As You Like It – Language

In this document I am going to be discussing the many different language devices shown throughout Shakespeare’s work and particularly in his famous play, As You Like It. As Shakespeare developed as a writer and a playwright he started to use devices to convey different emotions and scenarios in his scenes. We are studying As You Like It and so I will be using examples from the text to show these devices.

Here is a list of all the devices Shakespeare has used in his works; I will be taking examples from the play As You Like It.

1.   Assonance - This is when the vowel sounds of two words that do not typically rhyme, rhyme. Assonance is used in Shakespeare’s scenes to make the words come to life and flow beautifully. This would typically be given to someone of a higher status because they would be able to learn it whereas someone of a lower social status would not have the same chance. It also shows more thought is put into the sentence by the character. Someone like Audrey would not have this device in her lines but Touchstone is perfect for devices such as this. For example in Act 3 Scene 2 touchstone says this: “by the copulation of cattle; to be bawd to a bellwether and to betray a she-lamb of a twelvemonth to a crooked-pated old cuckoldly ram, out of all reasonable match...”. His use of Assonance in this instance because he wants to gain status over Corin and manipulate him.
2. Dissonance -  This is when the sounds of two words do not go together at all and make a pair that is definitely less than perfect. This causes them to stand out and showcases the awful pairing. The same scene I have mentioned before with Touchstone and Corin gives an example of this. Corin says “And would you have us kiss tar”. This is a perfect example because the word “Kiss” is such a sweet soft word and then it is clashed with the horrible almost sticky word “Tar” giving a great contrast. Shakespeare uses this device as well as Assonance in the same scene because it shows the diversity between the two characters, Touchstone is belittling Corin by using Assonance and Corin is trying to come back at him but failing miserably with Dissonance. These devices are almost like representations of the two characters and their overall status’ within the play.
3. Rhyming – Rhyming is one of the most commonly used devices in most poems and Shakespeare plays. This is when two words in a sentence sound the same, it is used in As You Like It by Shakespeare in his verse lines to emphasise certain emotions ranging from, love, to hate and everything in-between. The reason it heightens the emotions in a line is because it makes the whole line sharper and more intense, so when it is said you can feel what the actor is feeling. Rosalind has a brilliant example of this in one of her lines in Act 4 Scene 3, this is where Silvius is trying to court Phebe but she isn’t having any of it and wants Ganymede (Rosalind’s disguise) because Ganymede is acting disgusted by the way she treats men. Rosalind expresses her disgust of Phebe in this line “If she love me, I charge her to love thee”. The words, ”me” and “thee” rhyme, which sharpens the whole line showing Rosalind’s anger towards Phebe.
4. Paradox – A Paradox is a situation in which there are usually two statements and the second one will always contradict the first. This means that whatever is said becomes obsolete with the second saying. For example, turning on a light which is programmed to turn itself off when it is turned on. This is concept is used in modern day writing as well as Shakespearean writing. It is a device that can be used in many different situations to create humour or diversity within the story. It also determines the intellectual characters in the plot because they can use paradoxes to make points. For example, in Act 5 Scene 2 of As You Like It Rosalind says “I will marry you, if ever I marry a woman, and I'll be married to-morrow”. This is a paradox because Rosalind is saying to Phebe that she would marry her if she was to marry a woman but she is getting married tomorrow. She does this deliberately to show Phebe that there is no chance of them being together. This use of a paradox shows that Rosalind is a kind character but also clever.
5. Lists – Lists are typically a list of three words that hold extreme significance to the character’s story or that scene. This is a powerful device because it shows the audience exactly what the character wants to portray in three short words. It is used continuously in Shakespeare plays because it intrigues the audience without giving too much away. In the scene I have produced my character Rosalind uses a list of three which really gives an insight to the kind of person she is. This list is “Make the doors upon a woman's wit, and it will out at the casement. Shut that and 'twill out at the keyhole; Stop that, 'twill fly with the smoke out at the chimney”. This is an important line for the character because it shows how intellectual and strong she is. She is telling Orlando (as Ganymede, her disguise) how to act around her and she is saying to him that if he tries to change her and make her weak and dull that it will just make her wit stronger. This is a really empowering thing to say as women were constantly belittled in that era, especially coming from a male writer.
