Textual Questions with Answers

1. Consider Shakespeare’s ‘As you like It’ as a comedy of Pastoral Romance.

Or,

Show that ‘As You Like It’ is written in the Pastoral Romance tradition. .

Or',

How does Shakespeare mingle Pastoral Tradition and comic spirit in ‘As You Like
It’?

Shakespeare’s ‘As you like It’ is much influenced by what is now called the pastoral romance tradition. It
portrays rural life as an ideal life of innocence and freedom. Contrasted with the court, the forest of
Arden, in ‘As you like it’, is an ideal refuge for the banished Duke, Princess, young gallant and other good
Lords. Different types of love including the courtly tradition are celebrated here. Disguise, coincidents,
adventure, shepherd life, happy ending all are present in this play which include it to the literature of
pastoral romance tradition. The play deals with the lighter aspects of life and its main theme is
concerned with the love affair which involves a beautiful and idealised heroine-Rosalind. Most of the
actions take place in the forest which is devoid of tragic elements. The adventure, hardship and
suspense of romance are experienced in this play.

The tradition was made of two major strands: Pastoral and Romance. Pastoral was a literature and
drama that idealised nature and rural life. Some modern critics express pastoral as a binary opposition
between civilization and rudeness, between urban sophistication and uneducated rustic simplicity. On
the other hand, the romance tradition largely derives from stories of love and chivalry. These were very
popular in the middle Ages for example, tales of King Arthur. These two traditions “pastoral” and
“romance” increasingly merged into pastoral romance. One of the most common and popular forms of
the courtly romance is frequently referred to as the pastoral romance, which is most easily distinguished
from other romances by its setting: Forest. But the Forest is not a real one in the sense that it is
“wilderness”.

On the surface, Shakespeare seems to follow the tradition. The play is full of contrast between court and
country. The court is an unnatural and unhappy place while the country is natural and joyful. In the
court, brother is set against brother and ambition, envy and intrigue are common. But Shakespeare's
portrayal of the theme of town versus country is not a simple opposition of bad versus good. The Forest
of Alden is not an idealised utopia. Its winds are biting as an “icy fang”. The old peasant who employs
Corin, is a hard taskmaster, Phebe cruelly scorns Silvius, the exiled lords hunt the deer to death, and
snakes and lions threaten life. Duke senior maintains the hierarchy of the court. Jaques cynically
comments on the foolishness of the man who leaves ‘his wealth and ease” for the rough pleasures of
the forest. Audrey is quite unlike the idealised Shepherdess of the romantic tradition. Rosalind and
Orlando discover that even in the Forest of Arden the path of true love does not run smooth.

Like the traditional pastoral romance, love-sick shepherd Silvius and scornful shepherdess Phebe, roam
about the Forest of Arden. In this forest, the young lovers assume the disguise of shepherd and
shepherdess which is an ancient tradition but they do not tend sheep. Their sole concern is love and the
attempt to hide their activity, particularly from those pursuing them. “Love at first sight” is the common
feature of love of this tradition. Here, Orlando falls instantly in love with Rosalind and herself with him.
She occupies all his thoughts. His constancy is highly appreciated. Like the knight of traditional pastoral
romance, Orlando leaves the court to seek his fortune. Through this adventure he learns. In the forest,
he learns from his trials of love by Rosalind.

Duke Frederick is the harsh father of beautiful Celia. Unlike her father she is generous, simple and
sympathetic. She, in disguise as a shepherdess fall in love with Oliver who no more remains the same as
he was in the court. Following the pastoral tradition, Shakespeare has endowed the forest with its
transforming quality. The forest casts its magical spell on Oliver and Frederick. They magically become
converted and give up their evil ways. The mistaken identity of Rosalind and Celia does not harm
anybody; rather, it testifies the different foresters regarding their love and faithfulness. Rosalind’s
disguise and various tests for Orlando’s produces comic elements in the play. Touchstone, Silvius and
Oliver’s romance finds fulfillment. It seems that the atmosphere of the Arden stimulates the passions of
all characters. Therefore the invitation -

Under the green greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me?
And tune his merry note
Unto the sweet bird’s throat
Come hither, come hither, come hither.

fulfills its worth. Co-incidence and happy ending arc the two major features of this tradition that are
found in this play. The conclusion of ‘As you like it’ is drawn by the celebration of marriages which stand
for fulfillment and regeneration. It also ends with the reconciliation of Orlando and Oliver, the
restoration of Duke senior and the conversion from evil of Duke Frederick. Several improbabilities and
co-incidences occur in this play. With the hands of Shakespeare, the pastoral romance, ‘As you like It’ is
touched with Elizabethan traditions. At the end of the play the cynic Jaques prefers to stay behind and
his purpose is not the enjoyment of the innocent pleasures of rural life. These type of melancholic
figures were common in Shakespeare’s age.

In conclusion, we can say Shakespeare’s ‘As you like It’ inherits all the features of pastoral romance. But
this play also shows something radically different of this tradition. One can easily traceout Shakespeare’s
England in this play. He has skillfully shown that the forest of Robin Hood or Sydney’s Arcadia can only
be possible in literature but not in real sense.

2. Write a Critical essay on Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden.

Shakespeare’s comedy ‘As You Like it’ aptly shows ‘his attitude to nature through his portrayal of ‘Forest
of Arden’. Shakespeare tries to prove himself as a great poet of nature in his drama as Wordsworth
expresses his attitude towards nature in his great poems. However, the ‘F crest of Arden’ plays an
important role in this drama having some magical qualities. Such as it can transform evil into good. The
good also have significant changes. They become more good. Therefore, it is an ideal place for the good
characters to escape from the harsh realities of life.

Actually the playwright gives us a picture of social and rural life in contrast. Not only that the nature
Shakespeare uses in his play reflects the condition of his protagonists. In other words, characters can be
understood better in the, midst of nature than in the court. The glory and virtue of characters is
unfolded here. For example, we can see how Rosalind changes and becomes lively in the forest of
Arden. Whereas, she was quite passive in court. Actually, the dramatist shows that the life of forest is
free from social anxiety. To the modern readers it is a ‘Utopia’, ‘Arcadia’, ‘Biblical Forest of Eden or
‘Dreamland’. On the other hand, the life in society is fraught with intrigues, corruption, etc. Here,
mistrust, jealousy ambition bring about enmity among the people in the society. So, the teaching of the
dramatist is that inspite of some disadvantages in the forest, the life here is better than the ingratitude
and betrayal of court life.

The role of forest of Arden is as much important as any characters in the play. The name of the forest is
frequently mentioned in the Very first Act. That‘s why we, the audience and of course the characters of
the play eagerly wait to enter in this place, Virtually, the Arden is dramatically important in this play as
Prospero’s island in ‘Temptest’, or the wood in ‘A Mid summer Night Dream’. It shows parallel plots of
the main plot.

Through this parallelism Shakespeare shows contrast between the two lives court and forest. Both the
lives have advantages and disadvantage. Hence, the title ‘As You Like it’ means, which life do you prefer
life of court or life of Arden?

The forest of Arden shows another important dramatic device of Shakespeare ‘juxtaposition’. It shows
the contrast between the court life and rural life. The very first scene of the play introduces us to the
organised life of a country estate. It begins in an orchard which is a symbol of fertility and fruitfulness.
But, in contrast with this heavenly atmosphere we can see that the relationship between two brothers is
threatened. Orlando is deprived of his right. The elder brother Oliver unjustifiably gives priority to
Jacques. For this, Orlando complains it to Adam. We can also see that the break of the close relationship
between master and servant. Moreover, we find again another alarming brotherly relationship. Duke
Frederick banishes his elder brother. He also banishes Rosalind for his own safety. But most surprisingly,
we find a harmonious relationship between two sisters Rosalind and Celia.

The Arden also provides educational aspect. The characters not only develop morally but also learn
something about life. Like, King Lear, the Duke realises that how vulnerable he is without power and
Wealth. He becomes aware of the realities of life. He says

‘Sweet are the uses of adversity’

Here, one of his retainer Amiens sings a song ‘Under the Green wood tree’. Virtually, it is a song praising
the forest life which Is far from sophisticated court life. The gist of the song is that it is easier to bear the
hardship imposed by nature winter and rough Weather than the cruelty and wickedness that are
frequently found in the human society. Amiens is a courtier who is accustomed to a luxury of court life,
now sings in praise of simplicity found in the life of forest. He can lie at full length and soak up in the
sunshine. He seeks the food he eats. He is content with what he manages to procure. Such a life Amiens
insists is better than sheltered life at court. Nature may not always be kind. But one may put up with
winter and rough weather better than with some other things. One must not conclude that this was
necessarily Shakespeare’s conception of good life or of the proper relation of man to nature and to
society. However, a description of the sophisticated life and the praise of a simple life was a traditional
truism of Elizabethan period. Elizabethans were active, aggressive, letigious to acquire wealth and
power. In their songs and plays they never became tired of expressing the wish that they might live close
to nature and enjoy the carefree life of the shephard or the peasant. This contradiction is thoroughly
human and not unrelated in Elizabethan life. In Elizabethan period a person of ability or cunning might
rise to power. But the vice that mostly rebuked in Elizabethan tragedy is ambition.

However, Shakespeare goes beyond the tradition in his presentation of the forest. He did not believe
that going back to ' nature was the solution to the all problems of evil. His philosophy was that both
nature and civilization are necessary for man. He believed that man is born with some natural qualities
but these qualities need the touch of civility to develop properly. Without this furnish one may remain
half beast. Moreover, the artificiality of .society may cloud man’s aesthetic feeling. So he becomes the
victim of social diseases like greed, anger, envy, etc. Therefore, we need both the wideness and
openness of nature and knowledge and. the control of civilized life. Shakespeare’s Arden is not an idyllic
place of pastoral beauty. It is a real forest with all dangers and discomfort of wilderness.

The forest of Arden is also important as a symbol. Naturally tragedy ends with death where we
commonly look back before. But in comedy we look forward. Therefore, it ends with marriage which is
the symbol of regeneration. Nature also symbolises the happy aspect of life. In fact, it is said that
tragedy corresponds to the cycle of individual life which ends with death where as comely corresponds
with the cycle of nature where there is reward after death. Therefore as a nature symbol, ‘Arden’ also
meets the essence of comedy.
We can understand that Shakespeare is democratic when he shows Duke senior to sit side by side of a
shepherd. According to him all men are equal and sings a song of humanity through his use of forest of
Arden.

3. Comment on the theme of Love in ‘As you Like It.’

The theme of love mostly dominates the play, ‘As You Like it’ in Spite of all the threatening aspects of
the play. The very beginning scene of the play shows the conflict between two brothers, jealousy of
court and the murder plan. These obviously don’t give the readers any scope to think about love. They
are kept anxious about the future of the play what is going to happen. However, as the plot of the play
moves towards the Forest of Arden, he audience can see the ray of hope that something good is going
to happen.

Love at first sight is one of the characteristics of pastoral romance tradition. So, we can see that all the
couples of the play were affected by this cardinal aspect of love. Nonetheless, each love affair is
different from others and gives the playright an opportunity to analyse love with its various dimensions.
Therefore, like other romantic comedies, this play also ends with marriage and happiness.

In fact, the romantic love in the play, begins with the encounter of Orlando and Rosalind in the wrestling
match. The innocence and immaturity of Orlando touch the heart of Rosalind. She falls in love
amorously after the glorious victory of Orlando. It was her generosity that she gave him her neckless as a
token of love though, there was the fear of her uncle.

