As You Like It - Rosalind and Celia
A search for feminist criticism on William Shakespeare's comedy, As You Like It, uncovers a range of different aspects of the play and its players, but none is as well represented as the nature and dynamics of the relationship between Rosalind and Celia. Among other topics are cross dressing or female transvestism and male self-fashioning, which extrapolates on the mode of dress being an identity. A feminist view on Shakespeare examines the poet's defense of virtue in the play. Quite a few articles focus on Rosalind alone. These varyingly discuss Rosalind in relation to gender issues, romantic power, eroticism, specific performances of actresses portraying Rosalind as well as one piece which questions Rosalind's very existence. But the most cohesive and edifying critical writings delve the depths of the relationship between Rosalind and Celia.
Most criticisms that include Celia, agree that Celia holds the power on the stage during Act I. In Clare Calvo's article she asks the question "Is it really Rosalind who moves the play" (95). She questions the long accepted opinion that Rosalind is the heroine not only in As You Like It, but is the epitome of all of Shakespeare's comic heroines (94). Calvo gives equal accolades to Celia and her important friendship with Rosalind and to Celia's initiative, decision and capacity for action"(95). She explores the diminishing of Celia in order to elevate Rosalind to mythical proportions in both feminist and non-feminist criticism (95). In Calvo's words, " the interest aroused by the figure of Rosalind has tended to eclipse the importance of other characters"(92).
Calvo concentrates on the friendship between Rosalind and Celia ...
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...hers of English Studies 56 (1991 Sept): 5 - 11.
Martin, Louis. "As She Liked It: Rosalind as Subject." Pennsylvania English 22,1 - 2 (2000 Fall-Spring):91 - 96.
Shakespeare, William. "As You Like It." The Norton Shakespeare Comedies. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: Norton, 1997. 594-651.
Shaw, Fiona, and Juliet Stevenson. "Celia and Rosalind in As You Like It." Jackson, Russell ed. intro., Robert Smallwood ed. Players of Shakespeare II: Further Essays in Shakespearean Performance. New York: Cambridge UP, 1988. 55 - 71.
Tvordi, Jessica. "Female Alliance and the Construction of Homoeroticism in As You Like It and Twelfth Night." Frye, Susan ed. and intro., Robertson, Karen ed. and intro., Howard, Jean E. after word; Maids and Mistresses, Cousins and Queens: Women's alliances in Early Modern England. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. 114 - 130.
"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust" (I, iv, 11-4). With this statement, Duncan illustrates his recognition of his inability to tell the character of an individual by looking at him. He is referring to the Thane of Cawdor who, during the civil war, helped try to overthrow Duncan's rule of Scotland. As a king, Duncan is well received which perhaps allows him to consider himself untouchable. He assumes that no one would have any reason to hurt or disobey him and so he allows his personal safety standards to fall to dangerous levels. This lack of concern also accounts for the manner in which he is unprotected while sleeping at Mabeth's castle. Duncan is governed by his ego to such an extent that he dismisses this breech of security by killing the disloyal Thane rather than try to cor...
I shall endeavour to explore and analyse how women are presented in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” and Duffy’s “Human Interest”.
This paper will look at the different conceptions highlighted by Bulman in his article through the use of different methods used by the actors in the play. Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare captures the different conceptions of gender identity and different sexualities within the Elizabethan period.
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1997.
Neely, Carol Thomas. “Shakespeare’s Women: Historical Facts and Dramatic Representations.” Shakespeare’s Personality. Ed. Norman N. Holland, Sidney Homan, and Bernard J. Paris. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. 116-134.
At this point a brief synopsis of the movie would seem to be in order,
Scott, Mark W., ed. "As You Like It." Shakespeare Criticism. Vol. V. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co., 1987.
Persuasion is the force exerted to influence behavior that includes a reflected change in attitude. Everyday we are bombarded with messagesfrom people who wish to influence our behavior and attitudes. Persuasion canbe used to accomplish good as well as bad, though, in my paper I willrefrain from making value judgements and only report the factual aspects. I will discuss the two basic routes to persuasion, the elements involved, andways to protect current attitudes and behaviors from change. When trying to persuade someone, there are two different methods from which to choose-the central and peripheral routes. The central route persuades by usingdirect arguments and pertinent information. The peripheral route persuadespeople by association with incidental cues
In closing, Persuasion is a powerful tool, both in trying to persuade others and being
Angela Carter’s attitude towards her work has always been one with intrinsic feminism at its roots. Carter’s feminist attitude within her novel Wise Children has given the reader a much more realistic and intuitive approach to Shakespeare. Carter conveys ideas of feminism through matriarchy and the power of womanhood, or rather new family structures of an acceptance of an absentee father. In some aspects, her work is an invitation to criticisms towards Shakespeare’s lack of matriarchal concentration and sometimes all together absentation, and realistic approaches towards female characters. However, in other aspects it appears to be more of a praise towards him, meticulously alluding to countless amounts of Shakespeare’s works. Angela Carter uses Wise Children as her invitation for her own feminist criticism as well as paying homage by tempting the reader into comparing herself and Shakespeare, to hold them in the same high regard.
Persuasion is an important aspect of communication, certainly a significant business activity. Regardless of whether this comes in the form of a sender influencing a party or the receiver itself is being influenced. Typically, this could come in the form of a salesman or, even a manager communicating with key stakeholders, such as potential investors.
Ronk, Martha Clare, Locating the Visual in As You Like It.Shakespeare Quarterly 52, Issue 2, 2001.
In William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” a unnatural love triangle unfolds as the leading heroine, Viola, disguises herself as a male to obscure her social class in society in order to find herself without being bound by her gender. While many of Shakespeare’s works elaborate on the traditional and religious understanding of marriage during the 1600s, “Twelfth Night” obscures these traditional motifs by creating a humanistic portrayal of love that blurs not only social class but gender as well. The determinism throughout the play demonstrates how nature imposes limitations on the characters through cause and affect. For the characters
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. Comp. Folger Shakespeare Library. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.
Gender roles and identity are constantly shifting throughout different societal generations. Men and woman both have notable similarities and differences in genders and they each contribute to their personalities and actions. In the past men have been viewed as a more dominant sex in society over women, both in careers, home life, and sexually, however, today women have bridged many of the gaps and society is accepting a more equal view of genders. The following examines the similarities and differences between men and woman by looking at biological characteristics, gender roles, and sexual responses.