6. Repetition – repetition is quite a simple device that Shakespeare used. It can be found in many different plays that he wrote including As You Like It. To put it simply repetition is a word or number of words that are repeated twice or more within a block of text. Repetition can be used for a number of different purposes, for example one can be sarcasm. This means that they would repeat the words a number of times to emphasize the fact that they’re being sarcastic. Another purpose could be for description in a list. There is an example of this Act 4 Scene 1 which is my scene between Rosalind, Jaques and Orlando, Jaques repeats the word “Which” in a List to properly describe his feeling of being sad. “I have neither the scholar’s melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician’s, which is fantastical; nor the courtier’s, which is proud; nor the soldier’s, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer’s, which is politic; nor the lady’s, which is nice; nor the lover’s, which is all of these”. The use of repetition here is good because Jaques is using it to make a point that his melancholy is all his own and no one else’s so Rosalind shouldn’t try and label him.
7. Alliteration – Alliteration is one of the most common forms of devices, used in plays and books both past and present. It is taught to children of all ages and is a very important device in scripts because it allows you to play with the speech. Alliteration is when two or more words in a sentence start with the same letter. This helps the sentence flow beautifully and brings out the essence of what the character needs to put across. It is a powerful tool to have because it allows the writer to show many different things about the character, for example, their personality or social status. An example of this in As You Like It is in Act 2 Scene 1 when Duke Senior is talking about living in the woods now, not the court. “Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile, Hath not old custom made this life more sweet than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods more free from peril than the envious court?” This is the scene where Duke Senior is just starting out exile with his men of the court who were exiled with him. In this speech he explains that this could be better than life in court could have ever been anyway. The Alliteration in that snippet from the speech was “painted pomp”, this particular use of the tool is to put across the point that the men left in the court are just living a life of pure decoration and not seeing the real things. This shows a lot about Duke Senior’s character, he is not afraid of facing new difficulties and tries to see the positive about what to most people could seem like the end of the world.
8.  Antithesis – Antithesis is the device where you weigh up two possible options for the situation. Writers very often use this tool to give the scenes dimension, this means that they want to show what could be and what is giving the reader or watcher a bigger view on the scenario. Shakespeare uses this, as all of these devices, very often in his works. Especially in As You Like It, there is an example in Act 4, scene 1 where Rosalind is trying to explain to Jaques why she thinks his life sounds so lonely. “And your experience makes you sad. I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad.” By saying this she is using Antithesis as a way to convey that even though he has experience in life outside of just one town, he is still sad, and she would rather be happy in the same town for the rest of her life than to travel and gain sadness.
9. Oxymoron – An oxymoron is a complete contradiction and so whatever you have just said you completely cancel it out with the next thing you say. Some random examples are things like tall dwarf or lively corpse. In As You Like It Shakespeare likes to use this certain tool quite a lot because it shows that the character is witty and clever. For example, in Act 4, scene 1, Rosalind is trying to explain to Orlando that if he moves too quickly his Rosalind will not be happy and will stop him from kissing her. She says “Not out of your apparel, and yet out of your suit” this directly means “no you would still be dressed but she wouldn’t think much of you”. Ganymede (Rosalind’s disguise) is saying this because she wants Orlando to understand very well that he cannot get whatever he wants with Rosalind as she is witty. Using an oxymoron in this circumstance raises her status in the scene, which drops and rises as the scene goes on.