Rosalind, shows her witticism in her expression of love she is passionately in love but never expresses it.
Rather, she continues to test the boy, playing love game one after another in the Forest of Arden.
Orlando expresses his feelings -

“From the east to western Ind

No jewel is like Rosalind”

Inspite of her manly disguise, Rosalind’s passion becomes Unbound when Orlando is late at the
appointed time. She is excessively delightful when she knows that none but, Orlando is the composer of
the verse on the tree that is addressed to Rosalind. Once Orlando becomes ‘sick’ and Ganymede came
forward to ‘cure’ his love sickness. All these are peculiar indeed. However, here follows the mocking
words of Rosalind towards romantic lovers -

“No, no Orlando, men are April when they

Woo, December when they wed! Maids are.
May when they are maids but sky changes when
They are wives”
As a romantic lover, Orlando also plays his role to be a typical country lover. He claims that he will
simply die if he is rejected by Rosalind. But this attitude is also criticised by Rosalind.

Another love story of the couple Touchstone and Audrey is quite opposite to that of Rosalind and
Orlando. The shepherdess, Audrey, is described to be an ugly, unmannerly and uneducated girl. But she
agrees to marry Touchstone as soon as he proposes. She doesn’t love Touchstone but his courtly
position. Touchstone is also moving by his sexual desire and wants to marry the girl not spending time
for wooing. His love is an earthly one. He, even, is determind to break this marriage finding ‘good
excuse’.

The pair of Phebe and Silvius is mocked by Shakespeare rather than celebrated. Here, Silvius is mad for
Phebe. But Phebe scorns him, which is a typical genre of pastoral romance tradition. She rejects him as
she is in love with disguised Rosalind Ganymede. The more Rosalind pushes her towards Silvius, the
more she becomes impressed by the boy. However, the final acceptance of Phebe of Silvius seems
artificial.

The love affair between Celia and Oliver is a hasty one. As soon as, they met each other they fell in love.
Oliver, to live peacefully in the Forest with Celia, wants to become a shepherd. For this, he wants to give
all his property to Orlando.

Love between Adam and Orlando is a generous one. Adam, the old servant of Sir Rowlan de Boys loves
Orlando tenderly. He wants to give all his earned money to escape into the Forest of Arden. Infact, he
saved Orlando’s life.

Sisterly love of Rosalind- Celia is also an innocent one. Their love surpasses the ordinary Sisterly love as
one follows another like shadow. Their life in court, escape into the Forest of Arden show their pure
affection to each other.

We can say that love, the commonplace theme of authors is skillfully handled by Shakespeare in this
play. Unlike, the modern love stories there are no social and family barriers between the lovers.
Therefore, love and its effect on human personality is Shakespeare’s principal concern in the play, ‘As
You Like it”. Also shows how love for property, authority brings destruction where mere love for human
heart can bring about regeneration.

Shakespeare, in all his great episodes of love, tried to show that there is a kind of pity in love. A sense of
pity arouses love. So also happens in the play, ‘As You Like it’. Rosalind falls in love with Orlando because
she felt pity for his innocence and unprofessional manner as a wrestler.

4. Show how the cycle of the Songs are bound up with the cycle of human
destiny?

Or,
Show that the songs in ‘As You Like It’ fulfill a thematic purpose?

Or,

Write a note on the significance of Songs in ‘As You Like It’

Shakespeare’s as you Like It is one of the happiest comedies and it would seem strange if there were no
songs _to be sung. Like the soliloquies of great tragedies they also provide solutions to problems of
staging. They occupy time and suggest transitions from scene to scene. They set the real mood of
comedy by being the source of joy and merriment. Songs are very common feature for a rural setting
which is dominated by happiness and beautiful objects of nature. The songs may also be Shakespeare’s
responses to the popularity of the acting companies of the time whose signings attracted large
audience. In As You Like It, there are seven songs and it would be true to say that they all have a
particular relevance to the structure of the play while three of them, in addition to being an ironic
comment on the main action, have a particular beauty and lyrical quality of their own.

Act II, scene V contains the first of the play’s celebrated songs written in a simple unpretentious style,
suitable here, for the celebration of the simple country life. Life 1n the forest is without strife.

“Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.”

The song invites a happy invitation to the carefree green life of nature of the forest. It is to those who
respond merrily to the sweet song of the birds. In the second verse of the song, we are invited to live in
the sun and in the open air where one might seek one’s own food and “Be pleased with what he gets.”
This invitation is an alternative to the life of ambition and social success where the highest value is put
on the most exquisite luxury. This song embodies the simple philosophy that underpins life in the forest.
After singing he gives directions that a table be set, for “the duke under this tree”. The song and its
philosophy are clearly associated with the Duke. The placing of the song is highly significant. Jaque’s
parody (If it do come to pass) which immediately follows it is also effective. It indicates his cynicism is a
compression of his own moralizing. These two songs are integral. They were probably written with
definite airs in mind. The obvious purpose is to underline the themes of the play against the appropriate
natural background which is thus given emphasis.

Amine’s another song “Blow, blow, thou winter wind”, reinforces the fact that under God’s sky, life is
better than life in the court. The song is sung along with the entertainment of Orlando and Adam at the
Duke’s (Senior) camp. When the song ends Duke Senior warmly welcomes the good sir Rowland’s son
and Adam as weII. The scene ends happily with the sweetness of the song. Oliver’s sympathy and
gratitude to his family’s old Servant is echoed through the rhythm of the song Touchstone’s snatch of
song in act III, scene II is a popular one of the day and has little relevance to the main themes, except
that it signals the end .of his marriage venture temporarily. The two songs “What shall he have that
killed the deer” and “It was a lover and his lass” provide opposite comments on the play’s love theme.
The hunter’s song is ironic and more than a little indecent. It deals with love and cuckoldry. It suggests
that these unpleasant things are just as much a part of reality as true and steadfast love and must be
accepted calmly. “It was lover and his lass” deals quite another aspect of love. It advances the happy
innocence of young love, and spring time, complete with carols, flowers and a ‘hey nonino’. It prepares
the way for the climactic celebration which are about to happen. It reminds us that everything fades and
dies and that human life is but a flower. The flower image reinforces.

The wedding song greatly praises Hymen and marriage. Our sense of richness in the spring time is
illustrated. It suggests that we should love and live fully while youth and spring are with us. The last song
‘wedding is great Juno’s crown’ Praises Hymen: the God of marriage. It marks the climax of happiness
for lovers. It sets the mood of marriage -the blessing which keeps a husband and a wife together at the
dinner table and in bed. The play ends with several marriages and thereby marriage is celebrated by
paying tribute to Hymen.

The songs are introduced skillfully as they lead the comedy to its happy ending. The first two songs refer
to winter and rough weather, the third a happy song without seasonal reference and the fourth is a song
about spring and youth. This sequence of songs suggests a movement from winter to spring which
parallels to the change of fortune of the characters from adversity to prosperity.

5. Consider As You Like It as a typical Shakespearean Comedy.

Or,

Show how As You Like It embodies the characteristics of a Shakespearean

Comedy?
Shakespeare’s As You Like It is purely a comedy in term of its form and theme. Shakespearean comedy is
different from traditional Classical comedy. The main interest of classical comedy is the exposure of
offenders against common practice and against unquestioned propriety in the established fitness of
things. Shakespearean comedy deals with the lighter aspects of life and always ends happily. “As You
Like It” is chiefly concerned with the love affair which involves a beautiful and idealized heroine. It’s
setting, lively characters, their witty remarks, attitude to life, songs and happy endings constitute the
comic elements Of 'the play. The play engages our delighted attention rather than our profound
concern.

Unlike the classical dramatists, Shakespeare does not confine solely to comedy or tragedy in a single
story. All His great tragedies have comic episodes while the comedy is not without the tragic trait. “As
You Like It” has sad and gloomy incidents Act I, Scene I of the play seems like the opening of a tragedy.
At the beginning of the play, we find Orlando complains against Oliver’s not keeping words of their
father Sir Rowland de Boys. Here virtuous characters are threatened by those who are malign. There is
violent action; Oliver plots against Orlando’s life-”Now will I stir this gamester: I hope I shall see an end
of him”. Frederick is revealed as a tyrant and out of jealousy, he does not hesitate to banish Rosalind
who is very dear to his own daughter Celia. But as a typical Shakespearean comedy the act contains
many features that suggest that Shakespeare does not have tragedy in mind. Charles’ reference to the
forest Arden, the life style of Duke senior and his followers, Rosalind- Celia’s plan to escape to the Forest
forecast the happy incidents are to be occurred there.

Women in Shakespearean comedy are the dominating figures who control the main action of the play
and lead it to a happy ending. In As You Like It, Rosalind proves her potentialities. She is perhaps the
greatest and most fascinating heroines of Shakespeare’s plays. She is lively, .virtues and of admiring
personality. She controls the action dominating other characters and exercising her strong sense of
humour as she alternately mocks and celebrates love. Her gaiety is Spontaneous and almost always
present.

‘Love at first sight’ is an important and common feature of Shakespearean romantic comedy. Almost all
the characters are affected by this sort of love. ln this romantic comedy, love affair of Orlando Rosalind
is presented with all its celebrations. As soon as Oliver and Celia meet, they fall in love and Celia
comments “Whoever loved that love not at first sight?” Shakespeare’s aim in comedy was nearly to
prove innocent entertainment for his audience. Therefore, his comedy As You Like It provides an
atmosphere of fun and laughter. Follies and inconsistencies of human nature are humorously presented.
Therefore, we find the witty heroine, Rosalind and her witty companion, Celia. Jaque’s ‘All the world’s a
stage’ is full of wit and wisdom.

The pastoral setting of the Forest of Arden supplies a romantic flavour throughout the play. There is
presence of wild animals but no serious harm is done by them. It is an ideal place for the good exiled
party-

“Who doth ambition shun

And loves to live in the sun

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets.

Come hither, come hither, come hither;”

Handling the two plots together is also another important feature of Shakespearean comedy. The
enmity between the two Dukes of the main plot is a reflection of the enmity between the two brothers-
Oliver and Orlando in the subplot. The two plots are merged when Orlando and Rosalind fall in love with
one another. The forest life which is free from evil and malice is contrasted with that of court life. The
four couples have their contrasting features. But they undergo the same romantic trait-love.
Poetic language, feelings, sensations and imaginative vision of the characters are the significant features
of Shakespearean comedy. The usual division of verse and prose in a Shakespeare play, between the
noble characters and the lower is not consistently applied in “As You Like It”.

In Shakespeare’s comedy, at the beginning, the women suffer from crisis and they are shown to be in
disguised for perhaps they lack security, but gradually they overcome all the obstacles by dint of their
beauty and intellect. Therefore, we see Rosalind and Celia’s disguise provides much comic incidents in
this play. Their disguise simplifies the plot and through this, Rosalind succeeds in bringing the play to its
happy ending.

Again like other Shakespeare’s comedy some of the important co-incidences draw the play to its happy
ending. Therefore, in the end, we see the four couples are happily married and the marriage is glorified
by the presence of Hymen- the God of marriage. The evil Characters are transformed and the good ones
decide to return to the court happily.

Considering the above facts, we may identify “As You Like It” as a typical Shakespearean comedy where
Shakespeare has introduced all his dramatic techniques skillfully. He violates the classical unities. It is
noticed that comic elements are shown side by side with tragic to show a realistic picture of life. This is
the most realistic feature of Shakespeare’s comedy.

