The Aspects of Love in As You Like It by Thomas Lodge - Essay Example

Shakespeare took the plot for ‘As You Like It’ from Thomas Lodge’s ‘Rosalynde’ pastoral where romantic shepherd’s love between Rosalynde and Rosader (Shakespeare’ Orlando) is celebrated. Unlike Lodge Shakespeare decided to make more natural picture of the love while keeping romantic emotions throughout the whole play. (Grist for the Mill, 2006). Greater Shakespeare developed the love theme by introducing three other love couples: Silvius and Phebe, Touchstone and Audrey, Olivier (Orlando’s older brother) and Celia. Besides, Shakespeare introduces the real male-to-male love based devotion, friendship and men’s selflessness (Adam and Orlando, Orlando and Olivier). This paper will analyze the different kinds of love given in the play and attempts to answer the question which one would be defined as true love. The first couple appeared on the scene is Rosalind and Orlando. They fall in love according to Shakespearean time traditions: Rosalind saw Orlando as a hero going to wrestling with Charles. Like in an old tale lady she is encouraging her knight to win the tournament with kind words and giving him the chain from her neck: ‘The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.’ (Act I, scene II). Impressed by Orlando’s victory Rosalind despite her luminousness and wisdom cannot help disclosing her feelings to Orlando: Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies Orlando falls in love with the young lady (Act I, scene II). Orlando’s love form the first sight is also described ideally: What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg’d conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! (Act I, scene II) Later, in the forest scene Shakespeare deviates from ideal lady-knight line when Rosalind decides to stay in the male Ganymede’s guise after meeting Orlando. Her decision might be based on Orlando’s too romantic and, therefore, very ironic attempts to express his love to Rosalind: she is very unpleased by his versus which he writes and hangs on all trees in the forest: ‘O Rosalind! these trees shall be my books.’ (Act III, scene II) The versus look so follies that a witty clown Touchstone mocks at and paraphrase them: ‘Sweetest nut hath sourest rind, Such a nut is Rosalind.’ (Act III, scene II). Here Rosalind intrigue comes to prove that ‘As You Like It’ is a comedy. Shakespeare’s genius makes Ganymede (Rosalind) a teacher for Orlando who must learn a really human, natural relationships based on romantic but at the same time intelligent attitudes. Unlike Orlando his male-guised female teacher understands that romantic and mockery versus cannot establish long-term family relationships which keep dignity and sincerity. (E-Ching, 1995) However, her true love to Orlando drops out her rational plans at times; she cannot help questioning Celia about him: What did he when thou sawest him? What said he? How looked he? Wherein went he? What makes he here? Did he ask for me? (Act III, scene II) Orlando accepts Rosalind’s (Ganymede’s) play and agreeably execute all lessons: after the second delay for meeting he excuses be sending Olivier with bloody napkin left after the fight with a lion. Successful lessons give Orlando the knowledge necessary for well-deserved relationships in marriage and keep his romantics at the same time. Another couple of Shakespearean ‘pastoral’ is Silvius and Phebe. Silvius’ feelings to Phebe are ideal and naïve. When Phebe asks him what love is he says: It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance; All humbleness, all patience, and impatience; All purity, all trial, all obeisance; And so am I for Phebe. (Act V, scene II) Like with Rosalind-Orlando couple Shakespeare deviates from pastoral and makes Phebe not accept Silvius’ love. Phebe is a kind of woman who scorns men admiring her and admire men scorning her. She falls in love with disguised Rosalind – Ganymede, because Ganymede scorns her: ‘You are a thousand times a properer man Than she a woman’ (Rosalind to Silvius, Act III, scene V). Ironically Ganymede being a disguised female can see the Phebe’s ‘art’ (nature) better than Silvius with his ‘blind’ love. Here another intrigue of Rosalind comes: disguised Ganymede takes a Phebe’s promise to marry Silvius if she denies marriage with Ganymede. Of course, Phebe is willing to marry Ganymede but has to deny this marriage in the end when sees that Ganymede is a female Rosalind! Rosalind’s art helps to link Silvius and Phebe but it is hard to believe their marriage will be happy. The most unbelievable love appears between Celia and Olivier. Here Shakespeare again reminds that his play is a comedy: a misanthrope with the only love of money and a well-determined, powerful and mocking woman fall in love from the first sight: ‘Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say with her, that she loves me; consent with both, that we may enjoy each other…’ (Act V, scene II) Some critics cannot determine the nature of this love and, therefore, say that this unbelievable and immediate love is used by Shakespeare to hold to comedy and marry everyone in the end. (E-Ching, 1995). The significance of the magnificent power of love is Olivier transcendent from villain to an excellent example of virtue. Earlier he wanted to kill his brother because of his inheritance and Orlando has to escape to the forest. Olivier’s ‘art’ is stricken from both sides: true, human love of his brother who saves Olivier’s life and sudden, luminous love of Celia. According to Shakespeare so much love can metamorphose villain into avatar. As for Celia the question raises What forces her fall in love with Olivier? This question remains open but one can suggest she is attracted by the man who has been just rescued from death. Another would suppose although her teasing Rosalind’s love she is also a woman seeking love. Moreover, Olivier is Rosalind’s lover brother and, therefore, his nature is also able to love like Orlando: Celia: Are you his brother? […] Was’t you that did so oft contrive to kill him? Olivier: Twas I; but ’tis not I. I do not shame To tell you what I was, since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. (Act IV, scene III) The forth couple married in the end is Touchstone and Audrey. They are representatives of the lower social classes although Touchstone as a Duke Frederick clown has learnt much about intelligent and rhetorical language and he is quite witty by nature. Like all humans Touchstone is in need of someone loving him but virtue is not his advantage. He is attracted by Audrey because he desires her: ‘The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open.’ (Act V, scene I) He decided to marry Audrey because she asks him to have her honestly: Audrey: Would you not have me honest? Touchstone: No, truly, unless thou wert hard-favour’d; for honesty coupled to beauty is to have honey a sauce to sugar. (Act III, scene III) According to Touchstone real love is physical desire in real life and one must be honest to claim his true emotions and feelings to establish happy relationships. Shakespeare gives Touchstone a significant monologue about lie where he determines seven degrees of lie. Each of seven degrees is based on ‘if’ term to satisfy one’s partner and make good relationships. So if Audrey wants marriage to satisfy Touchstone’s desires he agrees to lie with this ‘if’ because ‘Your ‘if’ is the only peace-maker; much virtue in ‘if.’ (Act V, scene IV) Here Shakespeare reflects philosophical concepts of human nature to interpret Touchstone feelings to Audrey. Some critics say that Audrey falls in love with Touchstone because in-forest-born Audrey is attracted with his bright and rhetoric manner of speaking. But it would be more natural for Audrey to be attracted by the Touchstone’s male desires. She is like doe which is attracted by deer’s summons on heat and is rushing on his voice – true, natural and powerful: ‘[…] A man may, if he were of a fearful heart, stagger in this attempt; for here we have no temple but the wood, no assembly but horn-beasts.’ (Act III, scene III) Except the four coupled successfully married in the end there is another kind of love introduced by Shakespeare in ‘As You Like It’. This kind of love creates a real friendship between men and women: Celia loves Rosalind as her sister: Celia: for the duke’s daughter, her cousin, so loves her,—being ever from their cradles bred together,—that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. (Act I, Scene I) Celia proves her devotion by leaving her home together with Rosalind and sharing all her wealth: in the forest she meets a shepherd and buys his pasture, house and flock. What forces Celia to love Rosalind so much? They has grown up together: […]we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn’d, play’d, eat together; (Act I, scene III) So Celia has had enough time to learn and value Rosalind’s merits and make her the closest friend. Celia’s love to Rosalind is full of dignity but it is not a ‘blind love’ for nothing: if Rosalind were not so witty, educated, fair and vivid Celia would hardly love her. In the very beginning Celia reminds that her father Duke Frederick leaves Rosalind at court to ‘entertain’ Celia. Although later Celia really loved Rosalind she is still in need of what forces her to love: Celia: I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. Rosalind: Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. (Act I, scene II) Celia’s love to Rosalind is conditioned by advantages and values that Rosalind has. Such relationships can be named beneficial rather than true loving. However, according to Shakespeare such relations can be developed into true love – devoted friendship and reliable hand. Another kind of devoted love is introduced in Adam’s tender feelings to his master, Orlando. This kind of love is quite different from Celia’s one because Adam is devoted to Orlando due to his good memories about Orlando’s father. Unlike Celia Adam has not had any benefits from his love and sees Orlando’s merits as his disadvantages rather than advantages because they make Orlando suffer: Why are you virtuous? Why do people love you? And wherefore are you gentle, strong, and valiant? (Act II, scene III) Like Celia for Rosalind Adam is leaving Olivier’s court and goes to the forest together with Orlando. Like Celia for Rosalind Adam shares all his money. But Adam’s love is a ‘blind’ father’s love to his son and, therefore, unlike Celia and Rosalind, Adam and Orlando are not equal in their relationships. Much love in play is introduced by Shakespeare in various kinds: romantic and rational, truly emotional, unbelievable, natural, strong and tender, equal and unequal, unrequited and requited, beneficial and disinterested. Shakespeare eases love emotions tension by presenting ‘As You Like It’ as a comedy full of irony, mockery and disguise. The Shakespeare’s ease to delightfully accept all kinds of love is a really genius idea. In the end he proves that all love is to exist because its variations (based on different purposes, circumstances, social classes, interests etc.) have the only one and simple sense: Phebe: Good shepherd, tell this youth what ’tis to love. Silvius: It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance; All humbleness, all patience, and impatience; All purity, all trial, all obeisance; And so am I for Phebe. Phebe: And so am I for Ganymede. Orlando: And so am I for Rosalind. Rosalind: And so am I for no woman. Phebe to Rosalind: If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Silvius to Phebe: If this be so, why blame you me to love you? (Act V, scene II) Works cited: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. London: Oxford University Press. 1914 E-Ching, Ng. “As You Like It – Variations of Romantic Love.” E-Ching Home Page. 24 September 1995. Singnet.com. 23 April, 2006 http://web.singnet.com.sg/~yisheng/notes/ayli/varilove.htm “Instruction Versus Deception: from Rosalynde to As You Like It. 2006.” Grist for the Mill collection. 2006. PrismNet. 23 April, 2006 http://www.io.com/~jlockett/Grist/English/ayli-sources.html Read More