Textual Analysis
Assignment: As You Like It
During
the 16th century, London went through a religious reformation with
the rise of the Protestant communities. The Protestant reformations lead the
public in a moral crusade against most things promoted by the theatre
companies, those things that influenced bad and sinful behavior. Shakespeare’s
play, As You Like It disregarded a
primary sinful component that protestants righteously believed in, the fact
that close relationships between woman/woman and men/men should be closely
watched, that male and females had specified gendered clothing, and that
marriage was a sacred union between man and woman. As You Like It displays Rosalind as a core character that embodies
both male and female gender that interacts with other men and women where their
sexuality can be questioned through their connection to her.
The
heroine of this play is Rosalind the daughter of an exiled Duke who must make
her way through the world by imposing as a man, creating an interesting dynamic
between her and other characters that she interacts with. The most interesting
thing about this character and her relationships is the way that her character
attracts a sense of lesbian appeal along with her female counterparts, Celia
and Phoebe. The relationship that Rosalind has with Celia is at the surface a
relationship between two cousins who are extremely close, but beneath that
there are specific times when there seems to be a bigger story behind Celia’s
interactions with Rosalind that is being left out. The scene that comes into
mind is the scene where Duke Frederick, Celia’s Father, banishes Rosalind and
is astonished to see Celia side with Rosalind and abandon her father for
Rosalind, “If she be a traitor, why so am I. We still have slept together…still
we went coupled and inseparable” (1.3.75-9). This scene in particular has notes
referencing sexual activities that Rosalind and Celia, two women have shared a
bed at one point in their lives. “Pronounce that sentence then on me, my liege.
I cannot live out of her company” (1.3. 89-90). This scene clearly display’s
Celia’s feelings toward Rosalind and how open she is about expressing what
their relationship means to her. Along with the previous scene, Celia claims
Rosalind and is open in how she addresses and reacts to Rosalind’s misfortunes,
“O my poor Rosalind, whither wilt thou go” (1.3. 94). The scene with Rosalind’s
banishment has extensive examples of Celia’s deeper feelings for Rosalind
including this line where Celia is openly voicing her feelings towards
Rosalind, where Rosalind does not necessarily reciprocate these feelings, “Rosalind
lacks then the love which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be
sundered? Shall we part, sweet girl” (1.3. 102-4). Celia is an interesting
character because she wants the best for Rosalind and does not abandon her in
any situation, where she encourages Rosalind’s affection toward Orlando and yet
there are scenes where Celia is disapproving of Rosalind’s love for Orlando and
sets doubt within Rosalind over Orlando’s feelings. The scene where Rosalind is
pacing and wondering why Orlando has not come to court her, Celia attaches
herself to Rosalind and distinctly demonstrates the deeper feelings that she
has for her as she tells Rosalind that Orlando has no feelings of love for her,
“Yes, I think he is not a pickpurse nor a horse-stealer, but for his verity in
love, I do think him as concave as a covered goblet or worm-eaten nut” (3.4.
21-4). Celia seems especially displeased by how much Rosalind dotes over Orlando
and Celia tells her point blank that she does not think he was honest when
telling her he was in love, or rather he is not in love anymore. Creating this
scene of doubt for Rosalind shows how much Celia wants Rosalind to hesitate
toward the Orlando relationship. Rosalind not yet fully convinced is broken
from this interaction as she is led to meet a new misfortunate couple, Silvius
and Phoebe.
This
play transitions from an environment of nobility within royal court to shepherd’s
within the forest. With this setting change, Rosalind, the female protagonist
also transforms herself in order to disguise herself within the new environment
of the forest; she conceals herself with male clothing, and becomes a man named
Ganymede. As a man she meets Phoebe some village girl who is being pursued by
Silvius, a shepherd. The scene, in which this occurs, begins with Rosalind, now
Ganymede is upset to see Silvius’ pathetic act and Phoebe’s haughty attitude,
and approaches the couple. Now Ganymede interrupts by insulting both parties,
but especially attacking Phoebe and scolding her for rejecting Silvius, but as
this happens Phoebe realizes an attachment toward Ganymede. “Sweet youth, I
pray you chide a year together. I had rather hear you chide than this man woo”
(3.5. 69-70). During this interaction Rosalind, begins to realize that Phoebe
is starting to show interest in Ganymede, “He’s fall’n in love with your
foulness. And she’ll fall in love with my anger” (3.5. 71-73). Within this
relationship there seems to be a sense that Phoebe has taken to the male
persona that Rosalind is embodying as Ganymede. Phoebe abandons the man that is
attempting to court her and is attracted to a man who is actually a women,
“Dead shepherd, now I find thy saw of might: ‘Who ever loved that loved not at
first sight’” (3.5. 86-7). Rosalind has successfully become a man, with the way
she has presented herself and this has attracted the attention of another
woman, creating another love line displaying a homosexual attraction. The idea
that the outer appearance and behavior is what truly dictated the attraction
for Phoebe towards Ganymede is unclear, but I would say that there is an strong
connection that Phoebe feels for Ganymede/Rosalind, even though Rosalind does
not return those same feelings. The only relationship that Rosalind seems to
crave and go after is that relationship with Orlando, even when she is
Ganymede.
