Gender and identity in “As you like it”

Rosalind into exile

Celia's love for Rosalind represents one of the most mature examples of love in the play. Their relationship is intimate and not competitive, they act in total harmony and reciprocity. For instance, they are extremely close friends, almost sisters, and the profound intimacy of their relationship seems at times more intense than that of ordinary friends:

"From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see—what think you of falling in love?"

(Rosalind, Act I, scene II)

During the comedy, the dynamics between Rosalind and Celia change: at the court, it is Celia who comforts and encourages Rosalind, but once Rosalind takes on the "doublet and hose," she takes charge and makes all the decisions. Celia hardly ever speaks more than a few lines at a time in the forest; she was more active and independent at the court, intent to take the initiative, she does not hesitate to go against her father and escape with Rosalind (Act I, Scene III).

Instead, once in the forest, Rosalind controls the actions of all those around her. At the end, she becomes so dominant that she speaks the epilogue, something extremely uncommon at that time for a woman to do.

Actually, when Rosalind disguises herself as a young boy, Ganymede, she has the strongest personality. She is able to manage the events of the play, exerting a power she did not possess as a woman. She has the freedom to explore her identity because the camouflage allows her to behave in ways that were considered socially unacceptable for women.

Moreover, the disguise as a man is useful for Rosalind when she flees into the wood for safety, to avoid rapists and thieves. She challenges traditional ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman, as she points out in Act I, scene III: "Alas, what danger will it be to us, Maids as we are, to travel forth so far? Beauty provoke the thieves sooner than gold" (Rosalind, Act I, scene III).

Rosalind, in addition, makes a wry comment

to Celia about women having no filter and blurting out every thought they have. When Rosalind learns that Orlando has appeared in the forest of Arden, overwhelmed, asks a slew of questions about his appearance, which Celia gently mocks. Rosalind's comment about a woman's lack of filters reveals not only a deprecating self-awareness but also a non-acceptance of such behaviour: "Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak. Sweet, say on" (Rosalind, Act III, scene II). Like many of Shakespeare's plays and poems, "As You Like It" explores different kinds of love between members of the same sex. There is a homosexual equation developed between the cross-dressing female protagonists and women who develop an interest in them, believing them to be men, thus furthering the confusion of mistaken identities in the new land. For instance, Rosalind's relationship with Celia suggests an element of homoeroticism. Homoeroticism differs.Celia, but it is important to understand that this love is not necessarily sexual in nature. In Elizabethan times, the concept of sexuality was different from what it is today. Instead of defining specific categories like heterosexuality or homosexuality, people focused more on external markers of gender, such as clothing and behavior. For Elizabethans, Rosalind's decision to disguise herself as a man may have been more exciting or even threatening to the social order than her homoerotic bond with Celia. By challenging something as simple as the dress code, Rosalind ends up crossing the carefully monitored boundaries of gender and social power. In conclusion, it is crucial to consider the historical context when analyzing the relationship between Rosalind and Celia. Their bond can be seen as homoerotic, but it is not necessarily indicative of sexual desire.

Orlando (her love interest), through her identity of a man. This homoerotic association gives also suggestions for Orlando's bisexuality. Clearly, Orlando is in love with the girl Rosalind but he is also drawn to the boy Ganymede. Orlando is appreciative of Ganymede who is not only friendly and amiable, but also reminds him of his beloved Rosalind. Everybody, male and female, seems to love Ganymede, the beautiful boy who looks like a woman because he is really Rosalind in disguise. Phoebe, too, is more attracted to the feminine Ganymede than to the real male, Silvius. In drawing on the motif of homoeroticism, "As You Like It" is influenced by the pastoral tradition, which typically contains elements of same-sex love.

The Renaissance was a transitional period from the medieval time to the modern, a culture full of contradictions. On the one hand, influenced by the medieval culture, the Renaissance culture was male dominated, and late sixteenth century England was a patriarchal society.

Not only the social but also the economic unit of this era was under the patriarchy. In other words, a young boy could have some expectations regarding his life and education. Their parents were happy for them because they knew that their son would support them economically in future. However, girls were not permitted for that. The only expectation from daughter was to stay at home and act as their father wished.

