How is the play As You Like It a Satire? Pay attention to Rosalind and Jaques.
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3rd Quarter Blog Post 3
Step inside your mind and into the library of books you've read. Which one best represents the painting below and why? You must use a q...
Brynn Klaber: Satire
ReplyDeletePrompt 1: Satire in As You Like It
A satire is defined as “a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, or exaggeration.” There are many instances of satire and sarcasm located within the characters dialogue in the play. The exaggerated sarcasm aids in the development of the characters, and enables the reader to understand their individual personalities. Two main characters that exemplify this satire are Rosalind and Jaques. Rosalind utilized much sarcasm when speaking to the other characters. In line 62, she states, “Where learned you that oath, fool?” and in line 70, she replies to Touchstone saying, “Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom.” In both of these lines, there is a hint of sarcasm in Rosalind’s tone. The word “fool” shows she is being witty and humorous when speaking to Touchstone. Touchstone brings sarcastic back, so she then responds to him in a comical way. It is almost as if Rosalind is mocking Touchstone, and she is making fun how ironic it is that he is known for his wisdom. Jaques is another example of a character with a slight sarcastic voice. In Act 2 Scene 5, Jaques is peacefully listening to Amiens sing, but Amiens keeps on interrupting his own singing. In line 15, Amiens states, “My voice is ragged. I know I cannot please you,” and Jaques responds later on saying, “Come, sing. And you that will not, hold your tongues.” Jaques could obviously care less about what Amiens is saying because he just wants to hear him sing, so he makes a comical joke about Amiens needing to hold his tongue in order for him to stop speaking. The use of humor in this scene provides the audience insight into the character’s true personalities, especially Jaques who consistently makes jokes throughout the entire play.
Your evidence supports the claim of "As You Like It" being a satire and how their are multiple satires throughout the play. -Emily Ally
DeleteI really liked your evidence and how well it supports your claim. -Carissa Boddie
DeleteThomas Stewart
ReplyDeleteSatire is very much prevalent throughout "As You like It." There are many instances where sentiments expressed by characters are meant to seem funny and ironic. One such example is Rosalind's constant disguise as a boy that changes the way many of the relationships she has with people such as her father and Duke Senior. Sarcasm is used constantly throughout the play, especially when Rosalind is speaking. She uses it towards characters such as Touchstone, and with him already being a jester, this adds to overall lack of seriousness that is present in several instances throughout the play. "Thou losest thy old smell." "Where learned you that oath, fool?" These quotes shows Rosalind's joking sentiments towards Touchstone in speaking to him. Touchstone normally responds in a goofy or comical way, making him seem a lot less wise then initially stated by other characters in the play, thus providing some irony. Another example of irony is the relationship shared between Silvius and Audrey. Silvius is in love with Phoebe, but it's ironic because she has no admiration for him whatsoever. "And so am I for Ganymede. If this be so, why blame you me to love you?" This shows Phoebe's love for Ganymede and her attempt to use that as an excuse to repel Silvius from her.
I liked your response and I agree that Rosalind uses sarcasm the most. -Carissa Boddie
DeleteI agree that the part of the poem where Rosalind dresses as a boy really adds to the satirical aspect of the play.
DeleteGrace Dunaway: Is “As You Like It” a Satire?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think there are moments when “As You Like It” can be defined as satirical. Satire in literature refers to when writers use irony or exaggeration to poke fun at something. There are many moments in the play when irony can be seen, so because of this I think the play can be define as a satire. For example, the idea of Rosalind dressing up as a boy and forming her relationships through this disguise is a bit satirical. Rosalind has many moments when she pokes fun at other people, such as when she states “Where learned you that oath, fool?”. Rosalind is joking around with Touchstone, who she respects greatly, by calling him a fool. This is ironic because Touchstone is revealed as the complete opposite, as he is developed to be a very wise and knowledgeable person. Because of this and the relationship between Touchstone and Rosalind, the reader knows that she is just joking around with him. Jaques is another character who seems to add humor to the play, such as when he states “I do love it better than laughing”. There is irony in this quote, as Jaques seems to recognize everyone else’s flaws, but can’t recognize his own, which is that he loves despair. In this way, through Jaques, “As You Like It” can be seen as a satire do the irony that is used through Jaques’s character. His love for sadness and despair separates him from all other characters and most readers.