6. In what sense is As You Like It a romantic comedy?

Comedy is a kind of drama that entertains us and makes us laugh. It mostly deals with the lighter aspect
of life. If there arises any problem or obstacle, it gets solved and the play moves towards a happy
ending. The play, ‘As You Like it’ is termed as romantic comedy where both the elements of romance
and comedy are available. However, the central theme of play is the love affair. The adventure,
hardship, suspense of romance are predominant in this play. Its settings, lively characters, their witty
remarks, songs and happy ending contribute the comic elements of the play. Therefore, most of the
actions take place in the forest of Arden which is devoid tragic elements.

Love affair is considered to be the first and foremost condition of a comedy. The “heroine in love” is the
chief interest of the Play. She is the hallmark of beauty and moves with all her beauty and wit. That she
is in disguise keeps our interest alive. In the play, As You Like it, Rosalind, drives almost all the plots. The
following Words show the impressiveness of Rosalind-

“She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness

her very silence and her patience speak to
the people and they pity her,
Moreover, we find the escape to the forest, fighting with the Perils of forest, hunting, songs, etc. Among
the comic episode, happy ‘Occurrence, wit, humour, characterisation of Touchstone, his relationship
with Audrey -all set up the comic aspect of the play. Most importantly,-it ends happily with marriage, in
presence of marriage God. Another important feature, ‘poetic justice’ is also evident in the play.

Unlike classical play, Shakespearean play is not purely a tragedy 0r comedy. It is his uniqueness that
there is the mixture of two, as in real life. Thus, his plays become life-like. However, though ‘As You like
It’ is a romantic comedy it has sad or threatening aspects of life. The very opening scene shows fighting,
jealousy, mistrust, misbehaviour, murder plan, deprivation, etc. The conflict between the two boys of Sir
Rowland de Boys makes the plot’ of the play very foreboding. Orlando complains against ' for not giving
him proper right of education. The Dukedom cries under the tyranny of injustice and the Duke Senior is
usurped by Duke Frederick. Am0ng these alarming situation we can get some impressive information
about court. Duke Senior and his followers has taken shelter into the forest of Arden. His daughter
Rosalind remains at court. Her cousin, Celia and Rosalind show great sisterly love. In this way,
Shakespeare makes balance of happy incidents and fearful incidents in act one.

The romantic setting of the forest of Arden provides opportunity to the lover to fulfill their love. Almost
all the characters are affected by the feature of ‘love at first sight’. The verses on the tree show the
wholehearted love of Orlando for Rosalind. He says-

“From the east to the western Ind

No jewel is like Rosalind. “
Rosalind also unfolds her passionate love for Orlando when he delays. She expresses her feeling to her
cousin in this way-

“One inch of delay mere, in a

south sea discovery”
Other characters of the play could reach at their destination. Touchstone found Audrey Silvius got Phebe
and Oliver loved Celia. It seems that it is the forest of Arden that stimulated their passion.

One of the peculiar incidents of the play is Phebe’s feelings for Ganymede that arouses comic situation
in the play. She falls in love with Ganymende disguised Rosalind. It would be no more an incongruous
matter that if only Ganymede were a male. But her real identity is unknown to all. Rosalind tries to make
Phebe interested about Silvius who loves her madly. Accordingly this aspect provides amusement to the
audience.

Though a court fool, Touchstone gives much pleasure through his witty words. Both in them forest,
Touchstone is equally lively. His comments make readers thoughtful. His accompanying with Rosalind,
making parody of Orlando’s sentimental verse and his love for Audrey continue to provide comic
elements in the play.

Female character remains to be the dominating figure in Shakespeare's comedy. In this play, we can see
Rosalind’s full power in the play and over other characters as well. Her character is attractive, dynamic
and three dimensional. She dominates the play bv taking the figure of a male. Her organising of mock
marriage, her romantic activities give the play a dimension of romantic comedy. Shakespearean comedy
contains parallel handling; of two clots -the main plot and the sub-plot where one illuminates another.
The course of romantic comedy does not move smoothly. Shakespeare’s romantic comedy violates the
classical unity. It is also noticed that in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy comic elements are shown side
by side with tragic to show a realistic picture of life. Life is, in fact, a mixture of both tragic and comic
elements. This is the most significant feature of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy.

7. Sketch the character of Rosalind.

0r,

Show how Rosalind combines virtues, and beauties in life?

Rosalind is perhaps the greatest and most fascinating heroines of Shakespearean plays. Shakespeare
presents her character with every admiring qualities which can be found in the character of a virtuous
heroine. She is the one who develops the plot of “As You Like It” by her wit and wisdom. She is the only
daughter of the exiled Duke-Duke Senior who is deposed by his younger brother Duke Frederick the
present Duke. Rosalind is bright, lively, sympathetic, virtuous and of admiring personality. She is
banished from the court because people praise her personality which reminds them of her banished
father. She falls in love with Orlando at her first sight. In her early scenes, she seems to be passive but as
the play moves to the forest, she, in disguise as Ganymede, takes initiative more and more. She controls
the action dominating other characters and exercising her strong sense of humour as she alternately
mocks and celebrates love. Shakespeare shows an extraordinary relationship between the two cousins
Rosalind and Celia. Celia has a deep attachment for Rosalind. In the second scene of act II, we find
Rosalind in a melancholy mood because she cannot forget her banished father. There is no evidence in
the play of the existence of a mother or any other family member of Rosalind. That is why, her sorrows
for the separation of her father are extreme to her. Celia tries to cheer her up in her state of melancholy
because Celia became so fond of her as to find her life empty and meaningless without Rosalind. Her
love is so divine that she offers Rosalind her Dukedom which she will inherit after her father’s death.
She raised her voice against her father for Rosalind Celia’ s passions for Rosalind prove that there 18
something special in Rosalind s character. For her lovable and virtuous character, people praise her and
sympathized for her which is the reason for Duke Frederick’s jealousy. He ordered her to leave the court
within a very short time before he had allowed her to stay in the court for her daughter’s happiness and
her loveable and virtuous personality. However, Celia decides to go with Rosalind wherever she likes.

Rosalind is a witty heroine and in combats of wit she outshines Orlando, Touchstone and Jaques. She is
quick-thinking, direct and high minded in speech and her conversation is full of plays on words, classic
reference, striking similes, metaphors and unexpected sports. Her gaiety is spontaneous and almost
present. Her highest excellence lies in brilliant and inexhaustible wit. Her wits are really admirable for
sparkling and brilliant adaptations but they are completely free from malice. Whether, she is talking to
Touchstone and Celia, whether she is conversing with Orlando, whether she is mocking at Jaques, she is
never at a loss for a retort or a repartee. When she is reading the verse of Orlando hanging on a tree,
Touchstone mocks at the verse and draft a double verse. Then Rosalind makes such a comment on
Touchstone that it indicates him to be rotten though it is still immature. She expresses her impatience to
Celia with a witty words-”One inch of delay mere in a south sea of discovery.” She is very expert in word
playing which is an evidence of her witticism. We find her playing wittily with Touchstone, Celia, and Le-
Beau. Her every answer and comment definitely shows her brilliant and sparkling wit. She solves all the
love problems with her witticism and moves the play towards its happy ending.

The main plot of “As You Like It” centers round the love affair of Rosalind and Orlando. Rosalind falls in
love with Orlando as soon as they see each other. Rosalind meets first time to Orlando at the wrestling
match in the court of Duke Frederick. Orlando’s courteous manners, his dignified bearing, and his
physical power attract Rosalind and she becomes sympathized to Orlando. She tries to discourage him
for the wrestling. She spontaneously gives her chain all she has to give to Orlando to congratulate him
for winning the wrestling match. Then Rosalind finds Orlando in the Forest of Arden where fate has
brought them. After getting the verses hanging on the trees of the forest, Rosalind became very eager to
know about the writer of the verses. When she came to know that the person is that great wrestler
whom she loved at first sight, she decided to testify the love of Orlando. As Rosalind was in disguise as a
young man-by the name of Ganymede, Orlando could not recognize her. Observing his love sickness
Rosalind suggests him to come to her daily and imagines her as her love Rosalind. By this she may be
able to cure his madness of love by her capricious behaviour. However, Orlando acts upon the
suggestion. In one of the finest scenes of the play, he woos Ganymede imagining that he is wooing
Rosalind. We find a very emotional Rosalind when Orlando is late for his appointment. In spite of her all
manlike actions, she is not far away from her feminine qualities. She gets impatient and she faints while
she sees ' Orlando’s blood stained napkin. Shakespeare shows her madness of love for Orlando
whenever she meets her father. Love is above all to her. So she forgets her main purpose of coming to
the forest meeting with her father. For the love of Orlando she disguised herself until she meets her
father.

As an elder sister of Celia she was fully aware of the responsibility of Celia. When they planed to leave
the court she decided to take disguise and even changed their name for safety. She thought a “beauty
provketh thieves sooner than gold.” Moreover she took the court-fool Touchstone, for their safety in the
course of traveling. She cheers Celia and Touchstone upon their arrival in the Forest of Arden. She
proved herself as a quick decision maker by buying a farm which is outskirt of the forest. She also
appoints Corin as their servant. She thinks that as the farm house is outskirt of the forest, it is safer and
Corin will add to their strength.

Near the last scene, we find her taking decision about the marriage of Celia. Celia falls in love at first
sight with Oliver. When Orlando feels that Oliver is also in love with Celia she decides to get married
them.
In the play “As You Like It” Rosalind plays the principal role as a practical heroine. When Duke Frederick
ordered her to leave the Court without any apparent reason, she became surprised. She was not
frustrated; rather tries to accept her banishment from the court as her lot; She gave Orlando a gift in
spite of knowing that the Duke 18 displeased to Orlando. She says-

“That could give more but that her hand lacks means.”

Here we find a real soul of Rosalind. She is much determined in her serious intervention in the love affair
between Sillvius and Phebe. She expresses her great anguish to Phebe who fell in love with her. She
always uses scornful words to Phebe and criticizes her for loving him and not loving Silvius.

Rosalind plays a significant role in the wooing scene which turns all the love affair into fulfillment and
also turns the play into a happy ending. Through the character of Rosalind Shakespeare criticizes the
extreme romantic love of his own age from different angles. Rosalind continues her testing of Orlando
declaring she will not have Orlando. Full in spirit of the love pretending game, Orlando responds that he
will therefore die for love. The witty Rosalind argues that in reality none has ever died for love.
Rosalind’s character is fully glorified in the wooing scene. We find a witty remark on changing attitude of
both male and female before and after marriage. She says that before marriage, a lover’s attitude to his
beloved is like a worshipper, dutiful and respectful. We find a contradiction between Rosalind and Celia
when Rosalind comments on women folk’s weaker and negative qualities. Celia protests and criticizes
her for making such comments in spite of being a woman.

Above all, we can say that, Shakespeare endows his heroine with all grace and highly admirable
personality. -With her witty consciousness, she controls the entire situation and arranges marriages for
all couples including herself. She brings a magical turn in the play which draws the play to a happy
ending. Shakespeare’s various themes in this play are handled through this dominating character and
she will remain ever fresh in the hearts of Shakespeare’s audience.

8. How do you show that As You Like It is romantic but not satirical in
temperament?

Comedy deals with the lighter aspects of life and it always ends happily. Shakespeare’s As You Like It is
termed as Romantic Comedy. Actually it is a Comedy blended with comedy and romance. Its main
theme is concerned with the love affair which involves a beautiful and idealised heroine. Most of the
actions of the play take place in the forest which is devoid of tragic elements. The adventure, ‘hardship
and suspense of romance is experienced in this play. Its setting, lively characters, their witty remarks,
songs and happy endings constitute the comic elements of the play. The play engages our delighted
attention rather than our profound concern.
Romantic comedy as developed by Shakespeare and some of his contemporaries is concerned with a
love affair. The woman in love is the chief interest of the play. She may take disguise which provides
much interest to the play. It is actually a mixture of the two traits romance and comedy where we find
the escape to the forest, fighting with the wild animals, hunting songs etc. Love verses contribute to the
flavor of romance in this play. The comic episodes, happy, occurrences, wit, humor, characterisation of
Touchstone, his relationship with Audrey all constitute the comic aspects of the Play. It also carries a
chief aspect of comedy that it ends with marriage with presence of Hymen, the God of marriage. ‘Poetic
Justice’, one of the major features of comedy, is also evident in this play.

