All About As You Like It by William Shakespeare

 

                             As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Source:      Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde, is the major source of the play, but characters, such as Jaques  

                           and the Clown Touchstone are Shakespeare’s own creation.

Characters:    Orlando, son of Rowland de Bois and loves Rosalind.

                             Oliver, Orlando’s elder brother, becomes his guardian after his father’s death.

Rosalind, Orlando’s beloved, daughter of exiled duke and she lives with her cousin,   Celia.

Celia, daughter of Fredrick, loves Oliver and stays all along with her cousin, Rosalind.

Fredrick, brother of the exiled duke and father of Celia, seeks chance to kill the duke but was     converted to restore the dukedom.

Duke, brother of Fredrick and father of Rosalind, usurped by his brother Fredrick but at the last they reunite.

Jacques, Duke Senior's noblemen who lives with him in the Forest of Arden. 

Touchstone, court jester of Duke Frederick.

Summary:          Fredrick has disinherited his brother duke who is living with his faithful followers in the forest of Ardenne. Rosalind, duke’s daughter and Celia, Fredrick’s daughter, living at the Fredrick’s court. Rosalind is permitted to stay there, on her request. They are watching a wrestling match in which Orlando defeats his opponent. Rosalind and Orlando fall in love and they promise for further dating. Oliver disinherits Orlando and drives him away from the house. He becomes the guardian after the death of Orlando’s father, treats him very poorly. Fredrick, knowing that Orlando is the son of Rowland, a friend of the exiled duke, banishes Rosalind from his court. Celia accompanies her. They appear into the forest as disguised; Rosalind assumes herself as a countryman’s dress and calls herself Ganymede; Celia calls herself Aliena, his sister. They live in the forest of Ardenne, and meet with Orlando, who joined the banished duke. Ganymede persuades Orlando to keep watch over her because she is as his own Rosalind. Oliver, hunger of Orlando’s life, comes to the forest, somehow Orlando save him from a lioness. He is filled with remorse. Oliver also falls in love with Aliena, and their wedding is arranged for the next day. Ganymede assures to Orlando that she will produce Rosalind at the same time to be married to him.

When all gathers to celebrate the double marriages, Celia and Rosalind leave their disguise and appear in their own characters. However, news is brought that Fredrick, who was seeking for duke to kill, converted by a religious man and has restored the dukedom.

As we read the play, noticeable, the plots dominates throughout the play, the plots in which the reflections of Jacques and Touchstone, by the large number of songs.  

Some Important Extracts from the Text

By my troth, thou sayest true; for since

the little wit that fools have was silenced,

the little foolery that wise men have makes

a great show.   (Act I Scene II)

—Touchstone said to Celia.

Wear this for me, one out of suits with Fortune,

That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. (Act. I Scene II)

—Rosalind offers Orlando her necklace, and adds that she would give him more, but she has little.

Alas, what danger will it be to us,

Maids as we are, to travel forth so far!

Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold. (Act. I Scene III)

— Celia tells Rosalind

'The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man

knows himself to be a fool.' (Act. V Scene I)

— Touchstone has asked William.

My affection hath an unknown

bottom, like the bay of Portugal. (Act IV Scene I)

— Rosalind hides to Celia that her love for Orlando is infinite.

  

men are April when they woo, December when they wed:

maids are May when they are maids, but the sky

changes when they are wives.  (Act IV Scene I)

— Ganymede speaks Orlando concerning love.

 I had

rather have a fool to make me merry than

experience to make me sad . . . .  (Act IV Scene I)

— Ganymede speaks his opinion of Jaques' precious melancholy

I pray you, do not fall in love with me,

For I am falser than vows made in wine (Act III Scene V)

— Ganymede (Rosalind) arguments to Phebe.

           Time travels in divers paces

with divers persons. I'll tell you who Time

ambles withal, who Time trots withal, who Time

gallops withal and who he stands still withal.  (Act III Scene II)

— Rosalind,  wearing cross-dressed as Ganymede, told Celia.

Do you not know I am a woman? when

I think, I must speak. Sweet, say on.  (Act III Scene II)

— Celia has criticized Rosalind.

