"As you like it" A play written by the renowned William Shakespeare is presented as a comedy of errors. And that description fits the play.
As you like it maintains a humorous and often sarcastic tone for majority of the play, courtesy of one of the play's character Jacques, the court jester hence falls under the genre pastoral comedy.
But As you like it is far beyond that just another comedic play but is far more complex and interesting that that which is why I would consider it as my personal favourite after I discovered it 4 years ago.
The play was inspired by one of Thomas Lodge's works called Rosalinde, and as a way of paying homage Shakespeare even named one of the primary female character as Rosalind. Just like other Shakespeare works As you like it has themes of romance but refreshingly this play is more than just romantic love and instead the romance is seen as just a side plot which was one of the main features which attracted me towards the play and instead of the usual tragedy or disaster surrounding romance the play ends with 4 marriages.
One of the standout features in the play is the characters of the play. Each distinct and unique in their own way. Shakespeare showed the journey of several characters such as a king who was shunned by society and betrayed by his own brother (Duke Senior), An arrogant and rich king who ends up going through a transformation process and changes for the better (Duke Frederick), Two squabbling brothers and their eventual journey to reconciliation (Orlando and Oliver), The unbreakable bond between two cousin sisters which remains intact even during times of conflict and the comedic yet cynical court jester Touchstone.
My personal favourite character would be Rosalind as she is far more than just her relationship with Orlando, she is a complex and well developed character who shows her vulnerable side while also remaining strong. During times of conflict she takes charge instead of depending on anyone else to be her hero. Rosalind is a particular favourite among other feminist critics, who admire her ability to subvert the limitations that society imposes on her as a woman. With boldness and imagination, she disguises herself as a young man for the majority of the play, which is a very innovative and interesting way to sketch out her character further in order to escape her situation while also wooing the man she loves, differing from the norm of the man wooing the woman and instructs him how to be a more accomplished, attentive lover—a tutorship that would not be welcome from a woman especially during those times.
As you like it would not be the way it is if not for the character of Touchstone the clown. He does his job, to entertain, while also painting a realistic and often cynical picture of the people around him by criticising and pointing out the errors in the other character's ways. Touchstone's infamous monologue of All the world's a stage remains my favourite monologue of all time due to the interesting and complex symbolism within it.
To end off my blog I would highly recommend this play to not only lovers of Shakespeare's works but also to those who want to start reading classics or Shakespeare but are intimidated as despite it's actual age the play gives off a modernistic vibe which makes it timeless.
Image obtained via Amazon Website
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