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As You Like It

As You Like It. composed 1599, so still Elizabethan (d. 1603) Shakespeare’s 8th comedy, following other 2-place comedies--comedies with a “ city ” setting and an idealized “ rural ” setting Arden is a place set apart, yet distinctly not a paradise winter and rough weather deer actually die

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As You Like It

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  1. As You Like It • composed 1599, so still Elizabethan (d. 1603) • Shakespeare’s 8th comedy, following other 2-place comedies--comedies with a “city” setting and an idealized “rural” setting • Arden is a place set apart, yet distinctly not a paradise • winter and rough weather • deer actually die • Arden allows people to reach full potential in a way that the city/court never can

  2. As You Like It: Who’s Who • Duke Senior / Duke Frederick--good older brother / bad younger brother • Oliver / Orlando--bad older brother / good younger brother • Rosalind--Senior’s good daughter • Celia--Frederick’s good daughter • Touchstone--Rosalind and Celia’s clown and faithful follower

  3. Still More Who’s Who • Jacques--Senior’s melancholy follower • Adam--Orlando’s old faithful servant • Silvius--a shepherd in love with Phebe • Phebe--a shepherdess in love with Ganymede and scorning Silvius • Audrey--a shepherdess whose is all feeling and action, but who cannot use words • Corin--wise old shepherd

  4. As You Like It: plot • Act 1--a flurry of activity designed to get everyone into the Forest of Arden • Oliver attempts to kill his brother Orlando • Frederick banishes Rosalind and Celia goes along • Acts 2-4--everyone talks incessantly in Arden on every conceivable topic • Act 5-- a flurry of activity to get everyone reconciled and back to the city with the knowledge/wisdom they’ve gained in Arden

  5. city or Duke’s court nature or natural world youth realism inherent nobility active life laughter countryside or pastoral fortune and upbringing age romanticism acquired virtue contemplative life melancholy Conversations in Arden These opposites are endlessly debated in Acts 2-4

  6. Debate of Opposites • Essentially unresolved, b/c the answer to all of these debates is “as you like it” • Conclusion: any rational society must accommodate all of these diversities, as does Arden, but not the court/city of Act 1 • Rosalind becomes central character of play because all opposites live peacefully within her, and she is the legitimate heir of the legitimate Duke, so the future is bright.

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