Inside Shakespeare’s mind:
The gentle Celia
Shakespeare did not even care to establish a sense of place for the
play and scatter his characters in the Forest of Arden. He begins the
play with so many of them intertwined to stretch them around in
different directions but not far from each other.
But, then that is Shakespeare, the Master of himself
The principle site is the beautiful Forest of Arden that the Bard
celebrates in many of his plays with Birnham Forest following suit.
These two forests are very fresh in the minds of his readers because of
the celebrating dialogue he lavish upon them.
Credits
* The banished Duke - A man of grace and peace, apt at pleading for
his cause.
* Rosalind - His daughter. The longest woman’s part in Shakespeare
with 736 lines. Says an Epilogue at the end of the play.
* Celia - Gentle cousin to Rosalind and daughter to the disgusting
Duke Fredrick.
* Fredrick - Brother to the banished Duke whose position he usurped.
* Jaques - The banished Duke’s courtier.
* Charles - The ‘sinewy’ wrestler in the court of Duke Fredrick.
* Orlando - The younger brother of the three and an expert wrestler
himself.
* Touchstone - A firm favourite with Shakespeare and appear in other
plays
* Phebe - A disdainful Shepherdess who falls in love with Ganymede
unaware ‘he’ is a girl.
* Corin - A veteran shepherd whose rural philosophy contrast with the
worldly-wise Touchstone. |
When Arden in the fading Summer, take on Autumn in the high glory of
myriad colours upon their trees, the falling leaves blowing in the wind
are of red, orange, green, gold brown, yellow.......spotted, brindled
and in self colour before harsh winter claims their trees. It is this
backdrop he uses to get the lovers lost and found and reconcile in AS
YOU LIKE IT. After setting the scene right, he moves into the court of
Duke Fredrick.
Synopsis
Sited in the Forest of Arden as well as at the Court of Duke
Fredrick. When the play was written is not known exactly but we can
presume it to be before 1599 because this play was the first to have
been mounted when the Globe Playhouse opened in 1599.
The story revolves around the three sons of Sir Rowland de Boys.
Elder son Oliver hates the youngest, Orlando because he is stubborn and
whom he has always humiliated. Orlando is matched against a deadly
wrestler called, Charles in the Court of Duke Fredrick who has usurped
the rightful Duke of his legitimate position.
His daughter Rosalind and Fredrick’s daughter, Celia witness the
match which Orlando wins. On eye contact Rosalind and Orlando falls in
love with each other. Fredrick who is very envious of Rosalind’s
popularity, banish her but not before her cousin Celia join her because
she dislikes what her father is doing.
The two girls disguising themselves as Gunymede (Rosalind) and Celia
as Gunymede’s sister along with jester, Touchstone, leaves for the
Forest of Arden to find ‘Gunymed’s’ father where after being banished by
Fredrick, lives in the company of ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ and the
melancholy courtier, Jacques.
In the meantime, Orlando arrives along with his faithful Adam to the
forestcover of Arden. These travellers arrived separately while Rosalind
eavesdrop on Shephered, Silvius declaring his love for the scornful
shepherdess, Phebe close to where they are.
(Enter Rosalind and Celia disguised)
Rosalind – 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, and doublet
and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat. Therefore courage
‘Aliena’
Celia – I pray you, bear with me, I go no further
R – Well, this is the Forest of Arden...
- Act. II Sce I
Orlando confront ‘Gunymede’ in the forest and after he has read some
of the love poems found hanging on trees (written by Rosalind (Gunymede)
she promises to cure his infatuation if he would come to her cottage
every day which he does. Yet, Orlando cannot recognize Rosalind.
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A scene from the Court of Duke
Fredrick with his niece, Celia |
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The glorious Forest of Arden where the
play, as you like it is sited |
There is a bit of confusion here when Phebe falls in love with
‘Gunymede’ much to the amusement of Celia. Back in Fredrick’s Court,
when the Duke hears how the banished Orlando rescues his brother, Oliver
from a lioness and seeing the bloodstained napkin, ‘Gunymede’ faints, he
forgives all. Oliver and Celia are now in love.
All the couples scattered in the Forest are gathered and the partners
sorted out. The banished Duke ‘Rosalind’s father) is restored while
Fredrick steps aside for a happy ending. They all listen to Rosalind’s
Epilogue at the end of the play. (Very unnecessary for Shakespeare. No
reason to have got Rosalind to orate)
.....’ It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is
no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true that
good wine needs no bush, ‘it is true that a good play needs an epilogue.
What a cause cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play?
I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become
me, my way is to conjure you, and I will begin with the women. I charge
you. O women; for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play
as please you; and I charge you, O men for the love you bear to women as
I perceive by your simpering, none of you hates men that believe you.
I would kiss as many of you that had beards as that please me,
complexions that liked me and breaths that that I defiled not and I am
sure as many of us have good beards not or good faces or sweet breaths
will, for my kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me farewell (end of
Epilogue, Exeunt)
In performance
Drury Lane in 1723 mounted a stupid adaption of AS YOU LIKE IT Called
LOVE IN A FOREST which left out many characters that included Phebe and
Touchstone. It also mad a ridiculous Jacques in love with Celia but from
1740 when the original text returned the characters found their own
identity that made the play for directors to handle with ease.
From 1919 at Stratford, and in 1932 at the Open Air, and in 1936 at
the Old Vic and New, the beautiful Margeretta Scott and Fabia Drake were
the stunning Celias and Rosalinds.
Then from 1952 onwards there was no stopping of this play bearing
boarded around the world. Every theatre everywhere mounted with
Thespians as well as with talented actors and actresses where Rosalind
and Celia surfaced.
In 1936 Dr Paul Czinner filmed AS YOU LIKE IT with Sir Laurence
Oliver as Orlando and Elizabeth Bergner as the coy Rosalind and Celia by
an unknown actress.
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