Unlike the classical dramatists, Shakespeare does not confine solely to comedy or tragedy in a single
story. All his great tragedies have comic episodes while the comedy is also not without the tragic traits.
“As you Like it” has sad and gloomy incidents. Act I of the play seems like the opening of a tragedy. At
the beginning of the play we find Orlando complains against Oliver’s not keeping the words of their
father sir Rowland de Boys. Here, virtuous characters are threatened by those who are malignant. There
is violent action: brothers’ fight; Oliver plots against Orlando’s life. Frederick is revealed as a tyrant who
has seized his brother’s dukedom and as an angry father he calls his daughter a fool. Rosalind is
banished as pain of death. But the act contains many features that suggest Shakespeare does not have
tragedy in mind. Charles’ reference to the Forest of Arden, the lifestyle of Duke Senior and his followers,
Rosalind-Celia’s plan to escape to the Forest forecast the opposition of court and country. The mood of
near-tragedy that seems to hang over much of the first act is over and the audience is prepared to be in
the atmosphere of comedy and romance in the Arden.

The romantic setting of the Forest offers opportunity for the lovers to materialize their love. Almost all
the characters are affected by ‘love at first sight’ which is a common feature of romance. The dramatist
does not include any plot which makes their love difficult. We see Orlando’s passion in the form of verse
inscribed on the barks of trees and Rosalind’s to Celia while she says “0 Coz’ Coz, Coz, my pretty little
Coz, that thou didn’t know how many fathom deep I am in love!” Her disguise and various tests for
Orlando produce comic elements in the play. Touchstone, Silvius and Oliver’s romance finds fulfillment.
It seems that the passions of all characters are stimulated by the atmosphere of the Arden.

Phebe’s feelings for Ganymede are really amusing. She does not hesitate to send love letters to her man
(!) through the one (Silvius) Who passionately loves her. The more Rosalind tries to convince her to
consider the case of Silvius the more she is impressed with Ganymede’s personality. The dramatic irony
introduces the comic elements in the play.

The characterisation of Touchstone, the fool, provides the comic Spirit in the play. He is not only witty at
the expense of the lovers but himself becomes one of the four pairs of lovers through his marriage to
Audrey His presence accompanying Rosalind in so many of the scenes, his parody of Orlando
sentimental verse and his ungallant wooing of Audrey sustain the wit of the comedy.

Shakespeare’s comedies are dominated by the female characters and this play is not of an exception. His
Rosalind is a much more dynamic, attractive and the three dimensional character than the conventional
romantic heroine. She is endowed with a quick witted verbal intelligence. In combats of wit, she
outshines Orlando and can hold her own with Touchstone and Jaques. It is Rosalind’s idea to take upon
her the disguise of a man. She becomes much more dominant in playing the masculine role. She takes
initiative in both practical matters buying the farm and in the devising of the sports that constituted the
comedy, for example, in organizing the mock marriage.

Handling the two plots together is also another important feature of Shakespearean comedy. The
enmity between the two Dukes of the main plot is a reflection of the enmity between the two brothers
Oliver and Orlando in the sub plot. The two plots are merged when Orlando and Rosalind fall in love
with one another. The forest life which is free from evil and malice is contrasted with that of Court life.
The four couples have their contrasting features. But they undergo through the same romantic trait
love. Shakespeare’s aim in comedy is nearly to provide innocent entertainment for his audience.
Therefore his comedy “As You like It” provides an atmosphere of fun and laughter. It is not satiric;
rather, it is full of brilliant phrases and epigrams.

The pastoral setting of the Forest of Arden supplies a romantic flavour throughout the play. There is
presence of wild animals but no serious harm is caused by them. It is an ideal place for the good exiled
party. They are happy with hunting, green trees, songs etc. There are almost seven songs in “As You like
It” and they set the real mood of comedy by being the source of joy and merriment. However, the play
ends with happy ending organising the marriages of four couples. The marriage scene is glorified by the
presence of Hymen-v the God of marriage.

The course of romantic comedy does not move smoothly. Shakespeare’s romantic comedy violates the
classical unity. It is also noticed that in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy comic elements are shown side
by side with tragic to show a realistic picture of life. Life is, in fact, a mixture of both tragic and comic
elements. This is the most realistic feature of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy.

9. Write a note on Shakespeare’s use of wit and humour in As You Like It.

Or,

Discuss the various kinds of wit and humour in As You Like It.

0r,

Discuss As You Like It as a comedy of Love, Romance, Wit and humour.

Or,

Do you agree with the view that As You Like It is at once romantic and
philosophic?
Shakespeare is universally recognized for his art of characterisation. His characters are not confined to a
single country or culture; rather they are equipped with a large variety of virtues and follies that they
can even be found among us. His use of wit and humour made them lively and unforgettable. The minor
and major characters of his comedies are witty and they make us laugh by their humorous actions. The
lighter and funny aspects of his comedy are possible because of his skill in using wit and humour. “As
You Like It”, like other plays of him, is not without a fool, namely Touchstone who provides humorous
effects in this play. The witty heroine Rosalind and her witty companion Celia prove it to be a typical
Shakespearean comedy. Different humorous situations and witty remarks of lively and typical characters
are found in this comedy. Wit is concerned with the incongruity and contrast or opposition in words,
phrases, and ideas while humour delights in abnormalities of sentiments and eccentricities of the
characters.

In “As You Like It”, we find three distinguished forms of wit. Rosalind and Celia are spontaneous in their
healthy wit, Touchstone’s is of professional and Jaques is presented with his cynical form of wit. We
enjoy their witty remarks, chosen words, word play, rich similes, metaphors, phrases and worthy
intellectual faculty. They, through their arguments and interactions, produce much laughter and humour
1n this play. Audrey, Phebe and Silvius are also responsible for producing fun and merriment. Through
the characterisation of these Characters, Shakespeare took the opportunity of focusing the human and
social follies of Elizabethan age.

Rosalind is perhaps the greatest and most fascinating heroine of Shakespeare’s play. She is the one who
develops the plot of “As You Like It” by her wit and wisdom. In combats of wit, she outshines Orlando,
Touchstone and Jaques. She is quick thinking, direct and high minded in speech and her conversation is
full of plays or metaphors and unexpected sports. Her gaiety is spontaneous and almost always present.
The type of humour that she represents is natural, healthy and sprightly type of humour. She responds
to life in a very natural manner appreciating the ridicules and the funny sides of life. She is a typically
well-bred young girl of her time. She is gracious, charming and devoted to her cousin and to family.
Though she is depressed by the fate of her father she makes a gallant attempt to be gay so that her
companion might not suffer from the gloomy. It is her ironic wit which one most notices in this scene.
She can indulge in idle talk with Touchstone and gently mocks the foppish Le Beau with a pretentious
Bon Jour.

Shakespeare’s use of language and poetry carries wit and humour which proves his genius as a
dramatist. The effect of likeness and gaiety is reinforced by the language. There is a great deal of word
play, particularly in the conversation of Rosalind and Touchstone. There are puns as sharp as any that
Shakespeare ever produces.

Le Beau: “three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence.”

Rosalind: “With bills on their necks, be it know unto all men by these presents.”

Rosalind and Touchstone also indulge in a mocking, punning on court customs when Touchstone swears
on his honor. Rosalind asks how he dares make such an oath, and is told by Touchstone: I learned it “of a
certain knight that swore by his honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his honor the mustard
was naught. Now I’ll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not
the knight for sworn. ”

They go on a mocking oath and court manners. Celia swears by her beards and Touchstone by his
knavery. Therefore, the play is furnished with lighthearted young people who use a casual and straight
forward vocabulary. Rosalind’s humour bubbles up like a fountain. Her talk in the outpouring of a heart
filled with love, life and joy. There is not least bitterness, ill will or malice in her humour. When Celia
shows delay in revealing the identity of the man who puts verses on the tree, Rosalind says: “I would
thou couldst stammer that thou might pour this conceal’d man out of thy mouth, as wind comes out of a
narrow mouth’s bottle, either too much at once, or none at all. I prithee take the cork out of thy, mouth
that I may drink thy tidings.”

Rosalind’s encounter with Orlando and Jaques is coloured by her healthy sense of humour and
wholesome wit. In the wooing scene, her remarks are memorable for rich metaphors -

“No, no, Orlando; men are April when they woo, December when they wed! Maids are
may when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives!”

Behind the mask of a fool, Touchstone has a license to comment on various topics such as courtier’s
oath, traveling complaints, the course of time, fortune; shepherd’s life, court life etc. Touchstone’s
relation with Audrey is humorous and contrasted with romantic love affairs. Jaques’ humour is a direct
contrast to that of Rosalind. He has a humour of melancholy. In this “all the world’s a stage” speech,
Jaques is permitted to make a long, cynical comment on the nature of man. Jaques’ eccentric formation
of temperament is humorously presented. He looks for melancholy even it is a matter of merriment He
does not like hunting, though he himself is a volunteer member of Duke Senior’s party in this Forest of
Arden. His encounter with Touchstone is amusing as this is only Touchstone whose company delights
him at the end of the play. It is only Jaques who desires to stay in the Forest. His humour is a perverted
form of humour.

Shakespeare’s use of disguise in this play causes many amusing situations. There is the amusing situation
in which Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, plays the role of a doctor of love and seeks to “cure” Orlando
of the folly of loving. The entire process of the cure is very funny and a source of great entertainment of
the readers. The disguise leads to another humorous situation in which Phebe falls in love with her,
thinking her to be a handsome youngman.

Thus, we can say Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” is a comedy where he handled wit and humour
successfully. Wit and humour are the effective devices which help Shakespeare to produce real but
thought-provoking situations in this romantic comedy. They keep us laughing all the time.
 10.Show how the cycle of the songs is thematically bound up with the cycle
of human destiny.
Songs are fine art that afford relaxation. Almost all plays of Shakespeare are ornated with songs and
they provide merriment, pleasure and sometime a great philosophy of human life and nature. However,
songs are structurally important in Shakespeare’s plays. His play, ‘As You Like It’ contains as many as five
songs, and those are sung by some particular singers. However, some songs are used to cover up other
action or to provide interval between the scenes. One of the most important functions of the songs is to
create the feeling of Country life. Its function is to provide joys and sorrows, specially to evoke an
atmosphere of pastoral delight. Therefore, the songs can also be considered as a token of Shakespeare’s
immense popularity.

In the play, As You Like It’ most of the songs are sung in the forest of Arden. Its pastoral setting and
natural beauty aroused the emotion of the courtiers and made them to sing. Apart from this, in the Act-
II the exiled Duke is shown with Amiens and some of his retainers from court, trying to set them into the
forest. Here, the Duke says that though the forest is free from all the evils of the court it has its own
perils- Cold, hunger and adversity.

Therefore, the first song of Amines invites everybody to the forest to live a carefree green life. This is the
best song of the play.

“Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me”
The second part of the song reveals also quite similar meaning. It calls us to live under the sun and open
air of the forest.