Sir, I am a true labourer: I earn that I eat, get

that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man's

happiness, glad of other men's good, content

with my harm.  (Act III Scene II)

— Corin told to Touchstone.

O Rosalind! These trees shall be my books,

And in their barks my thoughts I'll character,

That every eye which in this forest looks

Shall see thy virtue witness'd every where.

Run, run, Orlando; carve on every tree

The fair, the chaste and unexpressive she.    (Act III Scene II)

— Orlando says to the Rosalind.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind.

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude   (Act. II Scene VII)

— Lord Amiens sings before Duke Senior.

 All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's …  (Act II Scene VII)

Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me,

And turn his merry note

Unto the sweet bird's throat,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.  ( Act II Scene V)

— Amiens sings a merriment song, call all who love to sing like birds "under the greenwood tree."

 We that are true lovers run into strange

capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature

in love mortal in folly. (Act II Scene IV)

 Contemporary Indian English Literature 

Autumn Song by WH Auden

Paraphrase

Autumn Song is a very unusual poem composed by WH Auden, unlike other poets who have treated this season as pleasant or productive, presents a scene of autumn as though it is indifferent to him. Perhaps, he is right on his own hold, autumn is not only a season but also a transition, the transition of time along with the meaning of life that we assign differently in different times. For the poet, autumn symbolises the departure of old things and waiting for the new things, the time between these two transitional phases creates a world of hopelessness, nothingness and a nightmare of death and decay. Most probably, the poet talks about a brief gap that has overwhelmed the present. Indirectly, the poet wants to relate the gap with the human generation, the generation, which is undergoing dreadful nothingness.

The poet has painted the scene of the season very lucidly, all the stanzas are arranged very sequentially. However, by observing more closely, twofold meanings are woven throughout the poem; one goes apparently that describes or illustrates the autumn and the other goes parallel to human life generation to generation. In the poem, it is the peak time of shedding all the leaves, so that the new leaves will come there. It is an incessant process of the world; each one has a fixed time to stay, comes and goes, momentary glimpse everything is temporary. However, these entire, short spans indicate the arrival or give the space for another. Once all these leaves used to be active, active enough to feed and maintain the proper health of the flora and have made them capable to grow newly. Moreover, it is the fate or misfortune to go into the mouth of time inevitably. It is useless or meaningless to think about anything, which is the ingredients of timelessness. Furthermore, the poet confirms that they are not the first to come on this way; many more are in the queue, perhaps hundreds in number awaiting for their part. In stanza third, a direct reference to man’s cremation move which, in the end, we assemble to hold or raise for the last time.

The poet, in stanza third, has painted leafless trees in the painted garden, hanging the photo frame before the eyes. In such pitiable condition, no nightingale will come and chant, nor any spell of the magic bond will work. A very desert-like situation, lifeless, hopeless and nothingness has enveloped it. Now the winter came, came the hope, hope for life, heralded to resurge everything to begin a new life. The mountain raised its head, quenched the thirst of all those who were waiting for a long time. A revival, revival of all living organisms, and revival of a new human generation.

  Author Note:

   Wystan Hugh Auden (21 Feb. 1907 – 29 Sep. 1973) was born in York, England, studied at English Independent School and Christ Church, Oxford. His father’s name is George Augustus Auden (1872 – 1957), a physician. He began writing poems at thirteen in the old fashion but was later influenced by TS Eliot and adopted his style. He published over four hundred poems, including seven long poems. His some memorable poems: Funeral Blues, September 1, 1939, The Shield of Achilles and The Age of Anxiety. The present poem talks about the Autumn Season. It is also an illustration of changing the course of nature, everything on the earth is subject to change, nothing is constant.

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Macavity the Mystery Cat by T.S. Eliot

                                                           Paraphrase

Macavity the Mystery Cat is the first and last poem composed by T.S. Eliot for youngsters . Perhaps, the poet is comparing cat with all the criminals that commit the crime and get elope.