I like how you defined what a satire is and then went into talking about the irony of having Rosalind dressing up as a boy. -Emily Ally
DeleteEmily Ally
ReplyDeleteWeek 6
“As You Like It” has satires throughout the play that were either ionic or full of sarcasm. Throughout the last part of act 3 scene 2, Rosalind speaks to Orlando in her disguise as Ganymede. She says, "ROSALIND: I will speak to him like a saucy lackey, and under that habit play the knave with him. Do you hear, forester?" (Act 3, Scene 2). He does not know that it is the love of his life. However, the audience knows Ganymede's real identity. Shakespeare employs this sort of dramatic irony often to inspire excitement in his audiences. The suspense of Orlando not knowing that he is talking to the woman he loves almost makes the audience want to shout it. They just want to inform the character because they want Orlando and Rosalind to be together. It's frustrating that he is completely oblivious, but it also keeps the audience interested and drawn in. It makes them a part of the story even though they are inactive or unable to take any action. But this technique succeeds in making Shakespeare's audiences feel like the story is more real because they are a part of it. As a hopeless romantic, I found this part adorable. For instance, Rosalind is in love with Orlando, but she is afraid to tell him. So, she disguises herself as a man to see if his love is true. Phoebe falls in love with Rosalind, but Rosalind is actually in love with Orlando. However, it was nice to know that Shakespeare is capable of writing romantic comedies.
Carissa Boddie, Week December 14
ReplyDeleteThe definition of satire is "the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vice". The play "As you like it" definitely has moments where it can be seen as satire. This is mainly shown through the characters and their irony and sarcasm. Rosalind is one of the main characters who speaks with so much sarcasm especially toward touchstone. When she says "Where you learned that oath fool". This is also very ironic because Touchstone is described as the exact opposite. He is very knowledgably. In conclusion "As you like it" could definitely be seen as a satire due to the sarcasm and irony throughout the course of the play.
Lily Perry
ReplyDeleteTo understand if the play "As you like it" is a work of satire you must first understand what satire is. Satire is the use of irony, humor or exaggeration, by an author to expose characters stupidity. In "As you like it" there are definite moments of satire, one being Rosalind cross dressing as a male and forming relationships but in a way she would not typically be presented. This alone can give justification of the play being a satire.
Lily, I think that it is really good that you included the definition of satire and gave the example of how it was used with Rosalind.
Delete- eva hecht
I feel that the play "As You Like It" could be considered satirical. Satire is the use of irony, humor, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose or criticize people and their vices. Rosalind's character in the play is a key example of how Shakespeare integrates satire into his play. When Rosalind is disguised as Ganymede, she has interactions with Orlando, the man who is supposedly the love other life. Shakespeare employs irony in that Orlando is unable to see through Rosalind's disguise after having lengthy conversation with her, yet he is supposed to be her great love. It is ironic that he does not know her well enough to be able to see that it is her. In this way, Shakespeare is criticizing this type of love, love at first sight, and the audience is able to see the humor and irrationality of it.
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie, I think this is a very good analysis because you address specific examples and elaborate on how they are satire.