“Here shall he see

No enemy
But winter and rough weather”
In short, it implies that it is easier to bear the hardship imposed by nature -winter’s rough weather than
the cruelty, mistrust, wickedness of human society.

“Blow Blow thou winter wind” is another song by Amiens. The song reflects the fact that life under
God’s sky is better than the life in court. Amiens is a courtier who is accustomed to the luxurious life of
court. But now praises the honesty, simplicity found in the life of forest. Unlike court they are the
provider of their own food and take whatever they find. They are content with the free life of Arden. ,
Though it is true that nature is not kind always. One can put up with winter and rough weather better
than with the evil things of the society. For this, the words of Corin, an old shephered is arresting and
note worthy-

“Sir, I am a true labourer; I earn that

I eat, get that I wear owe no man
hate, envy no man’s happiness, glad of
other man’s good, content with my harm-
and the greatest of my pride is to see
 ewes graze and my lamb’s suck”
In this way, the first two songs tell about the rude breath of the wind, the freezing of the sky, the water
blown up into waves. This life is most jolly preferring rustic life comparing to the folly of the court.

The next song “what shall he have that killed the dear” is sung by a huntsman. It is a joking song that
provides happiness and companionship of rural life. It suggests that these unpleasant things are the part
of reality as truth and steadfast love is. So these must be accepted calmly.

Then comes- “It was a lover and his lass”. This evokes the spring-time of countryside with green corn
field. In this field lovers lie and bird sing. Thus, the song implies regeneration. In addition to this, the
song reminds us that everything in this temporal earth withers away and ultimately face death. The
human life is but a flower and through this image Shakespeare reflects the fertile time of human life It
means that we should love and live fully while youth and spring are with us.

It must be noted that there is a seasonal movement in the first four songs of the play. The first two give
prominence to winter and rough weather. The third one is a happy song without seasonal reference.
and the fourth one is a song about spring and youth. The sequence of the songs suggests a movement
from winter to spring which is parallel to the change of fortune of the characters from adversity to
prosperity.

The final song “wedding is great Juno’s crown”, is different from other songs. Nonetheless, the songs
contribute to the theme and atmosphere but they are not integrated to the action of the play.

However, we must not conclude that it was necessarily Shakespear’s concept of good life. But the songs
reveal a view of reality which not only Shakespeare but also other great Elizabethan poets tried to
portray. The praise of the simple life with a depreciation of the sophisticated life is a traditional truism of
Elizabethan life. The Elizabethans were active, aggressive, greedy for power and wealth. They never
wished to live close to nature which is evident in Shakespear’s view of life as he reveals in songs.

11.Show that Love at First Sight is the dominant theme of As You Like It. Give
reasons ,for your answer.

0r,

How do you prove that the action of As You Like It is a movement towards
love and marriage?
Love is the most celebrated theme in the play As you like It. Though the main focus of the play is the
banishment, the fleeting of Orlando and the certainty that Arden is to be the center of the action, the
dramatic climax of the play occurs when Orlando meets Rosalind at the Forest. The development and
conclusion of the play is the love story that of Orlando and Rosalind with the attendant stories of Celia
and Oliver, Touchstone and Audrey, Silvius and Phebe. All the couples of the play are affected by “Love
at first sight” which is an essential element of traditional, pastoral romance. Each affair is different from
the other and it gives the playwright an opportunity to analyse love with its various dimensions. As with
the case of other romantic comedies, this ends with marriage and happiness.

Unlike the modern love stories, there are no social and family barriers between the lovers. Love and its
effect on human personality is Shakespeare’s principal Concern in this play. It is a motif which is
introduced negatively in the opening scene where one finds Oliver and Orlando at each other’s throats
an example of lack of brotherly love. We also find the elder brother Duke senior, banished by his own
brother Duke Frederick. This lacking is contrasted by real love between Orlando and Rosalind, sisterly
love between Rosalind and Celia and love in the form of gratitude between Orlando and Adam. We find
romantic, earthly, courtly and hasty love in this play. Shakespeare’s treatment of love is much influenced
by Elizabethan tradition.

Our heroine meets her partner at the wrestling match held in her uncle’s court. She becomes
sympathetic while she comes to know his tender age and the fact that of his frustration “if killed, but
one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world
no injury, for in it I have nothing.” Her generosity could not refrain her from giving thanks and a chain
from her neck in spite of her uncle’s anger. Love appears to be the driving force of the play. Within a few
minutes of her first appearance, Rosalind asks the question “what think you of falling in love?” and in
the Forest, she plays her intriguing love game with Orlando. She proclaims it ecstatically to Celia “O coz,
coz, coz my pretty little coz, that thou didst know how many fathom deep I am in love!” Her love for
Orlando is sincere. Without knowing the proper identity of the objects of their affections, they fall
headlong in love with each other at first sight. Orlando in the Forest, expresses the depth of his feelings
by inscribing love verses-

“From the east to western Ind,

No jewel is like. Rosalind”
On the barks of the trees, she celebrates love in all its changing moods. She is downcast at Orlando’s
lateness and then her breathless list of question to Celia demanding to know who has written poems to
her. Her delight in hearing Celia talk about Orlando reflects her passionate emotion. But she is the one
who doesn’t believe Orlando’s love without any test. Through the use of the disguise many features of
romance are mocked and ridiculed. Orlando, on the other hand, becomes “sick” and wants to be cured.
Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, enhances the interest of the play. She starts her peculiar treatment to
“cure” his love sickness. Orlando is even prepared to treat Ganymede as his Rosalind and promises to
come to him (Ganymede) every day.

Rosalind’s ‘cure’ for love madness is to present Orlando with the most unflattering picture of women
that pours cold water on his romantic enthusiasm. She mocks at romantic lovers “say a day” without the
“ever”. “No, No Orlando, men are April when they woo, December when they wed! Maids are May
when they are maids-but the sky changes when they are wives!” As a lover, Orlando’s role in the play is
to be the embodiment of the typical country wooer. When Orlando expresses his opinion that if she
rejects, he will die; his attitude is again mocked and shown to be an illusion. However, she cannot
remain un passionate in the presence of Orlando. She tells Celia to arrange mock marriage between
them. She even cannot tolerate Orlando’s lateness for his appointment. Her meeting with the Duke
senior, in the Forest, is reported to Celia even after a day as all her attention has now centered upon
Orlando; In spite of her manly disguise and all manly activities, she cannot control her womanly
weakness when she sees Orlando’s blood stained napkin.

Touchstone’s love for Audrey is quite the opposite to that of Orlando and Rosalind. The shepherdess is
described as ugly, unmannerly and uneducated. She agrees to marry Touchstone as soon as he
proposes. Yet, Touchstone wants to marry her without any delay. He does not want to spend time for
wooing. Touchstone is ' unequivocal about his sexual desire for Audrey. There are strong indications that
this love affair will not last. His love is an earthly one. He even looks for a “good excuse” to leave his
would-be wife.

Shakespeare mocks rather than celebrates the doting worship of Silvius for Phebe. He further parodies
such sentimental love in Orlando’s bad verses. Phebe’s scorn for Silvius is typical of the genre 0f pastoral
romance. The more Silvius wants her, the more she scorns. While Rosalind tries to convince her for
considering Silvius’ feelings, she, on the other hand, falls in love with disguised Ganymede. She is
impressed by Ganymede’s personality. Not knowing that Ganymede is a woman, she sends love letter
even through Silvius and for which she is strongly criticised by Rosalind. Phebe’s final acceptance of
Silvius seems artificial.

At the beginning of the play, We find that Rosalind and Celia are Very much attached to each other but
when they are in the forest, Rosalind becomes more active. Her engagement with Orlando makes Celia,
to some extent, lonely. We find her getting passive when Rosalind is busy with Orlando. She even
criticizes Rosalind while the latter insults their sex. As soon as she meets Oliver, she falls in love with
him. The Oliver- Celia affair is a hasty one. Oliver decides to remain in the Forest only to marry her and
to lead the life of a Shepherd. He even agrees to give all his property to Orlando. However, Rosalind
draws all couples to Duke Senior’s camp where they all are to be married. The love affairs find their
fulfillment and are glorified by the presence of Hymen.

“Love at first sight” is a common and significant feature of this pastoral romance As You Like It. Celia
comments “whoever loved that love not at first sight”. The play also presents some different kinds of
love, like self-love and love of power and possessions. Jaques delights in his pause as a cynic world
weary traveler promoting his image as a malcontent. Love of power and possessions is evident in
Frederick and Oliver. In the Forest, Corin’s churlish master rejects “deeds of hospitality”.

Therefore, we can say that in As You Like It, Shakespeare has experimented love with all its glories. This
passion is the soul of the comedy and the playwright takes opportunity of proving his worth in the art of
characterisation through it. Love is a common emotion which is experienced almost by everybody and
therefore, the comedy has become the point of interest of so many readers. The lovers in this play do
not betray one another, but establish a whim against hatred, cruelty and all sorts of complicacies.
 12.Comment on Shakespeare’s portrait of female characters in As You Like It.
Or,

Write a note on Female characters in As You Like It.

Or,

Show how women play dominant role in comedy while men in tragedy?

In the drama ‘As You Like It’ William Shakespeare a legendary figure in English literature, presents the
female characters as dominating, witty, lovable, virtuous, and insecure without male company. They are
the main engineers of the plot who play a great role in the fulfillment of the drama. Most of the
incidents/actions of this play hover round them. Shakespeare shows that in moral and intellectual
resources, the women are vastly superior to men. With their witty conscious, they control their male
counterpart. We find four female characters in this play ‘As You Like I t.’ Of them, Rosalind and Celia are
both princess belonging to the highest social dignity and on the contrary, Phebe and Audry are pure
shepherdess who were born in forest of Arden. From two different angles of manner, behaviors,
education, social status and life style Shakespeare combines them in the same plot of the play. And at
the same time, he represents Rosalind and Celia in Court and forest life.

Rosalind-the princess of Arcadia is perhaps the greatest and most fascinating heroines of Shakespeare
plays. She plays an important role to develop the plot of ‘As You Like It’ by her wit and wisdom.
Shakespeare shows his heroine with “all grace and highly admiring personality. She is the very center
and mainspring of the action. In the early scenes, she seems to be passive but as the play moves to the
Forest, she takes initiative more and more. She controls the action by dominating other characters and
exercising her strong sense of humour as she alternately mocks and celebrates love. With her witty
consciousness she controls the entire situation by arranging marriage for all the couples including
herself. She brings a magical turn in the play which draws the play to a happy ending. The main female
character is Celia, cousin of Rosalind. Her importance in this play lies in her attachment to Rosalind. She
is generous, kind, witty, loyal, courageous and sympathetic. She loves Rosalind so much that to her, a life
without Rosalind is meaningless. She is unselfish to her attitude to property. She declares her intention
to surrender her Dukedom to her cousin ‘Ros’. Shakespeare presents such a relationship between
Rosalind and Celia that is not an earthly but a divine gift of God. We find it in Charles’ words.

Celia is important in this play because if there were no Celia in the play, it would lose one of its greatest
attractions. It is, indeed, a pleasure to meet such a simpleminded, good-hearted, and jovial person like
Celia.

