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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Act 1, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Costumes:
Physical costumes and disguises appear over and over in As You Like It. Orlando disguises himself in order to wrestle Charles, instigating his future banishment ; Celia disguises herself as a shepherdess and captures the interest of Oliver. Rosalind takes love and fate into her own hands by disguising herself as a man and giving Orlando lessons in love. All of these instances of disguise help Shakespeare explore positive aspects of the theme of deception throughout the play.
Deception often works against the characters in this play. Oliver deceives Charles into wrestling his brother; Frederick deceives the court and receives his brother’s title. But when disguises are incorporated, deception works to a positive end: it allows certain positive inner qualities of the characters to surface. Consider the Duke’s reaction to Orlando’s disguise in Act I, Scene 2:
I would thou hadst been son to some man else.
The world esteemed thy father honorable,
But I did find him still mine enemy.
Thou shouldst have better pleased me with this deed
Hadst thou descended from another house.
But fare thee well.
Related Themes:
