Marriage And Marriage In Shakespeare's As You Like It

Decent Essays
Shakespeare 's play As You Like It serves to challenge conventional views of comedies, plays that most audiences would expect to end in a complete and happy resolution. This play dispels such notions through the myriad negative viewpoints it presents about marriage. For instance, the play 's characters continually discuss and laugh about the inevitability of being cuckolded. Furthermore, the homoerotic overtones that pervade the play may indicate that not all of the characters may find themselves content in a conventional heterosexual marriage. I affirm that the continual jesting about marriage throughout As You Like It demonstrates that the play 's four marriages are bound to end in unhappiness. Traditionally, comedies and tragedies follow …show more content…
First of all, a disconcerting idea is the speed at which these marriages occurred. This is seen in at least three of the play 's four marriages, including those of Rosalind and Orlando; Celia and Oliver; and Audrey and Touchstone. The latter is most noteworthy. This couple is in such a rush to be married that they plan to hire a country priest to officiate their wedding, only to be dissuaded by Jaques. Later, Audrey states that "the priest was good enough" (5.1.3), indicating a desire to be legally and recognizably wed potentially to consummate their relationship, since sexual relations would only be legal through the context of marriage in Shakespeare 's England. This idea is best enforced by Touchstone 's statement, "Sluttishness may come hereafter" (3.3.40), indicating that women can only behave promiscuously in marriage. Furthermore, waiting for sexual fulfillment in marriage feels like an eternity according to Rosalind, who …show more content…
Looking deeper into the text, it appears inevitable that the married men will at some point be cuckolded. Even Orlando and Rosalind, with their seemingly fateful "love at first sight" scenario are likely bound to this same destiny. Marriages for the wrong reasons, whether to conform to societal expectations of a heterosexual marriage, to mask one 's own homoerotic inclinations, or to be able to legally engage in sexual relations, are only bound to end in unhappiness. Since no explicit outcome is given, the audience is only left to wonder about the ultimate fate of the four newlywed

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Shakespeare has used courtly love through the characterisation of Lord Capulet to give an insight into the rules of society about arranged marriages and how common they were in order to…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream the characters are very similar to how people are in real life; the audience has to observe and infer on who they are, it is not simply stated. This play will take the reader through many loops and jumps around love stories through a series of comedic events. “”The title suggests an atmosphere of fantasy, whimsy, and imagination, which is a pretty accurate description of the magical wood where characters experience events that seem more like a dream than reality.””” Shakespeare has a unique way of leaving the audience with the feeling of uncertainty; it becomes difficult to tell whether one is experiencing reality or an illusion. This play is mostly composed of regular prose verse, but it is notorious…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marriage is an important milestone in one’s life. It is a union of two people who vow to remain together and love one another until death does them apart. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen emphasizes the prominence of marriage based on loved rather than other influences. Through the experiences of Lydia and Wickham, Charlotte and Collins, and Elizabeth and Darcy, Austen criticizes marriages based on infatuation, convenience and money, and emphasizes that marriage can only be successful if they are founded on mutual love. Jane Austen criticizes the various different marriages in the novel.…

    • 1563 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Weddings in the twenty-first century are quite different than what would have taken place in the time of Romeo and Juliet. Marriage has changed tremendously since Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet; arranged marriage has vanished, marriage customs have changed, and how much goes into preparing a wedding. In the fifteenth century most marriages were arranged by parents or relatives not by marriage. The purpose of arranged marriage was to transfer land and ownership or peace treaty between two families or groups.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he strides to portray the tides of love! But even for Shakespeare, It’s quite hard to grasp the understanding of love for theirs always arising complications that get in the way of lustful love; Throughout the play Shakespeare undermines the notion that true love even ever existed. The play is directed in Athens of Greece. And is made to make the audience question what they know is love; it starts out with unhappiness for Hermia is getting no choice in who she loves, for her father, Egeus is her creator and must abide by his wishes of whom she’ll marry or love; If she doesn’t marry Demetrious her father’s approved choice, Theseus the Duke of Athens will have her put to death by Egeus’s…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Foil characters help bring out the best traits within two characters. The novel Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is a novel revolving around the act of deception. Where Claudio, a young soldier, falls in love with Hero, the daughter of Leonato. They are to be married, but are deceived, therefore interrupting the marriage. Meanwhile Benedick, a soldier and man that swears against love, falls in love with Beatrice, the niece of Leonato, who also swears against love.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Shakespeare’s the tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice; Othello downfall marriage that he was born an outsider of Venice. Even he was a great general, because of his skin color d thinks it was wrong for him to married someone outside of his race. He feels insecure in his relationship with Desdemona about being black, which gave Iago the opportunity to make him jealous. Military offer his only opportunity to be an equal to other men in Venice Society. However it also made think like he is always in battle, and not at home being a loving husband during peace time.…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1500-1800s Marriage