Rosalind and Celia are involved in word playing which is a feature of Elizabethan court lady. Here we find
a strong evidence of Wit and humour of the ladies. Their conversation is full of plays on Words, classical
references, striking similes, metaphors and unexpected sports. In the play ‘As You Like It’, we find them
playing a game about falling in love. Celia says that there is no harm in falling in love as long as one
treats it merely as a game. But to fall in love earnestly, is not desirable, nor should a girl go so far in
playing this game as to earn a bad name for her. Then they decide to play another game. They sit down
and rail against Lady Fortune who distributes her gifts among people unequally. Rosalind agrees and
says that Lady Fortune is blind and that is why she distributes her gifts unfairly, especially among
women. Celia says that, if Lady Fortune bestows the gift of beauty upon a woman, she withholds
chastity from her, and if Lady Fortune bestows the gift of chastity upon a woman, she withholds beauty
from her. Rosalind disagrees and says that the gift of Lady Fortune should be distinguished from the gifts
of Nature. Beauty is a gift of Nature, while chastity is a gift of Lady Fortune. ' Celia defends her position
by saying that, If Nature bestows beauty upon a woman, Lady Fortune can deprive that woman of her
beauty by bringing about an accident as a result of which the beautiful woman may get burnt and thus
lose he beauty. At that moment Touchstone enters and Rosalind wittily refers to him as “Nature’s
natural”. Celia says that Nature has sent this idiot to them to serve as their Whetstone because ‘always
the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits”. Here, we can say that the conversation between
two ladies represents their gaiety and shows their healthy sense of humour.

We find another female character in ‘As You Like It’. Phebe she is a shepherdess and a born fellow of
Forest of Arden. As a Shepherdess, she is considerably of lower position in life then the two princesses
Rosalind and Celia. She is significant in this play for representing her pastoral life. She falls in love with
Ganymede and merciless to Silvius, ‘another born fellow of Arden which makes her character important
in this play. She is crueler than “the common executioner, whose heart the accustomed sight of death
makes hard.” The main theme of this play is the contrast between court life and country life. Rosalind
and Celia are the representatives of court life and on the other hand, Phebe and Audrey stand for forest
life. Though Phebe is of lower position and does not posses any admirable personality, she is proud of
her good looking and behaves her lover Silvius in a haughty and arrogant manner. She falls in love with
Ganymede without knowing that she is a woman in the disguise of a man. She is a woman of selfish
manner. She uses Silvius, his blind lover, as a messenger to carry a love letter for Ganymede. She
changes her mind quickly when she came to know that Ganymede is a woman in disguise of a man and
came back to Silvius. She is such a woman who would have been so haughty and callous towards her
lover which is fully opposite to Rosalind or Celia’s attitude. But it is noteworthy that all three women are
same in falling in love at first sight.

In the play “As You Like It” there is the existence of another female character Audrey- a simple, illiterate,
ugly and plain looking woman. She stands even lower in the social position than Phebe. She describes
herself as foul but not sluttish. She regards honesty as her great asset. But she is a perfect simpleton,
like her original suitor, William. Before coming to Touchstone, she enjoyed the company of William but
she changes her mind when she meets Touchstone because she thinks, Touchstone is superior to
William in manner and social position. She thinks that Touchstone will make her a court lady and give
her respect. Though Touchstone treats her as the butt of ridicule, she can’t understand that. Even when
he describes her as “a poor virgin” and as “an ill-favoured thing,” and adds that he decides to marry a
woman whom no other man would marry. Indeed, she is very keen to marry Touchstone but
Touchstone is not interested to carry on their relationship for a Iong time.
Shakespeare is very expert in handling over the eternal feelings- emotion, impatience, nervousness and
weakness. In the play, we find the heroine Rosalind who falls in love at first sight with the hero Orlando.
She expresses her feelings to her “Coz” Celia, “O Coz, coz, coz, my pretty little coz, that thou didst know
how many fathom deep I am in love!” Even when she disguises herself as a man, her heart became
impatient as a woman and like a woman she can’t tolerate the delay of Orlando and says that. “One inch
of delay more in a south sea of discovery.” Celia is also emotional to express her feeling to Rosalind.
Rosalind says, “my sister no sooner met, but they ‘loved, no sooner loved, but they sighed.” In the play;
we see that Celia came to the Forest of Arden for Rosalind. But when Rosalind becomes busy with
Orlando, she has nothing to do but to love Oliver as soon as she meets him. She is also a victim of love at
first sight. We see that Shakespeare deals with another state of women’s mind, insecurity. Rosalind and
Celia take disguise before their traveling because of insecurity without any male companion. Rosalind
says in a witty remark, “Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold”. We find a contradictory
conversation between Rosalind and Celia. Rosalind mocks at the women folk when she disguises herself
as a man. Celia raises he voice against Rosalind and criticizes her to mock and make comments on
women folk.

“You have simply misused our sex in your love prate. We must have your doubled and hose plucked over
your head and show the world what the bird hath done to he own nest.”

In conclusion, we can say that Shakespeare’s women are feminine, tender and graceful. They are
paragons of beauty. They embody the typical Elizabethan ladies. They represent the piety of love and
marriage. Their witticism makes them immortal in the hearts of men. The women in Shakespearean
comedy are pivotal and without them, the comedy would not have been as pleasant as it is now. Any
woman would like to possess their virtues. Rosalind’s romanticism and wisdom make her the favourite
of the readers. It is unique that Shakespeare in his female characters tries to vindicate the view that
women can overcome the obstacles of real life by virtue of their beauty and intellect.

13.Discuss and illustrate Shakespeare’s use of parallelism and contrast in “As

You Like It”.

Or,

Write a note on the plot construction of “As You Like It”.

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “As You Like it” is marked for its various parallel, contrasting and
individual plots. His significant dramatic art and sense of Elizabethans shape them remarkably
presentable. Though the main plot centers round Love between Rosalind and Orlando, it also defines
and celebrates different kinds of love and emotion of other lively romantic and pastoral characters. The
Elizabethan concern of court verses country life is also dealt here. We bind Juxtaposition of romance and
reality as well as tragic and comic elements simultaneously in this play. The dramatist, Shakespeare, has
proved his worth in handling the similar and dissimilar plots together. As a skillful presentator of human
life on the stage, Shakespeare perhaps did not forget that life is a combination of harsh and sweet
incidents and emotions. Therefore, the plots on which the story of “As You Like It” is developed, are
identified by various incidents and episodes that are arranged artistically.

The plot of “As You Like It” based on the pastoral novel “Rosalynde” by Thomas Lodge. He also
borrowed this story from the “Tale of Gamelyn” a 14th century poem, author unknown. Shakespeare’s
adaptation of this story is coloured by Elizabethan customs and beliefs. We find Rosalind and Celia talk
in Elizabethan courtly manner. Introduction of Touchstone, La Beau, the wrestling match, court of Duke,
Sir Rowland De Boys’ will, melancholic Jacques etc. illustrates Shakespeare’s Elizabethan belonging. We
also find the female world set against the male dominated world. The romantic atmosphere of Forest of
Arden is counter balanced by the realistic approach of the dramatist. Even the two women have their
common and uncommon features. The scenes are created accurately and technically. A single scene is
counter balanced by its previous and next scene. While handling various parallel and contrasting plots
Shakespeare never lost integrity. There strongly well-constructed.

In “As You Like It”, the plot of Rosalind- Orlando’s love has a beginning, middle and happy ending. As a
typical Shakespearean Comedy the love affair runs smoothly with the exception of some difficulties
caused by banishment, and it moves towards the culmination of happiness. In the first Act, we meet
them and observe their interest and emotion for each other. This exposition of the plot gives way to the
rise of action. Rosalind takes disguise of Ganymede and Orlando unknowingly expresses his feelings to
disguised Rosalind. The climax of crisis of this drama is reached in the second scene of the third act.
Here, Rosalind outshines everybody. All the lovers except Rosalind do not know how to ease the
troubles. In the fifth Act, the plot reaches to its conclusion or catastrophe following the denouement or
resolution. Following the course of traditional way of plot development, Shakespeare introduces a
number of similar and dissimilar plots to present his ideas and the essence of a real comedy.

Though the main focus of the play is the banishment, the fleeting of Orlando and the certainty that
Arden is to be the center of the action, the dramatic climax of the play occurs when Orlando meets
Rosalind at the Forest. The development and conclusion of the play is the love story that of Orlando and
Rosalind with the attendant stories of Celia and Oliver, .Touchstone and Audrey, Silvius and Phebe. All
the couples of the play are affected by “Love at first sight” which is an essential element of traditional
pastoral romance. Each affair is different from the other 'and it gives the playwright an opportunity to
analyse love with its various dimensions.

In the love story of Orlando and Rosalind, we see Rosalind mocks at romantic lovers- “No, No Orlando,
men are April when they woo, December when they wed! Maids are May when they are maids but the
sky changes when they are wives!” As a lover, Orland’s role in the play is to be the embodiment of the
typical country wooer. When Orlando expresses his opinion that if she rejects he will die, his attitude is
again mocked and shown to be an illusion. Touchstone’s love for Audrey is quite the opposite to that of
Orlando Rosalind. The shepherdess is described as ugly, Unmannerly and uneducated. She agrees to
marry Touchstone as Soon as he proposes. His love is earthly one. He even looks for a “good excuse".
“Hereafter to live” his would be wife. Shakespeare mocks rather than celebrates the doting worship of
Silvius for Phebe. He further parodies such sentimental love in Orlando’s bad verses. The Oliver- Celia
affair is a hasty one. Oliver decides to lead the life of a shepherd. He even agrees to give all his property
to Orlando. The passion of love is experimented with all its glories. All these four plots of love are
interlocked by warmth and joy. The lovers in this play do not betray one another but establish a whim
against hatred, cruelty and all sorts of complicacies. The main plot of love that involves Rosalind and
Orlando is presented with the three subplots that demonstrate Shakespeare’s deliberate use of
parallelism and contrast in his structure.

We find parallel plots in the first Act. The relation between the two Dukes in the main plot is similar to
that of two brothers Orlando and Oliver. In the court the younger usurps the elder; while Oliver bears
unknown hatred against Orlando. We find filial ingratitude in Oliver and Frederick. Both dishonour their
respective fathers and cause trouble to their brothers. The relationship between Oliver and Orlando is
supported by that of Duke Senior’s and Frederick, while their hostility is contrasted with two female
characters Rosalind and Celia. Just as the duke represents evil, so Adam represents loyalty, service and
goodness. But we note the loyalty, a direct parallel with Celia’s loyalty to Rosalind. Rosalind and Orlando
are of two different plots but they undergo the same fate. They had to make a laborious travel to the
Forest of Arden.

Shakespeare’s treatment of the country life marks a contrasting plot against court life. One is full of
malice and cruelty while the other is an ideal refuge for the good characters to escape. Court life is one
that endangers the life of simple and generous characters. On the other hand, the Forest invites-

Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me
And turn his merry note
Unto the sweet bird’s throat:

the lacking of one is to be found in another one. These contrasting plots are further established by the
following lines-

Who doth ambition shun

And loves to live i’th’sun,
Seeking the food he eats,
And pleased with what he gets:

Act-II scene-I is remarkable for its setting~ Forest of Arden, Of which we have heard in the first act.
Shakespeare’s significant dramatic device “Juxtaposition” is clearly evident in this scene. The corrupted
court of Frederick is juxtaposed with the world of nature where “sweet are the uses of adversity.”
Shakespeare’s plays are neither solely tragedy nor comedy. Even his comedies are touched with tragic
effects. Therefore Shakespeare developed a new trend, tragic comedy. The tragic plot of “As You Like It”
darkens by the presence of evil Oliver and Duke Frederick. Oliver’s malice is shown in his orchard which
is associated with growth and fruitfulness. This scene is contrasted by the relationship of Rosalind and
Celia. T hereby, we find the plot of hatred contrasted with the plot of love. The first scene of second act
is contrasted with the first act as the former starts a new setting. There is “no flattery” or “painted
pomp” in the Forest. But the major characters of “the envious court” are present here. The last scene of
Act II focuses generosity, hospitality and gratitude while the first scene of Act III exposes Duke F
Frederick’s villainy. He seizes Oliver’s lands and orders to find Orlando.

