Discuss the treatment of love in As You Like It, illustrating your argument with detailed reference to the text

Module Title: Shakespeare Module Number: E103/2 Module Tutor: Linda Ruhemann Assignment Title: As You Like It Discuss the treatment of love in As You Like It, illustrating your argument with detailed reference to the text In the romantic comedy As You Like It, Shakespeare explores many aspects of love from lustful, bawdy love to non-sexual same sex love. In this play Shakespeare has given a tradition romantic story with a 'happy-ever-after' ending for all the main characters, which was common to this era in romantic plays. Love in this play is treated as a multi-faceted emotion that does not express life in black and white. Shakespeare allows the emotion of love to be illustrated as the all-encompassing emotion it is known to be, including all the emotions that are expressed because of love. One of the first realisations of love witnessed in As You Like It is between Rosalind and Celia. When Duke Frederick banishes his niece, Rosalind from the Court, his daughter Celia is determined to also follow: CELIA: ...... Rosalind lacks then the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. The love between Rosalind and Celia is a close devotional love that is non-physical. Celia sees herself and Rosalind as one when Rosalind is banished and therefore believes herself banished also. Her love for Rosalind is deeper than her love for her father whom she willingly

  • Word count: 1554
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The concept of love at first sight in Shakespeare's comedies.

Shakespeare uses the idea of love at first sight to make his comedies, particularly Midsummer's Night Dream, As You Like It and Twelfth Night, lighter and more comical. The dramatic suddenness of love in these plays point to a great deal of irrationality, loss of control and the idea of love sickness. Several of the characters in these plays fall in love so quickly that it can be difficult for the audience to take their feelings seriously. Instantaneous love works well within the context of this type of play since they are not serious love stories, but instead similar to a light farce on romantic confusion. Falling in love at first sight can in many ways be seen as irrational, which is why Shakespeare uses it to point out the absurdity of his characters. Take for instance the play Midsummer's Night Dream. Titania, a beautiful fairy queen, falls madly in love with Bottom, who is a mortal with an ass's head: 'And thy fair virtue's force doth move me / On the first view to say, to swear I love thee' ( MND,III.I). Often love does not make sense and in this case, it would be difficult to understand how Titania could fall in love with Bottom, but Shakespeare is trying to stress the very foolishness of love altogether. Another Shakespearean comedy that is full of irrational characters falling in love instantly is As You Like It. Orlando and Oliver are particular foolish

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Final Messiah.

Final Messiah (The scene opens with a narrow spotlight (may be coloured) on FM. Music is playing in the background (The Doors playing "The End" or "Riders on the storm". The scene is synced with the music. FM makes slow dance like movements with his dialogue whiich is played ding the instrumental interludes of the song. FM is dressed in an unusual manner bare chested, wearing army-style camouflage pants, maybe a mask. His voice is heavy and drawling-somewhat like Jim Morrison. The whole stage is dark except for the spotlight. The entire sequence has a dreamy moody feel.) FM: I am.... The one. I am the saviour. The liberator. It was said that in mankind's hour of darkness He shall arise and lead you forth to the light. I have arrived. The Prince of the Light. Reach out. Hold my hand. I shall guide you to the new dawn. I shall cleanse this mortal sphere of its evils. The dark orders of the old world shall wither away and I will build the New Dawn. Join me...and you shall be saved. Stand in my path and face my vengeance. For I am.....The Final Messiah. (music continues. Suddenly the doorbell rings. The music stops immediately cutting out of tune. The lights suddenly come back to normal and we see the stage. FM takes off his mask and puts on spectacles, a T-shirt. He looks like a different person- somewhat geeky, cowardly, worrying young man who looks older than his years. His

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Review and history of Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'.

It is unknown when Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It' was first written but it is thought to have first been performed in the Globe theatre in 1599 and first published in 1623 in the First Folio. When writing 'As you like it', it was probable that Shakespeare created the character of Rosalind with the popular prose 'Rosalynde' by Thomas Lodge firmly in mind. However, whilst writing 'As you like it', Shakespeare was also heavily influenced by the pastoral and romantic traditions popular in plays and literature of the period. Pastoral traditions typically depicted the countryside as an idyllic, natural, rural paradise, which brought out the good nature of all. The country was viewed as being wholly better than the unjust, unnatural, corrupt court, where evil-doers resided. The country, as represented in the pastoral romance tradition, was a "golden world" and a place of escape, populated by shepherds, shepherdesses and exiled high-ranking nobles disguised as simple country folk. Similarly, the romance tradition prevalent in many of Shakespeare's plays (including 'As you like it') presents love as an idealised, sexless act, which often involves a couple falling in love at first sight and eventually marrying, after overcoming many trials and tribulations. Subsequently, these two much loved traditions merged together to form the pastoral romance tradition, which is predominate

