The tone of As You Like It is light-hearted and romantic, indulging in fantastic plot twists that entertain and enchant in equal measure. The romance and sentimentality at the core of the play can be observed in Oliver’s rescue in Act 4, Scene 3. As Oliver recounts it, he is lying in a bush when his brother comes upon him:
About [my] neck
A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself,
Who with her head, nimble in threats, approached
The opening of [my] mouth. But suddenly,
Seeing Orlando, it unlinked itself
And, with indented glides, did slip away
Into a bush, under which bush’s shade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch
When that the sleeping man should stir [...]
Somehow, both a lion and a python have crept into this French forest. In the Neverland of the Forest of Arden, Oliver almost succumbs to a snake attack when his brother approaches at the right moment—only to uncover a lioness lying in wait, to see if the sleeping man will stir.
The description of the snake itself is ornate (“green and gilded,” “wreathed”), and the image of a crouching lioness also provides an elegant, if unlikely, threat to Oliver’s life. In a moment of extreme bravery and grace, Orlando decides to attack the lioness, and save his treacherous brother’s life. As Oliver tells it, the power of Orlando’s kindness and good nature overcome his “just occasion” for revenge. The choice of animals, as well as the thematic message of love’s power in this scene, create a dreamy conclusion to the rift between the two brothers.
The light-heartedness, wit, and romance of the play is also beautifully (and necessarily) reflected in Rosalind’s expression and imagination. Rosalind directs much of the action of the play, at least as regards the love-relationships and marriages that develop throughout. When Orlando finally proves himself to her, in Act 5, Scene 2, she (as “Ganymede”) promises to arrange his marriage to Rosalind through her magical powers:
I have, since I was three year old,
conversed with a magician, most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind
so near the heart as your gesture cries it out,
when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry
her.
Rosalind’s imagination never fails her, and her response in this moment—to claim magical powers—provides a funny, charming answer to Orlando’s despair of ever meeting Rosalind again. What’s more, in a strange twist of events, the reveal of Rosalind’s identity is actually accompanied by a magical visit from the god of marriage, Hymen. In this blur of the real and the fantastic, Rosalind even breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience, and in the truest expression of her romantic and creative impulse, attempts to “enchant” them. It seems that no limits are placed on Rosalind as a character, and the magic, romance, and humor that mark the play’s tone are reflected in her speech and actions.
The tone of As You Like It is light-hearted and romantic, indulging in fantastic plot twists that entertain and enchant in equal measure. The romance and sentimentality at the core of the play can be observed in Oliver’s rescue in Act 4, Scene 3. As Oliver recounts it, he is lying in a bush when his brother comes upon him:
About [my] neck
A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself,
Who with her head, nimble in threats, approached
The opening of [my] mouth. But suddenly,
Seeing Orlando, it unlinked itself
And, with indented glides, did slip away
Into a bush, under which bush’s shade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch
When that the sleeping man should stir [...]
Somehow, both a lion and a python have crept into this French forest. In the Neverland of the Forest of Arden, Oliver almost succumbs to a snake attack when his brother approaches at the right moment—only to uncover a lioness lying in wait, to see if the sleeping man will stir.
The description of the snake itself is ornate (“green and gilded,” “wreathed”), and the image of a crouching lioness also provides an elegant, if unlikely, threat to Oliver’s life. In a moment of extreme bravery and grace, Orlando decides to attack the lioness, and save his treacherous brother’s life. As Oliver tells it, the power of Orlando’s kindness and good nature overcome his “just occasion” for revenge. The choice of animals, as well as the thematic message of love’s power in this scene, create a dreamy conclusion to the rift between the two brothers.
The light-heartedness, wit, and romance of the play is also beautifully (and necessarily) reflected in Rosalind’s expression and imagination. Rosalind directs much of the action of the play, at least as regards the love-relationships and marriages that develop throughout. When Orlando finally proves himself to her, in Act 5, Scene 2, she (as “Ganymede”) promises to arrange his marriage to Rosalind through her magical powers:
I have, since I was three year old,
conversed with a magician, most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind
so near the heart as your gesture cries it out,
when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry
her.
Rosalind’s imagination never fails her, and her response in this moment—to claim magical powers—provides a funny, charming answer to Orlando’s despair of ever meeting Rosalind again. What’s more, in a strange twist of events, the reveal of Rosalind’s identity is actually accompanied by a magical visit from the god of marriage, Hymen. In this blur of the real and the fantastic, Rosalind even breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience, and in the truest expression of her romantic and creative impulse, attempts to “enchant” them. It seems that no limits are placed on Rosalind as a character, and the magic, romance, and humor that mark the play’s tone are reflected in her speech and actions.