Even though these are some very popular devices shown in Shakespeare’s works he uses even more tools that are complex and used in two particular forms of writing.  The first one is Verse.

Verse is a form of writing that is used very commonly in almost all of Shakespeare’s plays. It is a formal base of writing or speech, this means that included in this are lots of rhetorical and poetical tools. Much like all of the ones that I have just described. This means that speaking in verse is usually reserved for characters with much higher statuses, maybe with better education or high social status. These are some characteristics of the device.

• ·         Rhyming, Assonance and Alliteration, all of which are described above.
• ·         Single Syllables is another one, this is good to use in verse because it’s a poignant way to make a simple point if you string a line of single syllable words together. Shakespeare uses this often because it adds emphasis to phrases that otherwise might not be as noticeable and intriguing. For example, in Jaques famous speech “All the world’s a stage” the very first line is just that, “All the world’s a stage”. It draws you in as he says it because the line of single syllables makes it quick and witty, meaning there doesn’t have to be a whole big introduction.
• ·         Another major device in verse and possibly the most important one is Iambic Pentameter. This is a line of ten syllables with a stressed and then unstressed syllable, it is commonly demonstrated by going dee DUM dee DUM whilst reading the sentence in question. This helps to make the sentence flow in a more organic way. The dee DUM strategy can also be used to see if a sentence does in fact even contain Iambic Pentameter. Iambic Pentameter is also very helpful for actors of today because it makes a good steady rhythm in the sentence, therefore helping actors to make the words sound natural.
• ·         End words are the words at the end of the sentences in verse speeches, these are important because when people would perform these speeches in Shakespeare’s time the ends of lines would be emphasized. Shakespeare wanted this because he would always create a hidden message in the end words that if put together, summarized the whole speech.
• ·         Eleven beat lines are the last important device used in verse speeches, these lines are usually some of the more important lines said by the characters. This is shown through the fact that it doesn’t follow the pattern of the Iambic pentameter so commonly used. It gives the character in question some depth and shows that they are thinking and have different thought processes through the speech and not just one smooth string of thoughts.

Prose is the second form of writing that is also used very commonly in Shakespeare’s works. This is for the characters that speak very casually with each other and are very comfortable with each other. It is just how people now would talk to each other in everyday life, this means that the relationship between the two people sharing this form of speech could be friendship or two family members. For example, this is used quite a lot between Celia and Rosalind as they are like two sisters although they are technically cousins. A good example of this from them is in Act 1 Scene 3 where Celia is trying to get Rosalind to tell her who she fancies. Celia: “But is all this for your father?” Rosalind: “No, some of it is for my child’s father. – O, how full of briars is this working–day world” Celia: “They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery. If we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them”

As You Like It - Rosalind Character Study

 

In our scene from the popular play As You Like It I play Rosalind. She is the daughter of Duke Senior and gets banished at the beginning of the play to the woods because Duke Frederick has usurped the throne from her father. She is strong willed and independent, a true heroine. It doesn’t specify how old she is in the play but I imagine her to be in her early 20s, maybe 23. Although being independent she does have a love interest in the play which is a prominent part of her story, this is Orlando. He is the man that she first comes face to face with at a wrestling match and becomes infatuated with him. I feel that even though she does have a love interest in the story and this is the basis of her journey through the play that she is still very independent and confident. She knows what she wants and does whatever she can to get it. I admire this quality in her and relate very much to it, and so I hope to show this side of her in the scene we produce. The scene we (Rufus and I) have been set is when Rosalind is dressed up as Ganymede and tells Orlando that she will train him to be the best man he can for his “Dear Rosalind”, we have decided to set this in a pub because it is a contemporary version of the scene. As it is a contemporary version I have tweaked her character ever so slightly. For example, instead of her being the Duke’s daughter I imagine she could be a politician’s daughter instead and this certain politician has been driven out of power and so she has to now try and blend in with the normal crowd with Celia.

