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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I liked this! It's a hard one to rank, because I think it has a much better handle on its own plot than Twelfth Night, but I also think TN is perhaps a more interesting dynamic (that, unfortunately, goes under-explored due to how long it spends on Sir Toby's plot).
I really like the cousins here, and I think Rosalind and Orlando's relationship is written pretty well, which is impressive given how many of the relationships even among the comedies are deeply questionable or outright cursed. I feel a little secondhand awkwardness watching the "Ganymede" and Orlando scenes, which has nothing to do with the crossdressing and everything to do with the deception, but it's not bad enough to make me dislike the play.
There are a few weird things in this play, though. I found it strange how the reunion between Rosalind and her father occurs off-page (to be fair, he doesn't know she's Rosalind at the time, but she is obviously aware of their connection, so you'd expect it to be a big moment). There's also the inclusion of Touchstone and Jaques which is a little unusual, imo. Touchstone is the fool of the play, and honestly, as long as his performer is good (it was in the version I watched), he's a fun character. I think his plot is decently integrated into the main storyline and he doesn't drag down the pacing—plus, he's funny. Then there's Jacques, who is a very melancholic character who feels like he almost serves as an anti-fool. In any other play, I'd assume he was sort of replacing the fool's role with something a little different. It's interesting that they both ended up in this one, but it worked for me. In another play, having both of them might have felt like it was too much, but I liked their inclusion here.
Overall, a good play! Definitely one of the highlights of the comedies.
The Globe, 2009
I really like the cousins here, and I think Rosalind and Orlando's relationship is written pretty well, which is impressive given how many of the relationships even among the comedies are deeply questionable or outright cursed. I feel a little secondhand awkwardness watching the "Ganymede" and Orlando scenes, which has nothing to do with the crossdressing and everything to do with the deception, but it's not bad enough to make me dislike the play.
There are a few weird things in this play, though. I found it strange how the reunion between Rosalind and her father occurs off-page (to be fair, he doesn't know she's Rosalind at the time, but she is obviously aware of their connection, so you'd expect it to be a big moment). There's also the inclusion of Touchstone and Jaques which is a little unusual, imo. Touchstone is the fool of the play, and honestly, as long as his performer is good (it was in the version I watched), he's a fun character. I think his plot is decently integrated into the main storyline and he doesn't drag down the pacing—plus, he's funny. Then there's Jacques, who is a very melancholic character who feels like he almost serves as an anti-fool. In any other play, I'd assume he was sort of replacing the fool's role with something a little different. It's interesting that they both ended up in this one, but it worked for me. In another play, having both of them might have felt like it was too much, but I liked their inclusion here.
Overall, a good play! Definitely one of the highlights of the comedies.
The Globe, 2009
This is the oldest Globe recording I've come across so far, and it did feel old at times (especially when the sound would randomly cut out. I switched from the single dvd to the box set dvd thinking it was maybe an issue with scratches or something and it STILL persisted, so I think it's just the recording). Overall, I liked this production. Celia was very funny in scenes where she didn't manage to get a lot of lines, Orlando and Rosalind were both convincing in their romance, and Touchstone and Jaques were generally enjoyable to watch.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
Read for a Shakespeare class. The comedies of Shakespeare blend together and all seem the same after a while for me. Never been much of a Shakespeare fan though.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Delightful and uplifting. I’m so accustomed to Shakespeare’s tragic modes in my own reading experience, it is refreshing to experience his rendering of life’s lighter aspect. It’s a cliché that Shakespeare’s complete works contain all of life, but this work brings me a step closer to that belief. It only makes me want to delve deeper into his comedies.
2023 Shakespeare Complete works challenge
#13 - [b:As You Like It|42607|As You Like It|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561383241l/42607._SY75_.jpg|702863]
Read - 5/4/23 - 5/6/23
Rating: 4 stars
___________________________________
I really enjoyed this play. The main theme I picked up on is natural vs. artificial - both in love matters and in the physical world. The beginning of the play is set in a stuffy palace held by a false duke and the characters superficially interact with each other, and the fakeness is pervasive.
Cut to the Forest of Arden where the overthrown/banished Duke is living his best life and is making the best out of what should be bad situation for him.
In the last 3 Acts of the play, we get 3 completely different but intertwined love stories with Orlando and Rosalind, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Aubrey. The comparing and contrasting of these 3 love storylines was well done. Orlando and Rosalind's love is confused by disguise and falsehood (there's that natural vs. artificial theme in terms of love matters). Silvius and Phebe's love is marked with ongoing angst (especially on the part of poor Silvius when he verbalizes his feelings about Phebe: It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance, All humbleness, all patience, and impatience, All purity, all trial, all deservings; - And so am I for Phebe). Touchstone and Aubrey's love feels like fitting a square peg into a round hole - they come from completely different backgrounds and don't have much in common, yet they seem to have a fondness for each other despite their differences.
Physically moving the characters from the palace to the forest and that coinciding with them all moving from artificiality/shallowness in their interactions to finally coming clean with each other was brilliant. False to Truth, Artificial to Natural, Wrong to Right.
Rosalind's epilogue summed it all up nicely - She implores everyone to use these examples in the play "As You Like It", meaning as you see fit for your personal circumstances.
Up next will be [b:The Merchant of Venice|24128|The Merchant of Venice|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871054l/24128._SY75_.jpg|2682703].
#13 - [b:As You Like It|42607|As You Like It|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561383241l/42607._SY75_.jpg|702863]
Read - 5/4/23 - 5/6/23
Rating: 4 stars
___________________________________
I really enjoyed this play. The main theme I picked up on is natural vs. artificial - both in love matters and in the physical world. The beginning of the play is set in a stuffy palace held by a false duke and the characters superficially interact with each other, and the fakeness is pervasive.
Cut to the Forest of Arden where the overthrown/banished Duke is living his best life and is making the best out of what should be bad situation for him.
In the last 3 Acts of the play, we get 3 completely different but intertwined love stories with Orlando and Rosalind, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Aubrey. The comparing and contrasting of these 3 love storylines was well done. Orlando and Rosalind's love is confused by disguise and falsehood (there's that natural vs. artificial theme in terms of love matters). Silvius and Phebe's love is marked with ongoing angst (especially on the part of poor Silvius when he verbalizes his feelings about Phebe: It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance, All humbleness, all patience, and impatience, All purity, all trial, all deservings; - And so am I for Phebe). Touchstone and Aubrey's love feels like fitting a square peg into a round hole - they come from completely different backgrounds and don't have much in common, yet they seem to have a fondness for each other despite their differences.
Physically moving the characters from the palace to the forest and that coinciding with them all moving from artificiality/shallowness in their interactions to finally coming clean with each other
Spoiler
(along with the reestablishment of the rightful Duke in the end)Rosalind's epilogue summed it all up nicely - She implores everyone to use these examples in the play "As You Like It", meaning as you see fit for your personal circumstances.
Up next will be [b:The Merchant of Venice|24128|The Merchant of Venice|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871054l/24128._SY75_.jpg|2682703].
Hilarious, campy, meta, and one of my favorites from Shakespeare. I’m really pleased I read this!