Unlike Eliot’s other poems, this is very easy to understand. It has no complexities and farfetched references. Abstractly, Cat represents the notoriety, notoriety of a typical criminal, whom we encounter at every nook and corner of the public places. In the poem, a brief description about the mystery cat is given. The mystery cat has mastery to move around without leaving its single footprint. He has entitled as ‘Mystery’ due to its notoriety for braking the laws. For Scotland Squad, to catch him easily is not possible, every efforts to catch red handed  results in despair or empty hand. It is common for the police squad, after reaching on the spot of crime and criminal is not there. The mystery cat possesses all the skills or tricks that a typical or master criminal use to have; he is a unique in all. The mystery Cat is capable to do unnatural acts; he breaks the laws made for human by human as well as the laws made by nature. He can be spotted in very bizarre places, the places about which we do not think generally. He is different from the terrestrial creature; perhaps, he uses to be some time in the basement or you may need to look up in the air.

Now, the poet is pointing out or giving the clues about the appearance of the Mystery Cat: how it looks, how one can get it identify. The Macavity, a very tall and thin cat like ginger, one can recognise it very easily if he knows the shape of cat. His eyes are very deep and so brows lined deeply, head is erected or dome like. His coat is very dusty and so uncombed beard. The mystery cat is very quick, quick like a squirrel and turns the head around so that he could look all the sides. It is common for him, if we think he is asleep but he is wide-awake. The mystery cat has all the faculties and techniques that make him incomparable.

The poet wants to reveal that cat has hidden identity but we are still leaving him to accuse. The poet’s point of view the cat is not cat: a monster, a sinner of uncountable sins and master of devils in the form of a cat. The devil cat multiplies itself; he can be seen at multiple places, the places like Public Square, by street and at other public domains. However, the most the matter of despair is that it does not come in the reach of our police officers.

AUTHOR NOTE:

Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 Sep. 1888 – 4 Jan. 1965) was a British writer. He, by birth was an American, moved from his native United States to England in 1914 when he was 25 years old. He has a long queue of educational record: bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in Philosophy, MA in English Literature, studied Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit and so on. He has also a voluminous stock of works: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1915), The Waste Land (1922), Four Quartets (1943) and Murder in the Cathedral (1935). The present poem Macavity The Mystery Cat is the best known of Elitot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, an exceptional book Eliot wrote for a younger audience.

My Grandmother’s House

Paraphrase

The poem ‘My Grandmother’s House’ is a very compassionate poem. The gravity of the poem is rest on the degree of transmission of emotions that often we relate to ourselves. We often come across the memories of grandmother; her narration of tales and above all a grandmotherly care. This poem is a painful record of poet’s longing of past. She is unfolding the closed chapters of her early life; gone are the days, the days of her unquestioned happy moments with grandmother altogether. Poet is narrating her own true story that the house is very far away and the house caretaker is no more, where, once she was loved. She says the house has drowned in deep silence, and snakes crawling here and there, where, once she used to be. Now, the poet took us to the place where used to go and stand against the window and feel the blowing unbearable cold wind.

Most probably, the poet is talking about her old aged grandmother who often needs somebody’s help to move within. The Poet’s assistance to her grandmother leaves her often unhappy or despair. The sorrow envelopes her when she looks her grandmother becoming old day after day. Now, the poet turns to her husband and she tries to assure about her darlingness for her grandmother. She feels proud to think of her or to be part of such lovable family. Grandmother’s affection is very supreme in degree; the intensity of her emotion is very high. Undoubtedly, as we say grandmother for her seniority in the family, as a child we say grandmother to seek or grant all the permissions that we do not find frequently from our parents.

The poet has brought us to her husband’s house where she has to persuade each or everyone to seek his or her affection. Here, she finds love or compassionate treatment after some compromises. She often relies on the wishes of others who could not understand her yet. Thus, she is assuring her husband about the manner or treatment received by her grandmother. She is contrasting the culture of these two houses.

Paraphrase of Snake Written by D.H. Lawrence

The poem begins in a very storytelling manner, throughout the poem, poet (narrator) narrates the story very plainly. The poet says that a snake came to water trough to drink the water. The poet waits for his part to collect the water and he does so without any complaint or disturbance to the snake. The poet thinks himself as if he is the second one to come and stand in the queue for his part. The snake, feeling hot, rested its throat on the cool stone surface.

