Love in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It"

Term Paper , 2015 , 17 Pages , Grade: 1,7

Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works

William Shakespeare’s "As You Like It" portrays love and marriage in a comical, amusing manner. The play represents passionate love on the one hand, as well as disguised, blind and even manipulated love on the other hand.
Love as a state of being is omnipresent throughout As You Like It. As the play’s major theme, love is illustrated essentially by eight characters who all marry at the end of the play. However, As You Like It cannot be interpreted as a typical love story. In fact, only one twosome, namely Rosalind and Orlando, illustrates a relationship of true love which ends in a happy, mutually agreeable marriage. By falling in love at first sight, they symbolize the typical Shakespearean romantic lovers whose love overcomes any obstacles. The other couples in the play, however, seem to pursue rather different goals. Audrey and Touchstone simply wish to act on their sexual desire, which they cleverly hide behind marriage in order to prevent any “Vorwurf der Unzucht” – a serious matter in Elizabethan times. Phoebe and Silvius are both in love, though not reciprocally. Silvius does love Phoebe; she, however, falls in love with Ganymede and is merely tricked into committing herself to Silvius. Celia and Oliver are simply following the lead of Rosalind and Orlando, but seem to strive for companionship rather than passion or true love.
Shakespeare illustrates four different kinds of love in As You Like It in a humorous way. He demonstrates that love and marriage do not necessarily have to go hand in hand and adds comical aspects of love by turning some characters into fools. In this way, Shakespeare builds on the Elizabethan assumptions about love as a sickness, but still validates it as a valuable aspect of a happy marriage.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Love in William Shakespeare's As You Like It
  • Audrey and Touchstone
  • Phoebe and Silvius
  • Celia and Oliver
  • Rosalind and Orlando
  • A Comparison of the couples
• Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper examines the depiction of love in Shakespeare's As You Like It, analyzing how love is presented both in its Elizabethan context and within the play's narrative. The main objective is to understand the different types of love illustrated by the four couples in the play, contrasting their motivations for marriage and the various aspects of love they portray.

• The Elizabethan understanding of love as a sickness and its portrayal in As You Like It.
• The diverse motivations for marriage in the play, including true love, companionship, security, and sexual desire.
• The contrast between idealized romantic love and less traditional, potentially problematic, forms of love and marriage.
• The humorous representation of love and its impact on the characters and their actions.
• The role of societal norms and expectations in shaping characters' perspectives on love and marriage.

Chapter Summaries

• Introduction: The introduction provides an overview of the theme of love in Shakespeare's As You Like It, highlighting its portrayal as both passionate and deceptive. It introduces the play's eight main characters who marry at the end, but emphasizes that only Rosalind and Orlando represent a true love story. The other couples, such as Audrey and Touchstone, exhibit different motivations for marriage, including sexual desire and companionship.
• 2.1 Audrey and Touchstone: This section focuses on Audrey and Touchstone, a couple whose relationship is clearly not driven by true love. Their motives are primarily based on sexual desire, as they avoid accusations of immorality by marrying despite having no genuine affection for each other. Their marriage reflects the prevailing Elizabethan norms regarding premarital sex, which they aim to avoid through a quick and impulsive union.

Keywords

This paper explores the theme of love in William Shakespeare's As You Like It, focusing on the Elizabethan understanding of love as a sickness, the various motivations for marriage, and the comedic representation of love in the play. Key topics include the contrasting ideals of romantic love and the societal pressures surrounding marriage. The paper will examine the different types of love portrayed by the four couples, including true love, companionship, security, and sexual desire.

• College: University of Heidelberg (Anglistisches Seminar)
• Course: Literature & Film – Adapting Shakespeare for the Screen
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Julie Dillenkofer (Author)
• Publication Year: 2015
• Pages: 17
• Catalog Number: V305604
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668034846
• ISBN (Book): 9783668034853
• Language: English
• Tags: love, william, shakespeare, like