Satire refers to the use of irony, or sarcasm, in verse or prose, to poke fun at or ridicule human folly and vices. Some literature is explicitly satirical, while others could be either serious, or satirical. Many reader’s of William Shakespeare’s As you like it believe it is a serious celebration of love. While, others believe As you like it is intended to be a satirical analysis of love. While both points have valid reasoning, I believe Shakespeare’s As you like it should be read as a satire of love. Due to the hypocrisy between Celia’s actions and words, the untrue nature of Touchstone’s romance, and the ridicule of mindless lovers.
Celia is Rosalind’s cousin and closest friend. She is also, for the majority of the play, Rosalind’s biggest critic. Celia is …show more content…
Throughout the play characters will poke holes in the affections of others. One example of this is when Touchstone pokes fun at Orlando’s poems to Rosalind. Even creating his own parody of the poems (p.117 3.2.89-100). This shows readers just how ridiculous and ill-written Orlando’s poems are. As well, Shakespeare shows lovers as absent minded people who just sit around “sighing like furnace” while making a “woeful ballad” to their “mistress’ eyebrow” (p.109 2.7 146-148). This which of course is not completely true, yet, it does point out the faults of those in love. Also the melancholy character, Jacques, is quick to ridicule the lovers, even telling Orlando “The worst fault you have is to be in love” (p. 125 3.2.256). While Shakespeare may not completely share this view, it shows a contrasting view to the mindless lovers. Shakespeare switches between the extremes of lovers and critics of love, highlighting the problems of both. Showing this contradiction through two extremes is the definition of satire. Shakespeare is not intending readers to pick a side, extreme romantic or extreme realist, but rather realize there is faults to
Celia is Rosalind’s cousin and closest friend. She is also, for the majority of the play, Rosalind’s biggest critic. Celia is …show more content…
Throughout the play characters will poke holes in the affections of others. One example of this is when Touchstone pokes fun at Orlando’s poems to Rosalind. Even creating his own parody of the poems (p.117 3.2.89-100). This shows readers just how ridiculous and ill-written Orlando’s poems are. As well, Shakespeare shows lovers as absent minded people who just sit around “sighing like furnace” while making a “woeful ballad” to their “mistress’ eyebrow” (p.109 2.7 146-148). This which of course is not completely true, yet, it does point out the faults of those in love. Also the melancholy character, Jacques, is quick to ridicule the lovers, even telling Orlando “The worst fault you have is to be in love” (p. 125 3.2.256). While Shakespeare may not completely share this view, it shows a contrasting view to the mindless lovers. Shakespeare switches between the extremes of lovers and critics of love, highlighting the problems of both. Showing this contradiction through two extremes is the definition of satire. Shakespeare is not intending readers to pick a side, extreme romantic or extreme realist, but rather realize there is faults to