It is a very hot month and somewhere (Sicilian, July month with Etna Smoking) active volcano, makes the surrounding hotter. The snake is drinking the water very silently, sometimes, raises its head to keep a watch on the poet as generally cattle do. Due to unbearable heat, the snake stops for few moments and then resumes to drink little more. Now, the poet’s mind and heart are at regular conflict, as the typical human, poet chooses to kill the snake, then just another moment he said “No”, he listens to his heart and spare the snake. However, the poet draws the decision based on the analysis of black and gold snakes; black snakes are not dangerous but gold one is very venomous.

The poet overwhelmed by feelings regarding the snake. It came then went away thankless and peacefully. The snake, as a guest is liable to hospitality. This time, the poet has become very dubious and doubts about himself. A number of questions is raising in his mind. He uses some degraded words like “cowardice”, “perversity” to criticize. However, at last, he felt so honoured, to honour the snake. Again, the poet asserts that if he were not afraid of the snake, he would have killed the snake. However, he asserts more strongly that he was most afraid yet he felt most honoured too. The poet illustrates the snake: thrice dream, curving round, and easing shoulder.

Thinking for a while, the poet keeps his pitcher picks up a log and threw at the water trough. However, the log could not hit the snake but it hastened the snake to go faster into the fissure. Somehow, it manages to get into with a sense of defiance. Now, the poet was very shameful for his act, he was regretting and accursing to human nature. Here poet has used Mariner’s Albatross as an allusion. He fears of the worst that has befall over Old Mariner, he repents leaving an opportunity to serve. The poet promises for atonement in future.       

Sweetest Love I Do Not Goe by John Donne

                                              

                                                   

                                                                PARAPHRASE

1.         Sweetest Love , I do not Goe is composed by John Donne. He was born in 1572 and died in 1631. He belongs to the Metaphysical school of poetry. He is considered the leader of metaphysical poetry.  Generally, Metaphysical poets compose poems by using images that are not possible in this world. They try to make impossible things possible in their poems. He wrote Sonnets, Satires, Elegies and Sermons.

2.         There are five stanzas in the poem.

3.         In this poem, the poet consoles his wife not to shed tears on the occasion of his departure. In his consolation, the poet assures her about his extraordinary presence with her.

4.         In the first stanza, the poet tries to persuade her that she is the only darling for him. Poet says that our death is the ultimate truth, therefore it is better to enjoy ourselves than to moan. And doing so, we will give death to die.

5.         In the second stanza, the poet gives an example of the Sun. Although the sun has neither emotion nor loving one, it has a fixed schedule. Poet compares himself to the sun and says that my journey would be faster than the sun. I shall add an extra wing to make my journey faster.

6.         In the third stanza, the poet points out the limitation of the human wing. He says that when our hard times began, we cannot extend even a single hour in our life. Even a lost hour can not be taken back. When time becomes unfavourable, we can not do anything but face it with our little strength. We teach each other to accept destiny.

7.         In the fourth stanza, the poet scolds his wife that her weeping has side effects on part of the poet. Her weeping decays the poet’s blood, and in doing so she treats the poet unkindly. Poet says that if she loves him most then she should not weep anymore because both of them share half of the body with each other so-called अर्धांगिनी. So, deteriorating the blood of half body will affect the other half.

8.         In the concluding stanza, the poet points out the ways to remain united forever. He urges his wife not to think any ill regarding the future concern, luck will favour you always. And don’t fear our separation, instead, think that we are sleeping side by side. Finally, thinking like this we will remain close to each other forever.