             Rosalind has many relationships throughout the whole play but I would like to focus on the relationship in the scene I am doing. That is the relationship between Rosalind and Orlando. In this scene there is a slight change in their relationship as Rosalind is technically Ganymede. Rosalind is trying to teach Orlando how to act properly around his “fair Rosalind” and so she is trying to act as if they don’t really know  each other and she knows how he should act around her. Orlando is so smitten with Rosalind and always talks about her with such love. For example in this scene he says “I would not have my right Rosalind of this mind, for I protest her frown might kill me”. This means that if she was sad it would crush him because he only wants to see her happy. In the original staging of the play this meeting would have been in a clearing in the forest because that is where Ganymede and Orlando first meet. But because we are doing a contemporary version of this scene we have decided to set it in a pub. This creates quite a relaxed atmosphere and is appropriate because it is a popular meeting place for couples or friends. In an original staging I would have played Rosalind to be a little more uptight in the forest because it is a very uncertain place and so you never really know what is going to happen. For example, they could have been ambushed by robbers or someone could have recognised her and blown her cover. Whereas in the pub I plan to play her very relaxed at first and then agitated because she has been stood up, or so she thinks. A pub has a very relaxed atmosphere and so she would be less aware of the surroundings in this setting. I still hope to show that she is a little nervous because she is still trying to hide the fact that she is a girl. 

                In the traditional setting of this play it would be set in Elizabethan times, making it very old fashioned. This helps make sense of all the rules that they follow. For example, Rosalind and Celia think it is utmost important that Rosalind dress up as a boy so that they don’t get hurt in the forest. The view that the only way they are safe is with a man is a view that is not often perceived today. It shows the fact that their society was very male dominated and they needed a solid form of protection that would not be there if they were both women. Rufus and I have decided to set the scene in present day and so all of the costume will be very much what would be worn by two men today. For example, a hoodie, jeans, jean jacket, converse and a beanie is what I will be wearing to make myself look manlier. I think this is a particularly good choice of clothing because it sets a manly tone but still shows her femininity. 
                 The only thing Rosalind wants throughout this entire scene is for Orlando to learn how to properly act around her. She is quite an out there and confident character and as I have said I love this about her. She knows exactly what she wants and she tries to get it however she can. In the play in general I think what she really wants is for her father to be given back what is rightfully his, his land and rule. Even though she is shown as really wanting to be with Orlando and wanting to be his wife she is still so independent. She takes control of the situation because she knows that he is going the wrong way about it. She isn’t a feminist but I feel like in this modern time she would definitely have traits of a feminist woman. If she doesn’t get what she wants, such as her father’s land and title then her whole life before the forest is at stake. She will lose everything for good and although this wouldn’t be the most awful thing for her it would definitely take a toll on her relationships. What i mean by this is that if her father didn't return to the throne her relationship with him might altogether deteriorate leaving her without a family. This gives her something to lose and keeps her striving for the best.

As You Like It research

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's many well known comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest etc. Many of the comedies that Shakespeare wrote had a running theme of romance and a prominent sense of mischief in all shapes and forms. This was created in many different ways, one primal example in As You Like It is when Rosalind disguises herself as a man and then, in a way, teaches Orlando the perfect way to act around her when she becomes Rosalind again and not Ganymede. 

           Shakespeare, more often than not, usually has hidden meanings or messages in his plays. Whether they be to do with Politics or Social or even Religious conditions that were embedded within his society. This play is in a way mocking the trend at the time (1600) which was to live in the beautiful and rich countryside. At the time there was a celebration of life in the country dictating that everyone who was able to achieve aThe city was then portrayed as dirty and dingy, a place very much for people who were poor (peasants) and rich more respectable citizens of society were able to breathe the fresh air of the country. Shakespeare used the increasing popularity of pastoral comedy to create a play appealing to the many people unable to actually visit the countryside. This is why the play is called “As You Like It” because he wrote it to mock the popularity of the fad and please his audience.

              There are three other elements that run through Shakespeare’s As You Like It. One would be the element of romance, this acts as a kind of base for the play. This particular theme runs through many of Shakespeare’s plays whether it is the main point of the play or just part of the plot. In ‘As You Like It’, it serves as the central theme. Another very significant theme in this play is that of Usurpation and Injustice, this is shown when Frederick steals the role of his elder brother Duke Senior and forces him to leave the court or else. Another example is when Oliver de Boys takes the privileges from his younger brother Orlando and treats him so horribly that Orlando has to find another way to get his fortune that he is rightly owed. Both men then take refuge in the forest, where justice is eventually restored "through nature”. The last theme that Shakespeare appears to use is Forgiveness. This is used to end the play on a good note and ends with Duke Frederick restoring the Dukedom to Duke Senior who then “returns the forest to the dears”. Oliver also learns to love Orlando as his brother. I believe that Shakespeare ended on this happy note for this particular play because it was written to please the people going to see it.