The homosexual undertones of the play are
roughly established between the female characters, Celia and Rosalind,
confusingly Phoebe and Ganymede, but the main focus of the play revolves around
the relationship between Orlando and Ganymede, the man who is actually a woman.
The play enters a part of homosexual undertones where Ganymede and Orlando
begin a certain, courtship. “I would cure you if you would but call me Rosalind
and come every day to my cote and woo me” (3.3. 433-5). Interestingly enough
Orlando reciprocates those feelings of love and courtship to Ganymede, due to
the fact that Ganymede has convinced Orlando to role-play, where Ganymede is
Rosalind, in order to cure Orlando of his love sickness. “Now, by the faith of
my love, I will. Tell me where it is” (3.3. 436-40). The fact alone that
Orlando has agreed to these terms set by Ganymede indicates an acceptance of an
openly and public “love affair” blooming between two men. The homosexual
relationship between Orlando and Ganymede reaches a critical moment when
Orlando comes to woo Ganymede as Rosalind and they begin to a back and forth
banter, where Rosalind, uses her male persona to convey her true feelings
toward Orlando. This interaction leads to Ganymede proposing that Celia marry
the pair, “Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing? — Come, sister,
you shall be the priest and marry us. —Give me your hand, Orlando. —What do you
say, sister” (4.1. 128-131). Then Orlando replies to this proposal by another
man, “Pray thee marry us” (4.1.132). This scene is an excellent example to show
the convergence of man with man, it is unclear whether Orlando is aware of Ganymede’s
true identity, but clearly the point is that the relationship between two men
is put out in the open, even mentioning the union between these men through
marriage delivers a clear message of how homosexuality can be perceived within
the play. The homosexual relationships are not only interesting in regards to
Rosalind’s character, but Orlando’s perception of his love situation creates an
intriguing insight into the male view regarding these certain relationships. It
is fascinating how Orlando is open about his theoretical relationship with Ganymede
and he seems to really take Ganymede for Rosalind and publicly recognizes this
relationship. He accepts the relationship so much that he even presents
Ganymede to his brother, Oliver. He relays a message to Ganymede through his
brother Oliver and refers to Ganymede still as Rosalind, but the idea that
Oliver was in the know of a male youth who is his brother’s lover (4.3. 95-7).
The homosexual relationships that are littered throughout As You Like It present and interesting view into the way homosexual
relationships were discussed and viewed, but as expected there is always a
cautionary fix at the end.
Despite the overt display of homosexual relationships
within the play, Shakespeare must still conform to the public ideals and morals
and reaffirms Ganymede’s sex and conserve the essence of marriage. The end of
the play every young couple that was present got married, but none of which
were gay. Orlando marries the restored Rosalind, Oliver “saves” Celia from her
sexuality and marries her, and lastly Phoebe comes to a realization that she
must marry Silvius, due to Ganymede being a no-show. The idea of marriage seems
to be an important part of society and in that case the happiest people got
married, even though they had to abandon a certain part of themselves. The
epilogue is where the play is summarized in a nice package and the author can
put an endnote for the audience and this is where the idea that the homosexual
relationships seen throughout the play are pure fiction and should not be
carried outside of the theatre. Within the epilogue there must be an obvious
declaration of women love men and that men love women, “If I were a woman, I
would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked
me, and breaths that I defied not” (Epilogue.17-20). This part in itself
defines the way that sexuality was perceived during this time, where a male
actor would be playing Rosalind/ Ganymede and would be reciting the Epilogue,
stating that as a man he cannot like a man, it is only acceptable through a
woman’s perspective.
In
conclusion, As You Like It defines
sexuality in its own very modern terms, pairing men with men and women with
women, despite the end results. Rosalind is a convincing embodiment of a female
and male character, and she is able to encapsulate the other characters into
their own personal sexual desires. The ideas that closely patrolled the relationships
between single people either (male/female), that perceived one’s clothing
determined gendered, and that marriage is only between men and women are all
within this play, demonstrating a 16th century perception and how
society thought of social conditions especially when constricted by religious
reformations.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 1599. Ed. Barbara Mowat
and Paul Werstine. New York. The
Folger Shakespeare Library. 1997.
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