In “As You like It” we also find the female world contrasted with the male world the woman life is shown
in its simplest form. On the other hand, man are shown to be harsh; Women live in a world of _
imagination. Oliver, Frederick and Corin’s master are the harsh characters. Rosalind takes the disguise of
a male and Celia darkens her complexion for “Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold”. Because of
security, they list a male member, Touchstone, in their proposed party to travel to the Forest of Arden.
Appearance versus reality is another important feature of Shakespeare’s plot. Rosalind’s mistaken
identity provides comic elements to the play. She appears . to be manly but could not resist her
womanish weakness. The abundance and satisfaction of the Forest life cannot make it an ideal dwelling.
The contrast between city and country life, reality and appearance everything is shown. One may
conclude, however enjoyable the country may be for a time, it is not the utopia and sophisticated city
people would do well to remember that the idyllic pastoral is a literary tradition, not a reality.

However, the play is not chaotic; the sub-plots have their relevance to the main plot. Each event of the
play contributes its small bit to the entire action of the play. The wrestling matches of Act I may seem
like mere spectacle, unrelated event to the play. Nevertheless, this event is essential to the entire
remaining action and emphasizes Orlando’s desperate quality of youth. It also emphasizes his physical
courage and his daring. His courage and goodness of soul, later on in the play, will cause Rosalind to fall
in love with him. Jacque’s cynic interpretation of the poor condition of ' stricken animal criticizes the
selfish and inhuman nature of human being to be found in the evil characters of the play.

Shakespeare’s Play presents a contrast between illusion and reality among its other themes. The
subplots in Shakespearean play convey and complement the ideas focused in the main plot. Moreover,
the use of parallel plots brings about an element of nicety in Shakespeare’s art of dramatization. As in
life we have plots more than one, so in Shakespeare’s world we find subplots parallel to main plot. The
subplots also signify the fact that Shakespeare is an improvement over the Greek. We commend
Shakespeare for his skillful handling of plots and subplots side by side.

14.Point out some features of ‘Rosalind’ as a typical Shakespearian heroine.

(a) Among Shakespeare’s characters ‘Rosalind’ is perhaps the most celebrated heroine of all for her
beauty and grace. Shakespeare lends the characters of his plays such qualities that readers remember
them for all time to come. Virtually, Shakespeare universalizes the characters in his plays. Particularly,
the female characters dominate the comedies as male characters the tragedies. As an example, his play,
‘As You Like it’ is a renowned romantic comedy of such nature where ‘Rosalind’ becomes the pivot
around whom revolves the action of the drama.

(b) Usually, a romantic comedy is characterized by its use of romantic love. Though at first, the heroine
faces some drawbacks, then gradually she overcomes everything by dint of the her beauty and intellect.
The play As You Like It fulfills all the pre-condition of a pure romantic comedy and it ends with happiness
and marriage. For this, all the glory goes with the name of ‘Rosalind’. Here follows the remark of one
critic -

“Though Rosalind is, no princess

She is the princess of Arden”
(c) Rosalind is as beautiful as a rose. Though she is the daughter of a royal family, she has to face a lot of
miseries. But she never becomes gloomy. She can manage all her problems with courage and insolence
she is imaginative and cunning as well She brings good fortune not only to herself but also to the other
characters of the play She is aware of the insecurity of the female in the society. So, she disguises herself
while escaping into the forest of Arden. She says -

‘beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold’

Shakespeare’s uses disguise to present Rosalind and her characteristic disposition in disguise makes her
romantic.

(d) Forest of Arden in the play, ‘As You Like it’ is the place for flourishing virtues for all the characters,
specially for Rosalind. Here, she unfolds the virtue of all her good qualities. She is very much attractive
even after in disguise. Her personality attracts everybody in the Arden. So, the simple forest girl ‘Phebe’
also becomes fascinated with him and falls in love. Her youth and manly behave is charming, indeed.

(e) Rosalind is too emotional and 'soft hearted a lady. She loves Orlando. Her love is evident both in the
court and in the forest. Rosalind gives her neckless spontaneously to Orlando. It was the reward for him
for winning the match. But actually it was the token of her love. How much she loves Orlando can be
illustrated by the following lines of the play -

“That how many fathom deep

i’m in love”

Moreover, she is very much sensitive and becomes faint seeing the blood stained napkin of Orlando. She
cannot wait any longer whenever Orlando is late and she is very much impatient as any typical woman.
It shows her real love, indeed. She says-

“One inch delay mere in a

South sea discovery”

(g) Rosalind is very much aware of the reality and of the prevailing surrounding conditions. She knows
very well that the inner-feelings of a woman must not be exposed fully. That’s why when she becomes
faint, feels shy for this. Because, this was the result of her excessive love for Orlando. She-realises that it
should not be understood by all. Thus, Rosalind shows her best control over all emotional outburst.
Again she becomes very much happy seeing the lovesickness of Orlando about Rosalind. But no one can
Understand this. She neither accepts him immediately nor reveals her real identity. Rather, the subtle
Rosalind takes love tests one after another in the forest of Arden. Rosalind has convincing power as well
She becomes able to think Ganymede to be his Rosalind and to call Ganymede as Rosalind.

(h) Rosalind is so dynamic that we cannot but become fascinated by her. The more we see her, the more
we praise her. She is most promising and dependable of all other characters of the play. It the end of the
play, she assures Orlando to bring Rosalind whom she loves. She also promises the Duke to back his
daughter on condition that, he must arrange marriage for Rosalind and Orlando. Thus, Rosalind is skillful
enough to make the bond fixed with Orlando. Moreover, the problem of the trio Phebe, Ganymede,
Silvius is also solved by her with her proper handling. Here, the magnificence of her character is
compared with ‘Cleopatra’ who is another undying creation of Shakespeare.

(i) Rosalind is as bold as she is courageous. She is a lonely girl without her father and mother. In addition
to this, she is banished from the count. She is insolent enough to tell her uncle about his misjudgment.
She says that banishment is not a hereditary punishment for which he is irresponsibly banishing her.
Moreover, she says that her father was not a tyrant, he was a gentle man. Thus, she expresses her
heroism, not tepidness. After this, though she goes through hardship, she never losses her heart. She
becomes gloomy at every ever and anon but becomes cheerful as Duke Senior is.

(j) The philosophic mind of Rosalind is apparent when she tells how “time” makes its journey like a gipsy
from man to man. Though she is a romantic lover and a victim of ‘love at first sight’, she doesn’t forget
to criticize it. She tells about the human change before and after marriage. She tells to Orlando-

“No, no Orlando, men are April when

they woo, December when they wed!
Maids are May when they are maids
but sky changes when they are wives”

(k) The wooing scene of the play also signifies her warm love for Orlando. She tells-

“come, woo me," woo me, for I ’m in a holiday humour”

Rosalind is much witty when she opposes Orlando to die for love. Her every simple speech bears great
inner significance. She tells that still there is nobody who died for love. She makes use of literary
allusions to elaborate her argument.

Rosalind is such a lady who is never ashamed of criticizing her own sex. According to Rosalind women
must be as cunning for taking advantages from her own faults.
At last, we may identify Rosalind’s character to be a great actor. Her acting throughout the whole play
neve1 aroused any suspension, the characters that she was the ‘real Rosalind’. The characters were
duped into believing what she played.

15.Bring out the significance of the Forest of Arden m ‘As You Like It’

Or,

How does Shakespeare present a contrast between Country life and

Court life in ‘As You Like It’?

Or,

What according to Shakespeare are the advantages and disadvantages of

woodland life in ‘As You Like I t’?

0r,

Discuss Shakespeare’s handling of the theme of reality and illusion.

The Forest of Arden plays an important role in the play “As You Like It.” It is an ideal place for the good
characters to escape and has a transforming quality to make evil good. Most of the actions in this play
take place here and all the major characters are developed here. To modern readers it is a “Utopia”,
“Arcadia”, “Biblical Forest of Eden” or “Dreamland”. But for Shakespeare it serves the purpose of
pastoral setting where everything goes on smoothly and devoid of flattery, mockery, cruelty and
selfishness. The symbolic forest enchants all the characters and they undergo a significant change in
their attitude to life. The theme of pastoral romance pervades throughout the play and its pastoral
setting provides an ideal environment for lovers.

Dramatically the Forest of Arden is important as the setting of the play like Prospero’s Island in
“Tempest” or the wood in “A Mid-Summer Nights Dream”. The main action of the story takes place in
the Forest of Arden, though some of the scenes in the beginning are set in a city and at Duke’s court.
Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden furnishes setting against which most of the action unfolds but it serves as
much more than a mere back drop, and its pastoral features celebrate country life and therefore an
important theme is a contrast between the city and the country life.
The first scene of the play introduces us to the organised life of a country estate. It is an orchard which is
a symbol of fertility and fruitfulness. In contrast here we see the brotherly relationship and close ties
have been perverted. Orlando has been kept from his modest inheritance. He complains about the
maltreatment. Oliver addresses faithful Adam as an old dog. In the same scene we come to know about
a parallel perversion of normal family life. The younger brother abuses the elder and Charles reports
“the old Duke is banished by his younger brother, the new Duke”. On the social level, the corruption of
the great estate is matched by the corruption of court life.

But in opposition to this relationship we hear of harmony between relations: “Celia loves her cousin
Rosalind that she would have followed her exile or have died to a stay behind her”. We also learn of a
harmonious social order established by the banished Duke and his “merry men”, in Arden. Thus the
opposition between court and country, the artificial and the natural is established at the outside of the
play.

Rosalind and Celia decide to leave the court and seek refuge to the forest where “painted pomp”, “the
envious court” and “the public haunt” give way to the uncomplicated rewards of a life close to trees and
stones and running brooks. Here the banished Duke and his “comates and brothers in exile” find their
existence “sweet”. Thus our interest of knowing about the forest and of its magical charms enhances.

Scene V act II starts with the “familiar Shakespearean song “under the greenwood tree ..... weather”.
Songs are very common feature for a rural setting which is dominated by happiness and beautiful object
of nature. This song is a wonderful invitation to come to the lap of nature. It marks the difference
between court and forest life. The forest is free from flatterers, enemies and falsehood that are common
in Duke Fredric’s court. In the forest rough weather and winter appear to be cruel enemies. It is not the
forest of the conventional pastoral or a real English forest but an imaginary wood of Shakespeare’s own
making.

Its magical charms cast a significant spell on the characters whoever is attached to it. Here everybody is
satisfied with whatever he gets from nature. It is free from ambition, anxieties, pains, treasure,
unfaithfulness and falsehood. Therefore, its romantic atmosphere offers a fertile land of love for
Orlando. The love-sick Orlando attempts to destroy the barks of trees by writing love poems for his
Rosalind. Touchstone falls in love with Audrey who is a simple shepherd. Audrey, Silvius and Phebe are
the product of this rural location and they are all simple, practical, peaceful and happy like their
surroundings. The country love of Phebe and Silvius well matches the pastoral environment of the
forest. Their names and behaviour link them to Arcadian literature. Oliver and Celia fall in love at first
sight.

The presence of Touchstone and Jaques in the forest provide what Barber terms “Counter statements”.
To the theme of rural contentment of Jaques, the exchange of civilized comfort for country hardship is
symptomatic of human stubbornness as the contemptuous parody of “Under the green wood tree”
matter evidence. Touchstone brings out another kind of latent of irony about pastoral joys when he
plays the role of a discontent exile from the court. Audrey, the real maiden of the forest is not artificial
and she chooses Touchstone for William as the former is of different manners. Corin is ready to help
Aliena (Celia) and Ganymede (Rosalind) in exchange of food, shelter and good treatment.