            The single most prominent theme is the Pastoral Comedy theme. This is shown throughout and is the entire basis for the play.Shakespeare uses this idea to criticize the social behaviour that leads to injustice, and to make fun of “anti-social, foolish and self-destructive behaviour”. Shakespeare himself didn’t believe in such ideas and his opinions were almost always hidden in his plays, or in this case shown in his plays. He goes about it in a way that could be seen as attacking the subject and really trying to present it in the proper way to his audience. He uses things such as the contrast between the genuine love found in Rosalind for Orlando with Orlando’s “sentimentalized affections” towards Rosalind.

The design of the Globe stage is very different to any modern theatre presented today. There were different levels of sitting/standing and where you were situated depended on your social status. On the floor directly in front of the stage, was where the people with the lowest status stood. This area was called the Groundlings and was typically packed. It was loud and dirty because

in those days coming to the theatre wasn’t about the play, it was about socialising and this usually included people getting drunk and making a mess. This usually led to fights from this point in the theatre because of the rowdy nature of the crowds. It cost 1 penny to enter. The next section is the seated section located just above the standing area, this is seen to be two different levels. This was if you wanted to pay a little bit more money for the theatre but it was still mostly used for socialising rather than watching the play.

            How the Globe looked and was designed meant that the Theatre was a much different occasion to what it is like today. The theatre today is a very sophisticated occasion where everyone is quiet when the show begins. They are polite and sit in silence whilst the play carries out, then clap at the end and show respect to the actors. This was very much not the case in Elizabethan times when the globe opened. Going to the theatre was a very social occasion where the goers were rowdy and rude. They would usually talk through the whole performance with no regards to the actors at all. This is the major difference to theatre now and then. 

           In Shakespearean times the plays were much more literal in the sense that they would tell you exactly what they are doing and where they are. When they come on stage they would present the scene telling you what is going on and where they are. In As You Like It this would be an example such as the wood or court. They did this because they used little scenery. For example, instead of building trees and woodland for the scenes in the forest they used the posts in the Globe Theatre to portray the trees. In one of Orlando’s scenes he is putting love letters and poems up in the forest to convey his love for Rosalind and explains whilst he is putting them on the posts that they are in fact trees. I believe that in A Midsummer Night’s Dream he subtly addresses this particular feature in the worker’s play “Pyramus and Thisbe” and almost mocks it. The humorous character Bottom constantly explains what is going on even when his character within Pyramus and Thisbe is supposed to be dead, making the scene one of the funniest in the play.

            Shakespeare used very minimal props in his plays because they were always more about the acting and words rather than an extravagant set and design. In As You Like It the props used would have been things such as knives and weaponry for the court and some forest scenes and paper for Orlando to put on trees for Rosalind to see. Although not many props were used and the stage was usually quite bare all that were used were critical to the storyline and added a lot to the production of it. The costumes would have been traditional wear for that time period. It was also a very critical part of the production as part of the story includes the disguise for Rosalind to turn into Ganymede. The costume was more important than the scenery as it told the story and helps explain to the audience who the characters were. For example with Rosalind it was to show she had transformed into a man, also for Phoebe her costume was important as it showed her place in the social hierarchy compared to the characters that came from the court. She had more of a mismatched wardrobe showing that she did not possess a lot of money and conveyed the type of lifestyle that she led.

            In comparison to many of the most recent productions of As You Like It, these first original performances can be seen as very minimalist and bare. This being said that is not always the case, as some productions completely show and work with the original concept of performance. For example, we watched a production in which the actors used the bare stage and just brought on props to help convery the storyline. These props included very important things such as the papers that Orlando uses to write poems and lovenotes about Rosalind and also some less important objects like the rabbit that was skinned on stage. They also used makeup and costume to make the story more clear, again with examples such as Rosalind where a beard was drawn on her face to show her becoming a man.