 

Hindi version of the Poem

 

1. स्वीटेस्ट लव, आई नॉट गो, जॉन डोने द्वारा रचित है। उनका जन्म 1572 में हुआ था और 1631 में उनकी मृत्यु हो गई थी। वे कविता के मेटाफिजिकल स्कूल से संबंधित हैं। उन्हें आध्यात्मिक कविता का नेता माना जाता है। आम तौर पर, आध्यात्मिक कवि छवियों का उपयोग करके कविताओं की रचना करते हैं जो इस दुनिया में संभव नहीं हैं। वे अपनी कविताओं में असंभव को संभव करने का प्रयास करते हैं। उन्होंने सॉनेट्स, व्यंग्य, एलिगिस और उपदेश लिखे।

2. कविता में  पांच श्लोक हैं।

3. इस कविता में कवि अपनी पत्नी को उनके जाने के अवसर पर आंसू न बहाने के लिए सांत्वना देता है। अपने सांत्वना में, कवि उसे उसके साथ उसकी असाधारण उपस्थिति के बारे में आश्वासन देता है।

4. पहले छंद में, कवि उसे मनाने की कोशिश करता है कि वह उसके लिए एकमात्र प्रिय है। कवि कहता है कि हमारी मृत्यु ही परम सत्य है, इसलिए विलाप करने से अच्छा है कि हम स्वयं का आनंद लें। और ऐसा करके हम मौत को मरने देंगे।

5. दूसरे श्लोक में कवि सूर्य का उदाहरण देता है। हालांकि सूर्य में न तो भावना है और न ही प्यार करने वाला, इसका एक निश्चित कार्यक्रम है। कवि अपनी तुलना सूर्य से करता है और कहता है कि मेरी यात्रा सूर्य से भी तेज होगी। मैं अपनी यात्रा को तेज करने के लिए एक अतिरिक्त विंग जोड़ूंगा।

6. तीसरे श्लोक में कवि मानव पंख की सीमा को इंगित करता है। उनका कहना है कि जब हमारा कठिन समय शुरू हुआ तो हम अपने जीवन में एक घंटा भी नहीं बढ़ा सकते। एक खोया हुआ घंटा भी वापस नहीं लिया जा सकता। जब समय प्रतिकूल हो जाता है, तो हम कुछ भी नहीं कर सकते लेकिन अपनी थोड़ी ताकत से उसका सामना कर सकते हैं। हम एक दूसरे को भाग्य को स्वीकार करना सिखाते हैं।

7. चौथे श्लोक में कवि अपनी पत्नी को डांटता है कि उसके रोने का कवि पर दुष्प्रभाव पड़ता है। उसके रोने से कवि का खून खराब हो जाता है और ऐसा करते हुए वह कवि के साथ निर्दयता से पेश आती है। कवि कहता है कि अगर वह उससे सबसे ज्यादा प्यार करती है तो उसे अब और नहीं रोना चाहिए क्योंकि दोनों शरीर का आधा हिस्सा एक दूसरे के साथ साझा करते हैं तथाकथित अर्धांगिनी। तो आधे शरीर का खून खराब होने से दूसरे आधे शरीर पर असर पड़ेगा।

8. समापन श्लोक में कवि सदा एकता में रहने के उपाय बताता है। वह अपनी पत्नी से आग्रह करता है कि भविष्य की चिंता के बारे में कोई बुरा न सोचें, भाग्य हमेशा आपका साथ देगा। और हमारे बिछड़ने से मत डरो, बल्कि ये सोचो कि हम कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर सो रहे हैं। आखिर ऐसा सोचकर हम हमेशा एक दूसरे के करीब रहेंगे।

Previous Posts:

Brief Summary of Novels
Emma 

About Authors

Jane Austen
Thomas Carlyle 
Walter Horatio Pater

Shakespearean Drama
The Tempest

As You Like It

Hamlet

Henry IV

Paraphrases of the poems

Paradise Lost
Sweetest Love I do not Goe
If thy soul check thee that I come so near ( sonnet136)

My Grandmother’s House

 Autumn Song

Macavity the Mystery Cat
 When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes  (Sonnet 29)

Miscellaneous 
Our Education System: Fact or Figure

Anita Krishan - the visionary contemporary novelist!

BSEB, Intermediate (10+2) English Paper

How reading Poetry is different than reading Prose fiction?

Contemporary Indian English Novelists

Literature and Criticism and Literary Theory