As You like It by William Shakespeare Essay Example For Students

As You like It by William Shakespeare Essay As You like It was written by William Shakespeare, and published by the Penguin Group in 1963. The play is 138 pages. As You Like It is a happy, romantic Shakespearean comedy. It is a pleasurable play filled with witty language and unique characters. Its love of nature, love of falling in love, and love of families makes it easily accessible to all that read or see it. Duke Senior is one of the protagonist of the play His ducal rights are taken away from him by his younger brother, Frederick. He leads a life of exile in the Forest of Arden with some of his lords. His ducal rights are restored to him towards the end of the play when his brother has a moral conversion. Duke Frederick is one of the antagonist of the play. He is a contrast in every respect to Duke Senior. Towards the end of the play he tries to amend for his past ways. Touchstone is a fool in the Dukes court. He accompanies Rosalind and Celia to the Forest of Arden. Oliver de Boys is the eldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys and one of the antagonists of the play. He denies his brother Orlando his rightful inheritance and the education that is due to him. Wicked and villainous by nature, he wants to have Orlando killed. However, Orlando saves him from a deadly snake and a fierce lioness, which changes Olivers attitude. Orlando de Boys is a protagonist of the play. To escape his brothers plot to kill him, he goes to the forest, courts Rosalind, and weds her. Rosalind is the daughter of Duke Senior and the heroine of the play. Banished by Duke Frederick, she goes to the forest under the disguise of Ganymede. She displays wit, intelligence, and alertness. At the end of the play, she orchestrates all of the marriages, including her own to Orlando. Celia, the daughter of Duke Frederick is Rosalinds companion. She is a fine and likable lady who is overshadowed by the more commanding Rosalind. Jaques is one of the lords attending to Duke Senior . He is a critic of the society in the forest and all of life. The play moves between two worlds: the world of Duke Fredericks court and that of the Forest of Arden. The court is characterized by hatred, deception, and envy. In contrast, the Forest of Arden is characterized by freedom, beauty, and naturalness. The court supposedly represents sophisticated behavior in a civilized society. By contrast, the forest is a place of natural behavior. There, Duke Senior and his co-mates lead a life which is exempt from public haunt. The opening scene of the play is set in the orchard of Oliver. As the play opens, Orlando is complaining to Adam, his old faithful servant, about the unfair treatment meted out to him by his oldest brother, Oliver. It is quickly established that there is deep conflict between the two brothers. It is also learned, through conversation, that there is a deep and similar problem between Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. The play is a merry one. Except for occasional clouds that threaten the sky temporarily, As You Like It is full of sunshine, love, laughter, and song. The predominant mood of the play is one of cheerfulness, light-hearted gaiety, and laughter. It is a pure and fun romantic comedy. The Forest of Arden especially contributes to this mood because of the freedom and happiness it possessed. In Act 1 Orlando tells Adam about his grievances with his elder brother, Oliver, who is cheating him out of his share of his fathers money. Oliver enters, Adam hides, and Orlando confronts him about the treatment he has received since their father died. They begin fighting and Adam comes forward to break up the squabble. Adam and Orlando leave, and Oliver summons Charles, the Dukes wrestler. They talk about the new Duke, who is the younger brother of the old one, who was sent into exile. His daughter Rosalind, however, is staying with the new Duke and his daughter. He then speaks to Charles about Orlando wrestling him tomorrow, and wants the boy to be harmed. In scene 2 of Act 1Celia and her cousin Rosalind enter and Celia asks Rosalind why she is not happy. Rosalind answers it is because of her fathers banishment into the Forest of Arden. Touchstone, enters and tells the girls about the wrestling match that is about to take place. He describes the gruesome nature of the wrestling to them, but the women decide to attend anyway. Monsieur Le Beau enters as well and takes them to the match. When they arrive, Le Beau asks them to speak with Orlando to try to talk him out of wrestling. They do, but he decides to do it anyway. The match begins and Orlando wins which earns him praise from Duke Frederick. The Duke asks him who his father is and when he replies Rowland De Boys, the Duke takes away his praise. De Boys, when alive, was a supporter of the exiled Duke Senior. Orlando, however, is proud of who he is and expresses this to the young women. Rosalind gives him a chain to wear around his neck. The women leave and Le Beau enters giving praise but warns Orlando that he should leave. Orlando consents but asks which of the women is the Dukes daughter. Orlando leaves and is happy that he has fallen in love with Rosalind. In the third scene Celia asks Rosalind what is on her mind, but at first Rosalind will not tell her. She then recants and admits she is in love with Orlando. Celia is happy for her, and they are discussing it when Duke Frederick answers and tells Rosalind she is banished. The only reason he gives is that she is her fathers daughter and therefore a traitor. Celia argues with him, entreating him to let Rosalind stay because they are extremely close, but he tells her that Rosalind is taking away praise from her. Celia does not care, and when the Duke leaves, she decides that they should go together to the Forest of Arden to live with the banished ex-duke. Celia says that she cannot live without Rosalind, so Rosalind agrees. They decide to dress up as a country brother and sister to make their travel safer. Act 2 begins with the banished Duke Senior and his comrades are sitting in the forest of Arden discussing how much they love their life there. They then hold a conversation about a man at court, Jaques. In the second scene Duke Frederick finds that Celia, Rosalind, and Touchstone are missing. One of Celias attendants tells him that she overheard the girls talking about Orlando, and that he is probably with them wherever they are. The Duke sends men to Orlandos house to find him and bring him back. 