Actually, during the time of Shakespeare, there was a social construct of gender and sexuality norms. There was a hierarchy of sexes and each had their own role in society. Men were masculine, they were not ruled by emotion, they were strong and hard working. Women belonged in the home, they were ruled by men and by their emotions and therefore were thought to often make bad decisions. In this hierarchical culture, women were theoretically under the rule of men, generally believed to be the inferior passive sex. Legally, a woman's identity was subsumed under that of her male protector.

For instance, when the character of Jacques versifies the seven ages of man, from cradle to soldiering to senility, he also mentions the female equivalent which is limited to just three: maid, wife and widow. In this play, Shakespeare deconstructs these norms to display their ambiguity: masculine men can play effeminate female roles (which they did on stage) and effeminate women can play masculine male roles. He seems to suggest that women are more credible, ingenious, and clever than they are given credit for in Elizabethan England. He was the Elizabethan version of a modern-day feminist. From the social point of view, cross-dressing in the Renaissance had an important aspect: as women were considered inferior to men, cross-dressing presented an important change of status. If a woman pretended to be a man, she was, in fact, assuming more rights than she was entitled to. Apart from several exceptions in real life, it was only in fiction and carnivalesque festivities that cross-dressing was.

allowed as a temporal escape from everyday reality. Since a woman was not supposed to leave her house and to travel alone, some women might have worn male clothing for protection, as Rosalind does in this play when she has to leave the court.

It seems that the society and the theatres were representing each other for the fact that women had no access in the theatre as actress. As a result, the female characters were played by the male actors.

The name which Rosalind adopts when disguised as a man is significant in this context as it carries strong homosexual connotations. According to myth, Ganymede was the name of a beautiful boy desired by Jupiter and taken to Mount Olympus to be his cupbearer, and so, the name has associations with homosexual love and desire.

Celia, also, adopts for herself the name of Aliena, that is relevant as well since it represents her new state of alienation from her father. In response to their situation, Rosalind and Celia remodel themselves to adapt to their new environment.

It is true that Rosalind and Celia cannot fully escape the patriarchal structure. In fact, they acknowledge their vulnerability in the pastoral setting and that is the reason why they choose an expedient disguise. By living under false appearances, Rosalind and Celia inspire their lovers to act more truly and honestly toward them. When Rosalind is dressed as Ganymede, Orlando reveals how deeply he loves Rosalind, without knowing he is addressing her. It is obvious that Rosalind's disguise permits Orlando to speak more openly than he might if he knew her true identity. Rosalind sets up an elaborate ruse to keep Orlando near: she offers her services, as Ganymede, to help "cure" Orlando of his love for Rosalind, a love that causes him anguish and pain. Through her disguise as a man, Rosalind possesses the freedom to tutor Orlando in the ways of love and give him notions about how lovers should behave: "I would cure you if you would but call me Rosalind and come every day to"

"my cote and woo me”(Rosalind, Act III, scene II).

Whereas Rosalind’s disguise provokes honest speech from her lover, Celia’s tests the honesty of her lover’s love. Oliver’s falling in love with her despite her shepherdess’s exterior, this indicates the genuineness of his love. The change in Celia, though less dramatic, is just as significant to the play as that in Rosalind. These changes are facilitated due to the forest of Arden, which they escape to.

In the play, Arden can be seen as idyllic, as a dream world where people can be themselves, free to create alternate identities. Furthermore, it represents a world where the characters gain a deeper understanding of themselves and society, they do not need to conform to social norms or expectations. In the city, everyone is who the others are expected them to be. Rosalind’s transformation of her social role comes with her change of dress and, dressed as a man, she must act as the male code of behaviour. However,

she finds it difficult and both identities exist simultaneously in her, as she expresses in Act II, Scene IV: “I could find in my heart to disgrace my man’s apparel and to cry like a woman, but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat. Therefore courage, good Aliena”.

Later on, it will be Oliver who addresses Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, to be a typical woman, after she faints hearing that Orlando is in danger. A man, based on the Elizabethan culture, would be able to handle his emotions. “Be of good cheer, youth. You a man? You lack a man’s heart” (Oliver, Act IV, scene II).

This delightful twist of reality allows Rosalind to speak one fine truth, toward the end of the play she is starting to get tired of her games: “So, I do. But I’ faith, I should have been a woman by right” (Rosalind, Act IV, scene II).

The identities of the commentators of the play, Jacques and Touchstone, remain,

however, unchanged by the forest. This is because they have constructed the identities they wish to adopt, ofa me