review-of-As-You-Like-It

AsYouLikeItismostlikelywrittenaround1600,duringthelastyearsofElizabeth’sreign.Theplaybelongstotheliterarytraditionknownaspastoral.Sharpcontrastbetweencourtandcountry,realismandromancecanbefoundintheplay.Itissortofcomicandquiteromantic.ItwassetinFrancein16thcentury.DukeSeniorhadbeenusurpedbyhisbrother,DukeFrederick,andhadfledwithhisfollowerstotheForestofArdenne.TheDukeSenior’sdaughter,Rosalind,remainedatthecourtbecauseofthefriendshipwithDukeFrederick’sdaughter,Celia.SIRROWLANDDIED,passedmostofhisestatetohiseldestson,Oliver,andrequiredhimtolookafterhisyoungestson,Orlando.However,hetreatedhisbrotherbadly.HeevenpersuadedCharles,awrestler,tokillOrlandinthegame.ThetwowomenwatchedthegameinwhichOrlandowan.OrlandoandRosalindfallinlovewitheachotheratthefirstsight.Comingbackhome,OrlandwasawareofOliver’sartficeandescapedtotheforestwithhisoldloyalservantAdam.Inthemeantime,Rosalindwasbrivenoutfromthecourt.CeliawentwithheraswellasTouchstone,thecourtjester.RosalindpretendedtobeayoungmancalledGanymede,whileCeliaashepherdesscalledAliena.IrateDukeFrederickimputedthistoOrlando.Oliverlosthisfortuneandpositionforhecouldnotfindhisbrother.OldAdamwasstarvedtodeathontheway,soOrlandotriedtorobfoodformDukeSenior,wholivedintheforest,happyandself-content.DukeSeniorrecognizedthatOrlandowassonofhisgoodfriend.Sincethentheystayedtogether.Meanwhile,RosalindandCeliasettleddowninafarmintheforest.ThereayoungshepherdcalledSilviusdeeplylovedPhoebe,asheperdesswhodidnotlovehimbutGanymede.Rosalind,inthedisguiseofaman,reencounteredOrlandowhowrotelotsofpeomsontheleavestoshowhismissingforRosalind.RosalindbegantocureOrlandooflovesicknessinordertoteachhimhowtolove.OnedayOliverappearedwiththenewsthatOrlandowasinjuredbyalioninordertosavehim.RosalindsuddenlyrealizedhowdeepherloveforOliver.besides,OliverandCeliafellinlove.OliversaidhewouldliketogiveallhispossessionstoOrlando.Itwastimetogiveoutthetruth.Finalycametheweddingday--PhoebeandSilvius;CeliaandOliver;TouchstoneandAudrey;RosalindandOrlando.Thesecondsonofthedukebroughtthenewsthatdukefederickreturnedthethronetodukeseniorundertheguideofaholymanonthewaytotheforesttocapturedukesenior.Asweallknowthat,friendshipbetweenrosalindandceliaweresounshakablethatevenexilecouldnotseparatethem.Celiaexpressedheradimationandloveforrosalindfornotonlyonetime.Theremarkssheusedwerejustlikewhispersbetweenlovers.Inotherwords,theyareprobablylesbians.Infact,Ganymede,nameofabeautifulboywhowasoneofjupiter’slovers,carriesstronghomosexualconnotations.What’smore,thoughtall,rosalind’sfeminecharatercouldnotbecovered.However,phobeshowedstronginteresttothefakehim.Sounbelievable!Fromthisbook,wecanseeshakespear’srespectforwoman.Hebestowedsomanymeritstotheprotagnist,rosalindthatnomancouldmatchwithher.Shewasindependent,knowledgeable,kind,strong-minded.Evenherlover,comparedwithher,waskindofchildish.Thoughhewasactuallyanambitiousgentleman.Thoughshewasquiteawarethatfoolishnessexistsinlove,shecouldnotresistthesweetyherself.ItwashardtobenythatRosalindwassuchaperfectgirl.Neverthless,inmyview,shesometimesseemedtobealittlefullofherself.EspeciallywhendealingwiththePhoebeandSilvius.Silviuslovesphobeverymuch,whilesheshowsnoaffectiontohim.Outofsympathforhim,rosalindtriedtohelphim.Fanklyspeaking,sheplayedatrickonphobe,orwecouldsayshecheatedphobe.Shewasmorekindtomanratherthangirls.Shehasnorighttodecideothers’marriage.