A Forest Fated to Do Things “As You Like It”

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What flows better than the number three? The Three Little Pigs, the Three Amigos, Goldilocks and the Three Bears; authors tend to write using the archetype pattern of the number three. Even fate can came in a number of three. Patterns make stories predictable yet realistic. Shakespeare displayed both archetype and anti-archetype patterns in the comedy As You Like It. The Forest of Arden served to grant those who knew what they longed for: It brought happiness to all who entered in and open-minded lovers were married, brothers were reunited, and dukedoms were restored. However, if one entered with a heart full with melancholy and unknown longing, their desires remained unquenched in the forest.
As You Like It is most commonly referred to as Shakespeare’s happiest play. The tone of the many characters throughout the play vary from happy to sad, angry to hopeful, and even desperate– while each of them is affected differently by the transforming powers of the Forest of Arden. Shakespeare put many archetypal patterns into this play big and small. The main pattern he brought into this play was happiness. No matter what situation was thrown into the story, it was somehow resolved. That is why the play is titled, “As You Like It”. It is meant to make all viewers content with the ending and attract all viewers in some way. The play contains humor, love, action, violence, and even some depression. No matter what type of play the viewer preferred to watch, they were left satisfied.
The story, As You Like It contained many archetypal symbols, especially in The Forest of Arden. A major pattern the story follows is the pattern of three. One example of this is the three sets of siblings: Orlando and Oliver, Frederick and Seni...

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...ce. The story, As You Like It was truly a people pleaser when you look at its patterns and ending. One could go as far as to say the characters “lived happily ever after”.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, and Pamela Loos. As You like It. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2008. Print.
LaBlanc, Michael L. "As You Like It." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 80. Detroit: n.p., 2004. 1-71. Web.
Lee, Michelle. "As You Like It." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 57. Detroit: n.p., 2001. 1-87. Web.
Lee, Michelle. "As You Like It." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 100. Detroit: n.p., 2001. 1-94. Web.
Smith, James. "As You Like It." Five Approaches of Literary Criticism. New York [usw.: Macmillan, 1962. 187-213. Print.
Zott, Lynn M. "As You Like It." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 69. Detroit: n.p., 2003. 1-98. Web.
1 Corinthians. Holy Bible. Philadelphia: National, 1978. Print.

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