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages

    During the 1500-1800s, marriage was viewed as one of the most important aspects of society. The concept of marriage was taken very seriously by women and men because they were both affected by it. Marriage could either ruin your reputation (by marrying someone of a lower class) or support you (by marrying someone of the same or higher class). The novels of Pride and Prejudice and the Taming of the Shrew describe various marriages and inevitable factors that played key roles in shaping them. Social Statuses, the inferiority of women, and the purposes of marriage arrangements formed the marriages in Pride and Prejudice and the Taming of the Shrew.…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ee Cummings In Our Town

    • 1256 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Playwright Thornton Wilder and poet e. e. cummings are portraying ordinary life in a small town in the play Our Town and in the poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town.” Both, the play and poem were written about at the same period. The towns in both the play and poem can be related to any city in the country. The poem and play take the readers through the similar themes of the passage of time, love, and death, which are an ordinary life that is monotonous and ultimately unmemorable. Both authors Thornton Wilder and e. e. cummings are modern writers who applied a combination of ironies to express the final passage of the time and death.…

    • 1256 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Analytical response In “Shoemaker’s Holiday” the play is written based on a love, comedy, and class. This story includes a man named Lacy nephew of Lincoln and a lady named Rose daughter of Oatley who desire to be together, because of the love they feel for each other. In this play family members tend to make it difficult for them to stand for what they want. Despite the obstacles they find different ways to keep contact with one another despite the obstacles they face in the play.…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    It stresses a society where marriage is a very important and…

    • 2261 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marriage is a major theme in the novel Pride and Prejudice, and one of the characters with the strongest views on marriage is Mrs Bennet. However, Mrs Bennet’s views contrast with those of other characters, like Mr Bennet and Lady Catherine. These opposing views help us to give us insight into the varying views of society at the time. Mrs Bennet’s views about marriage are very traditional, and she is known throughout the novel for wanting her children to get married for selfish or material reasons. Nevertheless, she also wants the best for her family while considering marriage.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Touchstone, the jester who runs away with Rosalind, falls in love with a country girl, Audrey. She, in return, is smitten by the jester and leaves her faithful man, William. Both Touchstone and Audrey give Shakespeare a medium to express different aspects of gender roles and feminism. Touchstone shows the full freedom of males with his risqué speeches and general lack of a filter on what he says.…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Elizabeth does not have a lot of money to offer a husband. As a member of the upper class, Elizabeth is not expected to create a career for herself to earn money. Although, she is not allowed to inherit anything from her father, along with her four other sisters. Therefore, marriage is basically their only option for attaining wealth and social standing. Mr.Collins offers her a secure marriage but she denies it.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Before Breakfast Symbolism

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages

    When two people marry, they come together as one. They are entering and agreeing to a relationship to love each other, be compassionate, and honest. They have agreed to endure the hardships to come, but still remain a faithful and understanding lover to one another. Eugene O’neill uses symbolism in the dramatic play Before Breakfast to enlighten how hardships can destroy marriages if the relationship lacks effective communication, intimacy, and trust. O’neill places “several potted plants (that) are dying of neglect” (O’neill) in the window seal of Mr. and Mrs. Rowland’s home.…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays

Related Topics