William Shakespeare’s "As You Like It" portrays love and marriage in a comical, amusing manner. The play represents passionate love on the one hand, as well as disguised, blind and even manipulated love on the other hand.
Love as a state of being is omnipresent throughout As You Like It. As the play’s major theme, love is illustrated essentially by eight characters who all marry at the end of the play. However, As You Like It cannot be interpreted as a typical love story. In fact, only one twosome, namely Rosalind and Orlando, illustrates a relationship of true love which ends in a happy, mutually agreeable marriage. By falling in love at first sight, they symbolize the typical Shakespearean romantic lovers whose love overcomes any obstacles. The other couples in the play, however, seem to pursue rather different goals. Audrey and Touchstone simply wish to act on their sexual desire, which they cleverly hide behind marriage in order to prevent any “Vorwurf der Unzucht” – a serious matter in Elizabethan times. Phoebe and Silvius are both in love, though not reciprocally. Silvius does love Phoebe; she, however, falls in love with Ganymede and is merely tricked into committing herself to Silvius. Celia and Oliver are simply following the lead of Rosalind and Orlando, but seem to strive for companionship rather than passion or true love.
Shakespeare illustrates four different kinds of love in As You Like It in a humorous way. He demonstrates that love and marriage do not necessarily have to go hand in hand and adds comical aspects of love by turning some characters into fools. In this way, Shakespeare builds on the Elizabethan assumptions about love as a sickness, but still validates it as a valuable aspect of a happy marriage.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Love in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It
2.1 Audrey and Touchstone
2.2 Phoebe and Silvius
2.3 Celia and Oliver
2.4 Rosalind and Orlando
2.5 A Comparison of the couples
3. Conclusion
Objectives & Research Topics
This paper examines the portrayal of love and marriage in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It," analyzing how the play contrasts romantic love with practical, social, and lust-driven unions. It explores the Elizabethan concept of love as a "sickness" or form of madness and investigates how different character pairings reflect these varying, often contradictory, motivations.
- The representation of eight distinct characters and their four specific coupling patterns.
- The contrast between "true love" (Rosalind and Orlando) and marriages of convenience, lust, or companionship.
- The role of gender roles and disguise in shaping romantic interactions.
- The integration of the "love-sickness" trope within Elizabethan social norms and comedy.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 Rosalind and Orlando
Rosalind and Orlando are the only couple in As You Like It that actually is in love. They do not marry for lustful or material reasons but for true love.
When seeing each other for the very first time, Rosalind and Orlando are already fairly enchanted by each other. They comment straightaway on the other’s positive qualities: Rosalind declares Orlando an “excellent young man”, while Orlando refers to Rosalind as a “fair Princess”. Rosalind instantly reveals her attraction to Orlando by letting him know that he has “overthrown [m]ore than [his] enemies”. It is clear that Rosalind refers to herself being overwhelmed by him, especially since she shortly afterwards alludes to Orlando as her “child’s father”. Both Rosalind and Orlando are undoubtedly delighted by each other. Their affection is reinforced when Rosalind hands Orlando her necklace, which is universally considered a romantic gesture, leaving Orlando mesmerized and speechless (“[w]hat passion […] I cannot speak”). Orlando seems to be just as much in love with Rosalind as she is with him and reminisces about her after she leaves (“heavenly Rosalind!”). Later on, Rosalind forthrightly admits her affection when she asks Celia to “love him because [she] do[es]” so. Rosalind has undeniably fallen in love with Orlando at first sight – just as Orlando has fallen in love with Rosalind.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core theme of love in the play and outlines the paper's aim to analyze the four distinct couples and their varying attitudes toward marriage.
2. Love in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It: This section provides the theoretical background, explaining the Elizabethan perception of love as a form of madness or "love-sickness" that results in foolish behavior.
2.1 Audrey and Touchstone: This chapter analyzes the purely physical and lust-driven relationship between Audrey and Touchstone, who marry primarily to satisfy sexual desire within societal constraints.
2.2 Phoebe and Silvius: This chapter examines the one-sided, pastoral parody of love between Silvius and Phoebe, highlighting the foolishness inherent in unrequited romantic obsession.
2.3 Celia and Oliver: This chapter investigates the practical, companionship-based marriage of Celia and Oliver, noting the potential subtext regarding Celia’s feelings for Rosalind.
2.4 Rosalind and Orlando: This chapter focuses on the only couple motivated by true love, analyzing how their "love game" serves to validate their feelings and overcome the obstacles of disguise.
2.5 A Comparison of the couples: This chapter synthesizes the findings, contrasting the different motivations for marriage across all eight characters and identifying the satirization of romantic ideals.
3. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the play's main argument: that while Shakespeare mocks love as a social illness, he ultimately presents it as a valid, though complex, component of a desirable marriage.
Keywords
Shakespeare, As You Like It, Elizabethan Era, Love-sickness, Romantic Love, Marriage, Gender Roles, Pastoral Tradition, Disguise, Rosalind, Orlando, Literary Parody, Foolishness, Companionship, Sexual Desire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the multifaceted portrayal of love and marriage in Shakespeare's "As You Like It," specifically looking at how different characters pursue these unions for varying reasons.
What are the central themes addressed?
The central themes include the Elizabethan concept of love as an illness, the disparity between true romantic affection and pragmatic or lust-driven alliances, and the use of comic satire.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze the four specific couples in the play to determine how their motivations for marriage either align with or deviate from the concept of "true love."
Which methodology does the author use?
The author performs a textual analysis of the play, examining dialogue and character interactions in relation to historical Elizabethan social norms and literary traditions.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body breaks down the relationships of Audrey and Touchstone, Phoebe and Silvius, Celia and Oliver, and Rosalind and Orlando, followed by a comparative synthesis.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include "Love-sickness," "Elizabethan Era," "Marriage," "True Love," "Pastoral Tradition," and "Comedy."
Why does the author argue that Celia and Oliver’s marriage is "practical"?
The author argues that their union lacks romantic passion and is largely driven by a desire for security and social standing, while also serving as a potential cover for Celia’s true feelings.
How does Rosalind’s disguise function as a tool in her relationship?
Her disguise as Ganymede allows her to perform a "love game" with Orlando, enabling her to test his sincerity and experience the relationship safely before fully revealing her identity.
- Citar trabajo
- Julie Dillenkofer (Autor), 2015, Love in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/305604
