As You Like It : Full Play Summary

As You Like It is a  romantic comedy play in which love is the central motive of an action that leads to a happy ending. It is a play in which romantic elements are mingled with comic elements. While the romantic elements delight, thrill, and enchant us, the comic elements make us laugh. Thus, a romantic comedy is a marvelous kind of play that appeals greatly to our emotions, our imagination, and our fancy and, at the same time, appeals to our rational faculties. The romantic element in this kind of play transports us to a new world, which is more pleasing than the actual world in which we live, and the comic elements make us laugh and forget our cares and anxieties.

Shakespeare's As You Like It is the finest kind of romantic comedy. The mingling of comic and tragic incidents in As You Like It is romantic. The ancient classical plays were purely comic or purely tragic. But Shakespeare did not hesitate to mingle sad happenings with comic situations and characters. In As You Like It, the banishment of Duke Senior, Oliver's ill-treatment of Orlando, the violent quarrel between Oliver and Orlando, Oliver's plan to have Orlando killed by Charles and to set fire to Orlando's lodging, the banishment of Rosalind—these are all sad happenings. But the like  In its total effect, it is a comedy that ends happily and provides us with much mirth and amusement.

As You Like It is a romantic comedy because it violates all the classical three unities of time, place, and action. The unity of time demands that the action of a play cover not more than 24 hours, but the play occurs over a period of at least ten days. The unity of place requires that the entire action of a play occur in the same place, but in this play, the scene shifts from the city to the forest of Arden, from the forest of Arden back to the city, and then again to the forest of Arden. The unity of action demands that a play have a single plot and not contain any subplots, but in As You Like It, there are three subplots besides the main plot. The main plot deals with the love story of Rosalind and Orlando. The subplots are (a) the love between Oliver and Celia; (b) the love between Silvius and Phebe; and (c) the love between Touchstone and Audrey.

However, the most striking romantic element in the play is the theme of youthful love. In this play, Rosalind and Orlando fall in love with each other at first sight. Then we find Orlando in the forest of Arden composing verses in praise of her beauty and virtue, and Rosalind disguised as Ganymede induces Orlando to make love to her, saying, "Come, woo me, woo me; for now I am in a holiday mood and like enough to consent." The sudden love between Celia and Oliver is a romantic affair too. Phebe's love for Ganymede also has a romantic basis.

Love at first sight is another important element of romantic comedy. In As You Like It, Orland and Rosalind fall in love with each other at first sight. Oliver and Celia also fall in love with each other at first sight, which reinforces the theme of love in the play. Phebe also falls in love with Ganymede (Rosalind) at first sight, which has a romantic basis.

The play is romantic in setting. The story of the play has mostly been set in the forest of Arden, which stimulates all the faculties of a human being. In city life, Rosalind's and Orlando's virtues arouse so much envy that both must flee to avoid being murdered. In the country, these two noble characters prosper. Virtuous Duke Senior seems to be happier in exile than he was at court.

As You Like It

Wit and Humour

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's amusing comedies. It keeps us laughing most of the time because of the abundance of wit and humor presented by Rosalind, Touchstone, and Jaques.

Rosalind, the heroine of the play, represented a natural and healthy type of humor in this play. We find her laughing over a secret joke.

Touchstone is a professional fool, and his humor is healthy and free from ill-will. In the course of the play, he mocks the verse that Rosalind has found on a tree. He parodies her references to here falling in love with Jane Smile and that he had taken his revenge upon a rival who too had visited his beloved's house at the time of the night. Further, he kissed the cow's udder because Jane Smile's hands had come into contact with the udder when she had milked the cow. Later, he enjoys some fun at the expense of Corin. When Corin says that he has never been at court, Touchstone pokes fun at him, saying, "Truly thou art damned, like an ill-reasted egg, all-one side." He goes on to make fun of Corin by saying that Corin acts as a pimp to the male sheep by supplying female sheep to them for the purpose of copulation. He enjoys much fun, even at the cost of Audrey, the woman whom he wishes to marry and whom ultimately he does marry. He says about her: "A poor virgin, sir, an ill-favoured thing.

Court life and Pastoral life

The city life is a life of burden, whereas the pastoral life is a carefree life. Duke Senior and his companions are living freely in the forest of Arden, like old Robin Hood of England. Many young gentlemen run to the Duke Senior every day, and they pass their time in a carefree manner, as they did in the golden age.

Duke Senior describes the court as "painted pomp—the envious court." But life in Arden is free from the painted pomp and flattery of the court. It is simple and natural—hard but sweet. Duke Senior, banished by his brother, goes to the forest of Arden and begins to admire it. He finds peace, freedom, and serenity in the midst of natural sights and sounds.

Rosalind character

Rosalind is one of the most unforgettable and lovable heroines in the entire range of Shakespearean drama, among all the characters in As You Like It. She is the most elaborate and vividly drawn.

Rosalind, the heroine of the play, is sympathetic by nature. When Orlando is going to enter into a wrestling contest against Charles, she thinks that Orlando will be defeated by Charles, and she feels sympathy for him and tries to dissuade him from fighting against Prevent Charles. Orlando wins the wrestling match, and she falls for him and gives him her chain as a token of her love. in love with

Rosalind is a bold girl. When Duke Frederick passes an order of banishment against her, she does not remain calm and wants to know the reason for her banishment. He, then, says that he does not trust her because she is the daughter of a man whom he regards as a traitor. Rosalind then tells him that her father is not a traitor. She boldly says that it is Duke Frederick who has usurped the dukedom of her father and banished him from his dukedom. Her father has not usurped Frederick's dukedom. She also adds that treason is not something that passes from a father to his son or daughter. So, neither Rosalind nor her father should be termed traitors. Thus, Rosalind spiritedly defends the accusation leveled by Duke Frederick against her and her father.

Thus, Rosalind is a brilliant woman. Undoubtedly, Rosalind is the heroine of the play As You Like It. She possesses brilliancy of wit, sparkling humor, strength of character, penetration of intellect, and all possible ideal virtues that make her a perfect woman and a heroine. She is prominent throughout the drama.

The conclusion of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" wraps up with multiple weddings, reconciliations, and a sense of harmony restored. Rosalind reveals her true identity as Ganymede and marries Orlando, while Phoebe ends up with Silvius, Touchstone with Audrey, and Celia with Oliver. Duke Frederick, having seen the error of his ways, restores Duke Senior to his rightful position, and the play ends with a dance celebrating love and unity. Overall, the conclusion emphasizes themes of forgiveness, love, and the importance of embracing one's true self.