All the occurrences and the characters are reversed in the forest. Rosalind no more remains passive as
soon as she is in the forest. Her emotions for Orlando find expression here. She becomes manly here.

In the Arden, Orlando becomes lonely and finds time to enjoy the opportunity of expressing his
emotional feelings for Rosalind. He, in fact lacked the spontaneity and vitality of youth while he was not
in the forest. He even wished not to live when he faced trouble in the Duke’s court. His brother Oliver
experiences a significant transformation when he enters in the forest and becomes worthy of being
loved by charming Celia. The Duke Frederick who came to the forest to attack the exiled party ultimately
falls under a spell and converted from a life of villainy to a religious one. Touchstone proves his wit in
the forest. The forest' also shows the reality of human life. Like “King Lear”, the Duke realises how
vulnerable he is, without” wealth and power. He could understand that the forest weather is better than
the flatteries and falsehood at the court. He also admits that like his brother he acts as a usurper in the
forest.

The forest in this play is also presented as a source of livelihood for the exile characters. They had to
hunt the wild animals for food. Corin is happy with grazing the sheep in the green forest. Whenever he
finds trouble with his master he sells his service to new master and becomes satisfied. The large number
of Duke Senior’s party does not face any scarcity of food here.

However, Shakespeare goes beyond the tradition in his presentation of the forest. To him, the Forest of
Arden is not a paradise. Phebe inflicts cruelty upon Silvius and also employs deception in dealing with
him. Then there is killing of deer for a past time his also threatened by the danger of snake and lioness.
In his speech to Corin, Touchstone counter balanced, the advantages of court life and that of country
life. The forest life does not give solution to the problems of life. It can only help us to see and

understand our existence. Thus at the end of the play we see almost all the characters decide to
comeback to the civilized world which is sometimes threatened by human ambition, greed and anger.

In the last scene, the Forest of Arden fulfills the demand of its symbolic significance. The play ends with
marriage which is symbol of regeneration. The ‘nature itself symbolises the happy aspects of life. The
comedy turns to its ultimate closing with the mood of peace and fulfillment to be found in abundance in
this Forest of Arden.

Therefore, we can say that the Forest of Arden is introduced to draw a contrasting line between city and
country life reality and appearance. One may conclude however enjoyable the country may be for a
time, it is not Utopia and sophisticated. City people would do well remember that the idyllic pastoral is a
literary tradition, not a reality.
 16.Write your estimate of the character of Duke Senior and bring out the
contrast between him and Duke Frederick.
0r,
Compose and contrast the characters of ‘Duke Senior and Duke Frederick.
Do you regard the ‘change’ in the character of Duke Frederick as natural?
Give reasons for your answer.

In As You Like It, as in other plays of Shakespeare two parallel actions, similar in the main, different in
details, are disclosed. In the state, a Duke is banished by his younger brother and all his rights are
usurped by him. It was Shakespeare’s usual practice to introduce parallelisms and contrasts both in
character and action. In his comedies, the plot is woven out of a number of stories or incidents which
bear striking similarities to each other. In the same way, there are some similarities as well as
differences between the various characters. As You Like It is very rich in the use of parallelism and
contrast in characters.

Senior Duke in Banishment: Philosopher of Nature

Duke Senior in the stories of the two Dukes- Duke Senior and Duke Frederick provides the frame work
for the drama and run closely parallel to each other. Duke senior the father of Rosalind, has been driven
from his kingdom by his younger brother Duke Frederick. Having been banished he is now living 1n the
Forest of Arden. When we first meet him “like the old Robin Hood of England" Duke senior is noble and
generous and so he is loved by his people and is very popular. He is the friend of the unfortunate, a lover
of nature and simplicity, and an enemy to all flattery and false show. He borrows no dignity, yet is
always dignified, and is treated always with respect though he never enforces it.

The banished Duke exemplifies the best sense of nature as thoroughly informed and religious efficacy.
He sees all that is seen by the most keen-eyed satirist, yet a never moved to be satirical because he
looks with wide and therefore kindlier eyes. The enmity of Fortune is fairly disarmed by his patience; her
shots are all wasted against his breast, garrisoned as it is with the forces of charity and peace. In fact
Duke seriors soul is made storm-proof by gentleness and truth; exile, penury, ingratitude of man, the
malice of the elements are no matter for him. He has the grace to sweeten away, their venom and to
smile the sting out of them. He loves to stay himself upon the compensations of life, and to feed his
gentler affections by dwelling upon the good.

The play opens with tension and conflict. Just as the opening scene acquaints us with the main features
of the characters of Oliver and Orlands, it also acquaints us also Duke senior and Duke Frederick. In this
case, the younger brother Duke Frederick has banished his elder brother, who was the legitimate ruler.
He is now living in the Forest of Arden where he and his companions ‘fleet the time carelessly’ as they
did in the golden world. In this scene we do learn that Duke senior is leading a life of perfect
contentment. He has become accustomed to this life.

Duke senior: A Unique Philosopher.

The Duke is a unique philosopher. His philosophy is perfected in the school of bitter experience, and yet
lacks all bitterness of taste. We get Duke Senior physically at the very opening scene of Act II. The scene
throws much light on the character of Duke senior and on one of Duke Seniors companions by the name
of Jacques. Duke Senior does not grumble about his having to live in exile in a forest. On the contrary, he
finds that this life is preferable so the life at the court where jealousies prevail. In the forest, he and his
companions are certainly exposed to the icy winds of winter but this life has its own compensations. In
his very first speech he says that the woods Eire more farce from peril than the court with its rivalries
and Jealousies. In the speech with which this scene opens there is a line which has become famous,
“Sweet are the uses of adversity” he then compares adversity to the toad which is ugly and poisonous,
but which carries in its head a stone having medicinal properties. He then makes another memorable
remark when he says that this life in the forest enables him and his companions to find, “tongues in
trees, books in the running brooks sermons in stones and good in everything.” This speech of Duke
Senior is one of the most memorable in the whole range of Shakespearean drama. He not only utters a
memorable and aphoristic line but also offers a most appropriate simile. It is a notable and edifying
speech and it is marked by a striking felicity in the use of words.

Stripped of his power and robbed of his well-loved and only child, he yet finds solace in the loyal
companionship of those, who once his courtiers, prefer exile with their old master to the good things of
life at the hand of an usurping brother. The loss of his dukedom, indeed evidently counts for little. Like
Prospero 'in The Tempest Duke senior probably owes it to the small store he puts upon possession and
to a love of things, higher than pomp and pride of palace. Like Prospero, he is ready when will sit to
resume his own, but he does so, we feel, not without a lingering regret that his days of peaceful
contentment are at hand. Actually it is the sweet and gentle disposition of the Duke senior that gathers
round him a ring of followers, who are men of great worth, but no false flatterers.

Here Shakespeare, the master artist with a single stroke of his pen gives us a philosophy of life which is
as deep as that of words worth or as majestic as that of Goethe; A man in adversity estimates his life as
worthless and no good, but his correct wisdom consists in sucking mirth out of the very bowels of
melancholy, in extracting profit out of the heart of adversity. The Duke’s words are a beautiful summing
up of the thought, or rather moral experience of a very discerning thoughtful man that Nature is full of
wonderful’ lessons and teaching for humanity. It shows the capacity of the Duke for adjustment to his
new environment and it is this adjustment which is to be admired.

Duke Senior’s condescending Attitude Towards Jacques

Though Duke Senior likes Jaques, he has at the same time a patronizing attitude towards him, and even
speaks disparagingly of him. Jaques too does not entertain a high opinion about the Duke. We see that
when Amiens tells Jaques that the Duke has been looking for him all the day, Jaques replies that he has
been trying all day to avoid the Duke, because his company is a source of irritation rather than of
pleasure to him. Thus we see that if duke senior speaks about Jaques in a condescending manner,
Jaques too speaks of Duke senior somewhat disparagingly.

Duke is not weak and Timid but Bold and strong. A lightly cultured and Kind-Hearted Nobleman

The old Duke is not a weak man afraid of taking risks in life against evil. He shows his refinement of
temper and his inborn goodness and kindness when in response to Orlando’s threatening attitude and
his demand for food with a show of force. Duke senior tries to relieve Orlando’s distress and bids
Orlando to bring his aged companion so that the starving man can be fed. Here Duke Senior’s whole
behaviour, when Orlando appears with a drawn sword, is that of a highly cultured noble man. He is
noble and generous and is loved by his people. But he 'is more a philosopher than a man of action. We
are justified in holding this view, for in the Forest of , Arden we actually find him philosophising.

Perhaps like Prospero he too neglects his princely duties. The result is that his wicked younger brother
who is more practical and worldly wise usurps his Dukedom, and compelled him to seek shelter in the
Forest of Arden. Here we find him leading a blissful life of contentment in the company of ‘his few
devoted followers. He is a perfect gentleman, happy and contented, without malice or hatred for
anyone in his heart.

The contrast between Duke Senior and Duke Frederick

Duke senior is very different from Duke Frederick. Duke Frederick is a man of strong passions. He
usurped the Dukedom from his elder brother, and drove him into exile, appropriating to himself the
lands and revenues of those lords who in their loyalty attached themselves to their true master. .

Duke Frederick is called even by his daughter Celia a man of harsh and envious mind. He appears to be
perpetually actuated by g100my fancies, but suspicion and mistrust, and to be urged on by
covetousness. He has regarded with hostile suspicion all honorable men, the Rowland de Boys as well as
his brave Orlando, he has Surrounded himself with the dishonorable, who nevertheless like Le Beau, are
not devoted to him.

Duke Frederick is Capricious, Suspicious and Envious

All the unjust and unrighteous actions of Duke Frederick are performed on the impulse and in the heat
of passion. The spirit of Jealousy is responsible for creating in him his whimsical nature. That he is
jealous is manifest on various occasions, He usurps the throne of his brother, and when he hears that his
brother is leading a happy and contented life in the forest of Arden, he again becomes jealous. He
cannot stand even the virtues of his niece Rosalind; otherwise how is it possible for him to say' to his
daughter, Celia about her consent:

“Thou art fool, she robs thee of thy name,

And thou wilt show more bright and
Seem more virtuous when she is gone”

Duke Frederick’s Meanness, Envy and Hatred of his Brother

Duke Frederick treats his servants with the contempt and cruelty of a slave d1iver.He keeps from his
brother his patrimony, and then starves him.

“I will physic your rankness and yet give no thousand crowns neither”.

Avarice and envy are the true causes of his hatred of his brother. He himself acknowledges his hatred,
but will not recognize the cause.

“My soul, get I know not why, hates nothing more than he.”

He makes repeated attempts to take the life of his brother. No means are too vile or dishonorable.
When one method failed he would try another.

The last Phase of Duke Frederick’s Life

The finest side of his character appears in the end, when he changes into an entirely new man. The
glamorous part of Frederick’s character lies in his conversion. In spite of his tyranny, caprice, whimsical
nature and despotic pride, he certainly wins our admiration, when he is converted.

Frederick’s conversion seems more natural than of Oliver. Oliver loses nothing by his conversion with
Orlando, whereas Frederick loses his kingdom and he actually he retires from the world. Oliver’s
conversion is selfish, because he wins Celia as his wife, and loses nothing for his brother whom he has
robbed but Frederick loses his entire kingdom by his conversion.