1. As You Like It
An experimental comedy about love, language and the inevitable complications!

2. A Pastoral Comedy
A country setting – in this case the Forest of Ardenne
Moves sophisticated urban characters into the countryside
Focuses on love (all sorts) and the language of love

3. Plot structure
A series of conversations between characters who happen to run into each other amid the trees
The characters serve a thematic purpose
Not designed to be psychologically plausible (it doesn’t matter if a character has a deeper motivation – the purpose of the character to is portray a theme within the work)

4. Theme
Remember: Theme is the central idea the author wants the reader to glean from the story.
Theme is not necessarily a moral but does impart truth or knowledge.
The pastoral comedy is a vehicle for a satire on urban values – such as the corrupting manners of the court.

5. The Pastoral Setting: The Forest of Ardenne
Serves to contrast city life and country life (theme)
There are no clocks in the forest
The exiles have no regular work schedule
Plenty of food – communal hunt
Absence of complex hierarchy
Free from deceits of flattery and doubling dealing (life at court)

6. Country Life
Forest provides important freedom for characters to experiment with their own lives
People can talk openly with whoever they might happen to meet
Characters are free to live in the moment
This freedom makes Rosalind’s transformation possible

7. Rosalind and the Role of Women
Shakespeare’s greatest and most vibrant comic female role
Has a clear intelligent sense of love
Her job to educate the other characters (particularly Orlando) who falsify love with over sentimentality

8. Rosalind’s Point of View
Rosalind falls in love with Orlando at first sight (standard Shakespeare)
Celebrates her passion for her love
Does not play games or deny her feelings
She does not suffer from ANY sentimentality
Love activates her – drives her to take charge of her fate (which she is free to do so in the forest)

9. Orlando Orlando also falls in love with Rosalind (at first sight)
At first is overly sentimental - he writes drippy love poems and hangs them from trees
He wants to luxuriate in his feelings of love rather than focusing on the reality of the experience.

10. Example If Rosalind rejects him, Orlando believes he will die.
Rosalind refutes this:
“Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.” (Act 4, scene 1, line 92)

11. Rosalind and Orlando
Rosalind’s realistic view of love helps to focus Orlando on the experience of love, without false sentimentality (really bad poetry)
Rosalind understands that time will diminish the experience and as a result she embraces every feeling joyfully
She speaks in prose which helps to convey the difference between her view of love and the rest of the characters

12. Jaques – Prototype of Hamlet
Rosalind’s foil
A moody cynic
Speaks in poetic reflections to anyone who will sit and listen
Harmless yet disliked by Rosalind and Orlando
Speeches are seductive though extremely negative

13. “Seven Ages of Man” Act 2, scene 7
Supposed “gem” of Shakespearian wisdom
Cynical evaluation of emptiness of human life
In old age men become “… useless lumps of flesh.”
Jaques is not wise – he learns nothing from his time in the forest
Only true flat character in the play

14. The question of gender
Challenges conventional roles of men and women – especially in the matter of courtship
By disguising herself as a man, Rosalind is able to move freely about, give advice and consort with men.
Rosalind/Ganymede is clearly the most intelligent and active character in the play – but only because her disguise gives her freedom to fully express her personality

15. Touchstone The clown is a stock character in Shakespearian comedies
Constant commentator
His humor helps the audience understand what is going on
The way key characters treat him is an indicator of their sensibilities