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Shakespeare Essay Plan on:

"What the forest teaches is not innocence but self-knowledge and wisdom." Discuss 'As You Like It' in the light of this comment.

By Christine Gilbert

INTRODUCTION:

State of the court at beginning of the play. Good cast out; replaced by evil. The 'natural' replaced by the 'unnatural'.

Selfish, disregard for family ties, bonds. No loyalty. Orlando: "diverted blood".

Reference to "golden world" in the forest. Idyllic, signifies good life.

Allusion to Garden of Eden; amorality; innocence. (Adam and Eve punished for self-knowledge: cast out of Eden).

Suggests forest is a place of innocence.

PARA 1

Courtly stereotypes set aside in forest? See another way of life. Wrongs of court realised.

Away from defined roles of court. Liberating. Self-discovery.

Duke Senior finds nature educational. Can improve knowledge in forest:"And this our life, exempt from public haunt,/ Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,/ Sermons in stones, and good in everything."

Back to basics. But, learns about life - what really matters. Away from materialistic, ambitious, money/class orientated life. Therefore, forest teaches self-knowledge and wisdom. Audience reminded of the role of pastoral: a kind of measure of what is good and "what we are".

PARA 2

When Ros, Celia and Touchstone enter the forest, they are shown unexpected hospitality from Corin. Welcomed and invited to feed. "And in my voice most welcome shall you be." Courteous: literally, with court manners. Roles reversed. Touchstone (courtly character) is 'rude', and snobbish: "Holla, you clown." Deems himself superior.

Similarly, Orlando is sure all life in the forest is savage. Dramatic change in manner. Defensive, sword drawn: "Forbear, and eat no more!" Met with hospitality and friendliness. Unexpected response. Stereotyping - Orl ashamed of his conduct: "Speak you so gently? Pardon me, I pray you." Learns that community exists, despite his experience. Start of learning process.

PARA 3

Little of true love is learnt until we arrive in the forest.

Ros and Celia in court: inexperienced in love. Immature/childlike - sleep together as children.

Her disguise as Ganymede allows both self-knowledge and teaching role. can distance and detach herself from Rosalind. - the girl of the court.

When Ros discovers that Orl is also in the forest she despairs: "Alas the day! What shall I do with my doublet and hose?" BUT she chooses to retain her disguise. Uses it to her advantage. Teaches Orl and herself about true value of love.

GAME OVER when Ros can see she has taught this to Orlando. His realisation that game-playing is no substitute: "I can live no more by thinking." Maturity arrives.

PARA 4

Ros also teaches Phebe to appreciate the love that is shown to her. "Sell when you can, you are not for all markets./ Cry the man mercy, love him, take his offer." She may never be loved by anyone else. She persists: "Look upon him, love him, he worships you." Ros then creates a bargain.

At the marriage ceremony, we see that Phebe has learnt to accept and appreciate what is offered to her. has learnt about love and compromise: "Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine." (Great quote!)

PARA 5

Oliver's transformation. Realisation of importance of family bonds/love. "Kindness, nobler ever than revenge." (Great quote!) Nature causes him to realise this. Illustration of forest teaching self-knowledge and wisdom. Has discovered what is important, what is "noble". He now leaves court and takes up the simple life of traditional pastoral. Tells Orl: "My father's house, and all the revenue that was old Sir Rowland's, will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd." He has returned to a 'natural' relationship with his brother; returns to nature in penance.

PARA 6

Jacques: witness him become more tolerant. He begins as cynical, unromantic. "The worst fault you have is to be in love." Later proposes to teach Touchstone the value of marriage: "Get you to church, and have a good priest that can tell you what marriage is." Ironic. Part of learning process. Self-knowledge and wisdom develops. At end of play Jacques accepts others' love and wishes them well. More open-minded, learnt to accept others' opinions: "So to your pleasures:/ I am for other than for dancing measures." Agreed to disagree. Finds pleasure in other things - things really are 'as you like it!'

CONCLUSION

Presence of Hymen. Goddess of love. Proof of characters having learnt about themselves and others, and realised what they really want. Symbol of true love; commitment; heaven; civilisation; bonds; community: "O blessed bond of board and bed!"; "no cross shall part"; heart in heart" (Great quotes). Rhyme schemes reinforce point.

Return to idyllic 'golden world' of the pre-play. Noble families unite.'Golden world' reached through self-knowledge and wisdom, found in the forest. The play, in the end, a romance - of the imagination - and a comedy - happily concluded.