In William Shakespeare’s drama, “As You Like It” the theme of love is a central ongoing them in the play. In nearly every scene, there is a reference to love, although each scene refers to love in a different way. Throughout the play, there are widely varying presentations and perceptions of love, from the courtly and romantic love among the nobles, to the not-so-serious love among the lower class, to the unpassionate love between friends.
Upper class love is depicted as those who are very much in love, despite the obvious fact that people barely know each other. While the lower class’ version of love is equally ‘skin deep’, these people are more prone to show their emotions in a much more physical way. Although the two different types of love might seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum, the truth is that the only thing separating them is the freedom to express oneself.
In Shakespeare’s representations of courtly romantic love, women seem to be placed on pedestals. Unfortunately, this results in men who do not actually get to know the women and vice versa. Instead, love is based on idealizing, or blood and connections, which is demonstrated among the central characters in the interplay between Orlando and Rosalind. Amusingly, Rosalind actually suggest that “falling in love might distract her from her sorrows” (Hacht 79). Here, Shakespeare’s true humor shows, insinuating that falling in love is some sort of whimsical game to pass the time. Fortunately, this attitude about love lasts throughout the play.
Orlando and Rosalind, the two main characters in the play, fall deeply in love with each other. Without categorizing, but certainly with an eye for the obvious, the immediate love between Orlando and Rosalind can most assuredly be described as ‘love at first sight’, with their love arising from societal expectations that later changes to carvings trees and proclaiming love through poetry. Although their love is gentle and sweet, the lovers must overcome several barriers, early on. Almost immediately, the couple’s love is challenged by Touchstone, who describes the love between them as deceitful, claiming “the truest poet is the most feigning” (Act 3, Scene 3). In answer to Touchstone’s claims – and in order to marry his true love Rosalind – Orlando is unexpectedly forced to prove that his love is true and genuine.
In fact, according to Hacht, Touchstone is quite hateful toward many of the characters in the play, almost in spiteful revenge against the love of others, and “looks at every situation from an oblique angle and speaks in a caustic voicesees Orlando’s poetryas pedantic” (88). With this and other blatant displays of anger, ridicule, and hatred it seems that Touchstone is almost tortured by the very idea of love, and the kind of love between Orlando and Rosalind merely enflames his rage. Whenever Touchstone speaks, he seems to bring everyone down.
According to Goldsmith as quoted by Hacht, “Touchstone’s presenceis a concession to our sense of comic realism and protects the play from corrosive criticism” (88). In other words, Shakespeare’s purposeful placement of caustic Touchstone in the middle of such a seemingly pleasant pastoral romp in the forest was an intentional attempt to make his play seem authentic. For, without Touchstone, the play definitely seems far too sweet for the average viewer or reader. In fact, according to Hacht, “Touchstone’s sarcastic rejoinders quite likely preempted just such unruly commentary from the groundlings at the Globe Theatre” (88).
According to Shakespeare, the lower class, not-so-serious love is all about sex and is very physical. The most striking demonstration of this kind of love is between Touchstone and Audrey. A great deal of sarcasm is employed when discussing romantic love, and instead their relationship is more physical than that of romantic love. Some readers have claimed that Shakespeare seems to be mocking love by using Touchstone, because “Such parody was done by Touchstone” (Carlyon).
However, unlike Orlando and Rosalind, Touchstone and Audrey have nothing standing between them. They do not need to fight for their love, which is precisely why Touchstone is not worried about the idea of leaving his wife. Truth be told, the only thing that attracted Touchstone to her in the first place was her honesty, not Audrey’s love. However, although he eventually marries Audrey, “the audience understands that he does so merely to enjoy the associated conjugal rights” (88). Obviously, Touchstone is the penultimate example of lower class love, for his intentions are anything but noble and good with the lovely Audrey.
