In this play, one of Shakespeare's most popular, the
Forest of Arden is both an actual location and a source of rich metaphorical symbolism.
It is here that unrequited love is solidified, and where people who have been unable to
express their feelings find themselves emboldened to say what's in their hearts. One
strong theme that emphasizes the idealism of the countryside is the concept of the
pastoral: a world where daily life is steeped in the simple rhythms of nature: caring
for flocks. Silvius, Phebe, and Audrey exemplify the nature of simple country folk,
although in the case of Silvius and Phebe they aspire to a greater level of romanticism
than the more rustic and less ambitious Audrey.
Despite his
devotion to her, Phebe rejects Silvius when she meets and falls in love with Ganymede
(Rosalind in disguise), due to the latter's fine speaking and sophisticated manners. In
this way, the court does bring a form of cynical "corruption" to the forest, because if
not for Ganymede's presence, it is likely Silvius would not have had such trouble wooing
Phebe, whose initial rejection of him seems mere moodiness and
petulance.
But Ganymede defines for everyone what the noble
nature of love is, when her famous speech to Orlando on the symptoms of love emphasizes
the presence of "true lovers" in the forest. Ganymede/Rosalind responsible for reuniting
all of the suitable lovers with one another, suggesting her persona of Ganymede is
enriched by her time in the forest and acquires wisdom in matters of love, which had
eluded her when she was still merely Rosalind. By the time she reveals her true identity
to Orlando, she has come full circle, having experienced life as both genders and
understanding love from the perspective of both the lover and the one who is loved. It
was necessary for her to be apart from court and city life to acquire such wisdom and
perspective, and to achieve happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment