becomes a neutral space where all the dominant ideologies can be questioned. It becomes a
world that is cut off from deceit, dishonesty and sin and gives its residents the freedom to
choose, construct and control their system of belief and adopt their own code of conduct. It is a
place that is outside society and is not bound by class, wealth and gender. Thus the characters are
free from binding concepts and fixed notions.

The experimentation with gender role and identity is just one facet of the progress that
the character undergoes in order to regain their sense of identity and explore themselves. But
even the transformations they underwent are temporary. In the end of the play all the disorder
and identity crisis is sorted by way of marriage. Orlando’s and Silvius’ regain their stature by
way of marriage. Thus marriage is used to restore the balance and bring order. Despite the love
that developed between Orlando and Rosalind who was disguised as a man, they still share a
connection that “no cross shall part” once they are married. The unconventional love that
developed between devoted Silvius and commanding Phebe comes to a harmonious union. Thus
the rightful identity of both individuals and both relationships is restored through the sense of
belonging found in marriage.

In the epilogue, the actor who plays as Rosalind comes on stage and says “if I were a
woman” causing the inversion of all the notions society holds to gender. The character Rosalind
boldly subverts the set gender laws and finds her own space in her own way. Shakespeare
questions the very base of gender identity by creating such characters that slip so easily between
both the sexes. The changing characteristics and the ease at which they transition from one
identity to another and take on new attributes make the concept of gender meaningless. The title
of the play itself says that anyone can adopt any feature and any identity as they like it. As said
by Jaques,“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players;”(Shakespeare,
William. As You Like It. UBSPD, 2013. Print. 2.7.224). It proves that even the identity as a male
or a female is interchangeable and in the end it’s all an act. Gender identity and the traits that
correlate to each sex are exchangeable and flexible.
Works Cited
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Richard III." The Oswald Review (2013): 67-79.

Kumari, Nasib. "Gender Roles In The Renaissance: Roles Playing In Shakespeare's As You Like
It." IJELLH (2014): 337-346.

McManus, Clare. www.bl.uk. 15 March 2016.

Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. New Delhi: UBSPD, 2013.

Tasmia, Fiza. "Women in Shakespearean Comedies: A Subversion of Gender Norms." 2016.