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Case Study: Tourism Orlando, FloridaUnited States of America

Case Study: Tourism Orlando, Florida United States of America Introduction: The city of Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 185,951. A 2004 U.S. Census Estimates population count gave the city had a total population of 205,648. The city's population may reach 220,000 in 2006. It is the sixth-largest city in Florida, and its largest inland city. It is also at the head of the state's third-largest metropolitan area, behind Miami: Fort Lauderdale, West: Palm Beach and Tampa: St. Petersburg. Additionally, Orlando is home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida. The city is best known for the tourist attractions in the area, particularly the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is in the Reedy Creek Improvement District . Other area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. Despite being far from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando has recently seen much redevelopment, with many more projects currently under construction or planned. One of the oldest attractions in this area is Gatorland. Orlando sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando is the 2nd largest city in the country for number of hotel rooms. The city's nickname is "The City Beautiful", though plans are underway to change this title through a local contest. Its

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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A love story -composed as a play.

A love story Characters: There are 7 people in the play, which are 3men and 4 women. Zhao Ming (male Zhang Li (female Li Wen (female Liu Jiang (male Chen Shan (female Liang Dong (male Zhao Ming's Mum( female SceneIIn the University Character description: Zhao ming: his appearance is just so so, however his study is very good, he like reading, traveling. He is open mind boy Zhang Li: she is not very pretty girl but is charming. Also she studies well. Li wen: she is a pretty girl, who has strong vanity. And selfish Liujiang : a hand some boy but do not like study. He lives in a rich family, like gambling and play pool in his free time Chen shan: pretty girl with a long hair, she is a kind person. Liang dong: his family is rich, so he spend money without limted Act 1 The first year in university All the characters are studying in one university except Zhao Ming's mum, although they study in one university, they don't know each other at first year. (in a small classroom, Zhang li and Chen shan sit together, there are talking something. Liu jiang sit beside them alone. Zhao ming come into the classroom and try to find a place to sit. He stair at that two girls for a quite lone time. Then he sit with Liu jiang, his new friend) Zhao ming: hi good morning Liu jiang, have you benn here for a long time? Liu jiang: No, just a few minutes. Class

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Is the Forest of Arden a Place of Liberation?

Is the Forest of Arden a Place of Liberation? This essay attempts to explore the possibilities of the Forest of Arden as a place of liberation in Shakespeare's 'As You Like It'. I will be researching the historical and classical side of the play and considering the possible reasons for Shakespeare's use of the original setting with little change or adaptation. The original idea for 'As You Like It' was taken from Thomas Lodge's 'Rosalynde' published in 1590. The location of the story in a forest is Lodge's idea but Shakespeare named his forest Arden possibly after the Forest of Arden in Warwickshire or as some critics believe Ardennes in Belgium. At the time there was a movement in England to consider rural life as glorious and free. This reflects the classical use of the countryside as a 'sunlit, idealized existence of love and song' (Drabble and Stringer, 1987) known as pastoral. Originally a Roman classical form, pastoral became fashionable during the Renaissance in Italy through Petrarch and others who composed Latin eclogues to their lovers featuring rustic figures, shepherds, shepherdesses, music, song and sheep. Shakespeare uses this convention in other plays such as 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' to emphasise the contrast between different worlds. Apart from it being a fashionable form, the pastoral was a subtle way to make careful political comment about the

  • Word count: 1663
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Outline how Shakespeare uses the structure and conventions of pastoral in 'As You Like It' and highlight one or more possible interpretive emphases which you think arise from this.

* Outline how Shakespeare uses the structure and conventions of pastoral in 'As You Like It' and highlight one or more possible interpretive emphases which you think arise from this. You should support your reading of the play through close reference to the text, and the inclusion of appropriate background reading. 'As You Like It' finds its origins in the pastoral tradition of the renaissance in which the rustic field and forest provides a sanctuary from urban or courtly issues. The play itself takes place in a forest where the characters are hiding from treachery at court or injustice in the family. This pastoral tradition began with theocrites in ancient Greece, whose writings explored the sorrows of love and daily injustices in a rural setting. Virgil expanded the tradition, emphasising the distinction between urban and rural lifestyles even more. The Pastoral traditions, in spite of taking many literary forms, conformed to a traditional set of rules. A typical story would involve exiles from the court or city going into the countryside and living there either with or as shepherds. While in the rural area, they would hold singing contests and philosophically discuss the various merits of both forms of life. Eventually the exiles would return to the city having resolved their particular problems. The pastoral works within Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' have most

  • Word count: 3448
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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