William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is a satire that mocks love. Mock, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, means “to laugh at or make fun of (someone or something) especially by copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking”(n.pag). Shakespeare does just that themes pertaining to love. He mocks love poems, relationships, and the happily ever after ending that is so common in love stories. Poems are a typical tool used by men when they are trying to woo a woman. Orlando is victim to this tradition in As You Like It; writing love poems for his beloved Rosalind, and even taking the time to pin them to trees in the forest. “From the east to western Ind,/No jewel is like Rosalind”(3.2.76-77) is one of many lines
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When Rosalind first meets Orlando she declares to Celia “These burs are in my heart.”(1.3.14-15). Rosalind is referring to metaphorical burs stuck in her heart like her love for Orlando. Funnily enough, a few scenes later she finds poems in the forest declaring someone’s love for her. Celia knows who wrote them but Rosalind has no clue and asks her “Nay, but who is it?” (3.2.170). She is in love with Orlando, yet does not convey any comment of hope that it could be him who wrote the poems. Celia finally tells her it was Orlando (3.2.192) and Rosalind is back to saying absurdly loving things: “He comes to kill my heart”(3.2.222). At the time Rosalind discovers the poems, she is disguised a male (Ganymede). When Orlando appears out of the forest, she does not decide to stay hidden until he leaves, or make it known she is Rosalind. Instead, Rosalind takes the “crazy girlfriend” approach and sticks with her disguise to obtain information from Orlando. This seems crazy but is actually not unlike what many girls do today; sneaking onto their boyfriend’s phone to get dirt on him. As Ganymede, Rosalind gives the illusion of being over her lovesick ways and even promises to cure Orlando of his love for her if he “would but call me Rosalind, and come everyday to my cote and woo me”(3.2.377-378). If he does this, she vows to display a variety of continuously
When Rosalind first meets Orlando she declares to Celia “These burs are in my heart.”(1.3.14-15). Rosalind is referring to metaphorical burs stuck in her heart like her love for Orlando. Funnily enough, a few scenes later she finds poems in the forest declaring someone’s love for her. Celia knows who wrote them but Rosalind has no clue and asks her “Nay, but who is it?” (3.2.170). She is in love with Orlando, yet does not convey any comment of hope that it could be him who wrote the poems. Celia finally tells her it was Orlando (3.2.192) and Rosalind is back to saying absurdly loving things: “He comes to kill my heart”(3.2.222). At the time Rosalind discovers the poems, she is disguised a male (Ganymede). When Orlando appears out of the forest, she does not decide to stay hidden until he leaves, or make it known she is Rosalind. Instead, Rosalind takes the “crazy girlfriend” approach and sticks with her disguise to obtain information from Orlando. This seems crazy but is actually not unlike what many girls do today; sneaking onto their boyfriend’s phone to get dirt on him. As Ganymede, Rosalind gives the illusion of being over her lovesick ways and even promises to cure Orlando of his love for her if he “would but call me Rosalind, and come everyday to my cote and woo me”(3.2.377-378). If he does this, she vows to display a variety of continuously