'Who do you hold responsible form Mecutio's death in Act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet and why? EssayOrlando, although his brother wants to kill him, decided he could not leave him there to die and begins to wrestle with the lion. He beats the mountain lion but is wounded on the arm. Oliver awakens, and seeing what his brother has done, he could never hurt him or think badly of him again. Orlando sent a bloody rag to give to Rosalind because he felt so bad about missing their meeting. Rosalind faints at the sight of it, and they decide to carry her back to the cottage. Oliver questions her behavior, since she is supposed to be a boy, but he goes with them to carry her. Act 5 when Touchstone and Audrey are together in the forest and Audrey is complaining about them not getting married. Another man named William who wants to marry her enters and he and Touchstone engage in a battle of wits. Touchstone overpowers the man, and he leaves. Corin enters telling the two that Aliena and Ganymede want to see them and they all go. In scene 2, Oliver and Aliena fall in love and plan to be married the following day. Orlando comes to Rosalind as Ganymede for help because he feels it is unfair that his brother should have is love and he cannot. Ganymede tells him that she is a magician and can produce the real Rosalind at the wedding for him to marry if he wants it. He is elated when Silvius and Phoebe enter. Phoebe is mad that Rosalind showed Silvius the letter that she wrote. The four make comments on what love is, and Rosalind comes up with a solution. She tells them all to come to the church tomorrow. Orlando will marry Rosalind (herself) and she, if she marries a woman, will marry Phoebe. Knowing this will not happen she has Phoebe promise to marry Silvius in her place if Phoebe in the end refuses to marry her. Phoebe promises, and Rosalind tells Silvius to come as well because she knows Phoebe will not be marrying her. They all leave to prepare for the next day. In the third scene, Touchstone and Audrey, who are preparing for their wedding the next day, listen as two pages sing a song about love. In Scene 4, Duke Senior and Orlando talk about how Ganymede is producing Rosalind for the wedding. Rosalind then enters as Ganymede and reminds the lovers of the promises they made. She also asks the Duke if his daughter comes if he will let her marry Orlando. He agrees. Ganymede leaves and Touchstone enters with Audrey. Touchstone talks to the Duke and the Duke surmises that he is a man who uses his job as a fool to cover up his strong wit. Rosalind, Celia, and Hymen, the God of Marriage, enter and everyone realizes who they really are. Hymen makes each couple swear to each other, and as they are doing so the Oliver and Orlandos other brother Jaques De Boys interrupts. He tells them that Duke Frederick, knowing that great men kept leaving court and going to the forest, decided that he should come battle Duke Senior. On his way he met a religious man, however, who talked him out of his plan and told him to give up his crown as Duke. Duke Senior is then again the real Duke. As his first act of power, the Duke restores Olivers land to him and his niece, Celia, and makes Orlando his heir. The other Jaques decides he will go to Duke Frederick and they cannot talk him out of it. Everyone except Rosalind exits. Finally in the Epilogue: Rosalind enters as the boy actor who played her, and encourages the men and women in the audience to fall in love. Two of the leading figures undergo major changes. Oliver and Duke Ferdinand make amends for their evil treatment of their brothers. The major theme of the play is the importance of true love. Romantic love characterized by true and deep emotions, is represented by Orlando, and Rosalind. Touchstones love for Audrey is largely based on lest and Silvias love for Phoebe is artificial. By developing varied types of love, Shakespeare clearly points out the beauty of true love. An example from the play is when Oliver comes to the forest of Arden, he falls in love with Celia at first glance; it is a shallow love in comparison to that of Orlandos love for Rosalind because true love is not only based on the physical appearance, but also on what the two people feel inside for each other. There are not any instances when Shakespeare is poking fun at the audience. I was satisfied with the way the play ended because the brothers conflicts were resolved and true love prevailed between Orlando and Rosalind. The moral implications that can be applied to present-day living conditions involves the conflict between the two brothers in the play. I always been told blood is thicker than water. So no matter what a brother or sister might do to you, you should be able to forgive them because at the end of any given day when push come to shove family is supposed to stick together. Four famous quotes are: I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is earer to his reverence. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. Yet your mistrust can not make me a traitor. All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players. Olivers soliloquy from act l scene1: Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet hes gentle, never schooled and yet learned, full of noble device, of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and indeed so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprized. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall be clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now Ill go about.