Shakespeare's Rosalind

The main themes of "As You Like It" are the pastoral ideal and the ideal of romantic love. Forest of Aden is the primary setting where these themes develop. Nature serves as a refuge from society where we can find solutions to injustice and unhappiness. This play is a comedy and thus has a happy ending but it is not a fairy tail. Shakespeare highlights the difference between reality and illusion. Rosalind embodies the sensibility, the humor and the kind of love that leads to a happy, harmonious living. She brings the plot to a resolution when four contrasting romances end in marriage. The focus of the play is her romance with Orlando.


Rosalind wants to find a lover without losing her sense of self in the process. Rosalind answers the questions about love, which arise during the play. She is a lovesick maiden and yet she remains an intelligent, witty, and strong character. Rosalind is also a good judge of character. She sees through Jaque's seemingly deep thoughts and recognizes the wisdom of clown Touchstone. Furthermore, she cleverly uses her disguise to get to know Orlando and educate him about love.


The meeting of Orlando and Rosalind is the most important event in Act 1 of the play; it is love at first sight. Celia and her cousin talk about falling in love just before the wrestling match.


From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports.


Let me see, what think you of falling in love?




Her words indicate that Rosalind is ready to face the danger of falling in love. She infers that her father would approve of Orlando because her father approved of his father Sir Rowland. Their meeting reveals a vulnerable side of the Rosalind as she gives him a chain, says, "Gentleman, wear this for me" and waits for him to continue the conversation.


In Act Shakespeare draws parallels between Rosalind's relationship with Celia and Orlando's relationship with Adam. When Duke Fredrick banishes his niece from the court, Celia makes...