Looking at love among the lower class from a different angle, Phoebe and Silvius are another shining example of physical love without any romance. Throughout, Phoebe is indifferent towards Silvius, who truly wants to marry her. Instead of Phoebe returning Silvius’ feelings, she begins falling for Ganymede – who is actually Rosalind dressed up. Yet, this attraction to Ganymede is more of a physical attraction, which is a surprising turn of events to the audience or reader who knows Ganymede is actually Rosalind. With all of the confusion about love and sex and physical attraction, Shakespeare’s depiction of lower class love seems to be almost mocking and insulting the people who are actually in love.
Although romantic and physical or sexual love are quite prevalent in the play, it is vital to examine Shakespeare’s depiction of friendly love. Examining Rosalind and Celia’s friendship love allows for a much closer look at what love should be. Although Rosalind and Celia are cousins, their love resembles more of that which best friends would share. As a demonstration of this very strong, best-friend type of love, to support her cousin, Celia moves from her home in order to be with Rosalind while she is banished from court and is forced to go live in the forest. After “Leaving the court in banishment, along with her fleeing cousin, [Celia,] Rosalind decides to adopt the disguise of a man, Ganymede, largely so that she and Celia may appear less vulnerable” (Hacht 87).
Interestingly, Rosalind dressing and acting like a man – as the character Ganymede – is one of the most courageous acts in the entire play. As noted by Hacht, “In posing as Ganymede, Rosalind draws upon her ample reserves of wit, whichshe may not have had much opportunity to use otherwise” (87). Obviously as a lady of the court in Shakespeare’s time, she would normally be unable to display wit and cunning, because she was expected to act a certain way, under very strict circumstances. Yet, oddly, Rosalind claims to be trapped by her disguise in every way except “the attitude she can adopt around Orlando” frequently complaining about it and sometimes faking a ‘swoon’ or a desire to “cry like a woman” (87). With such contradictory behavior, it’s no wonder that audiences and readers of the play have been forced to decide whether or not Rosalind truly loved Orlando because she chose to or because she felt that she might have felt that she was expected to.
Not only does Rosalind decide to dress as a man, Celia joins her in the costuming, dressing as a man who calls himself Aliena. Despite the fact that Celia and Rosalind were never forced to love each other as they do, it did never stopped them from having such a an unbreakable bond, one that most cousins – and even most married couples – do not have. Sadly, with so much attention being paid to Rosalind in the play, the strength and loyalty possessed by the character of Celia is frequently overlooked. Even according to Hacht, “While Rosalind is given far more attention, Celia serves as the catalyst for some of her cousin’s thoughts and actions” (84). Essentially, this means that even though Celia sparks the actions and words of Rosalind, Celia is the one whose courage and tenacity are ignored. Interestingly, Celia has no problem acting as a man without making women look bad, while “Rosalind seems unable to assume the masculine role without disparaging the feminine” (84). Echoes of this behavior can still be heard today, anytime a woman chooses to ‘act masculine’ and in turn disparage her own gender, all in the name of looking good for outside observers. Of course, the opposite has also been true for men, as Shakespeare must assuredly points out in both this and other works.
Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It” skillfully weaves all the different story lines and the different types of love, bringing everything together in one humorous dance through the forest. Love enters from the courtly and romantic side, to the lower class’ not-so-serious physical love, to the true and unbreakable love among cousins and friends. Although the audience’s and readers’ personal views of love create different perceptions, each and every one would certainly admit that this drama by William Shakespeare has a very big impact. Certainly, the expected behaviors of women and men in different settings – especially during the Elizabethan era in which the original actors and audience would have viewed the play – have a great deal of influence on the characters’ behaviors. Yet, even to this day, some of the actions and behaviors still ring true, because love is sometimes far too formal and inexplicably quick, while other times it is much too physical and trite. Regardless of the difference in time and societal expectations, this play is obviously still a very accurate representation of love in all of its forms and types, with all of the accompanying joy, sadness, humor, and frivolity.
Works Cited
“As You Like It.” Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare’s Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 78-116. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 April 2015.
Carlyon, David. "Find Love's Prick": Touchstone Improvises." Anq 24.3 (2011): 131-137. Literary Reference Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Shakespeare, William. “As You Like It”. Ed. Leah S. Marcus. New York: Norton, 2011. Print.