Delete- EVA HECHT
EVA HECHT
ReplyDeleteAccording to our trusty internet, a satire is defined as “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” I would agree that Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” could be considered a satire, due to the presence of humor among serious events. In looking at Rosalind and Jacques, I found a few of these comparisons. Rosalind is our main female role and seen as a delight to come in contact with. Love is a serious thing and Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede and offers herself as a love tutor if you will to Orlando, whom she is romantically involved with. This implements a sense of silliness, however, he is unaware of what is truly happening, making it different because his sense of reality is significantly clouded. On the other hand, Jacques is comedic throughout the story, allowing us to characterize him as someone who does not take a majority of life’s aspects seriously. He ends up failing to take Duke Senior’s offer to be on his court, and instead takes his comedic personality to a monastery, which is also satirical. Ultimately, I feel as if As You Like It has pieces that are satirical, however, I feel as if most of it is fantastical and meant to be silly, but not necessarily all in a critical nature. In regards to the rest of the characters, I think it is safe to say that no one is perfect, but there is a sense of criticism through humor in everyone’s lives whether you choose for it to be there or not.
I like your idea of the story being a combination of a satire and a fantasy!-maggie
DeleteAs You Like It has several moments where the seriousness of a situation is broken by humor, or comedy found in ridiculous transpirings. There are several scenes and dialogues in this play that seem to be self-aware of it’s own silliness. An example of this is towards the end of the play, when Rosalind, pretending to be a man, Ganymede, has a string of lovers following her around. Orlando has fallen in love with Rosalind, and believes Ganymede to be assisting him with this, while Phoebe has fallen in love with Ganymede, and is holding out the hope that he will marry her. Rosalind creates a riddle that promises Orlando to marry Rosalind, and Phoebe to marry Ganymede if he is a man. Of course, Orlando marries Rosalind, and Phoebe is left without Ganymede, for he was Rosalind all along. This scene pokes fun at Phoebe, showing how ridiculous it is for someone to fall in love at first sight, without truly knowing who you are pining for. This satirizes several of Shakespeare’s own plays, most notably Romeo and Juliet, by uncovering a ridiculousness and naivety of loving someone the moment you met them, without truly knowing any of their nature. Phoebe’s pursuit of Ganymede is meant to be laughed at, especially considering she is not a character that is intended to be beloved by the audience. Shakespeare dives into a more meta theme with this play, teasing himself and some of his other works by satirizing the trope that some would say he himself had invented. - regan a. allen
ReplyDeleteCharlie Jones -
ReplyDeleteAs You Like It is a satire in every way, but the main point of ironic amusement comes in the form of the ongoing motif about love and relationships. We see many different relationships form and well simply appear out of thin air, so much so that the play ends with a wedding involving eight different marriages in total. This scene itself is presented in a laughing manner simply because the idea that all of these people met and married during this play is quite frankly ridiculous. On top of this, a lot of the satire comes through specific characters who are used by Shakespeare in ironic manners in order to poke fun at the institution of marriage and the idea of love at first sight. We see these ideas being presented through the use of Rosalind within the story. Rosalind is disguised within the story as a man named Ganymede who has frequent interactions with her “true love” Orlando. The interactions are set up in order to make fun of both Rosalind and Orlando for being so “in love” while Rosalind is lying to Orlando and Orlando is unable to recognize his love with a simple wardrobe change and no hair showing. This alone shows the irony of the motifs that are presented in the play, and how Shakespeare’s plot points highlight the immaturity and ridiculousness of having these relationships in life. Overall because of characters like Rosalind we can read between the lines and see the true comical side that Shakespeare brings out through his characters' relationships.
I too agree that Rosalind adds a lot to the story to make it a satire. -maggie
DeleteMaggie Heckman
ReplyDeleteAlthough many of Shakespeare's plays are known for their dark and tragic plots, the story found in As You Like It uses wit and humor to tell a story of romance, which allows this story to be considered a satire. A satire can be defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. This can be seen in the play as characters use sarcasm and tricks to make the story have a comedic tone despite having deeper messages within it. One of the greatest contributors to making this play a satire is the presence of Rosalind/Ganymeade. The use of this character in the play shows a laughable irony as Rosalind pretends to be Ganymeade in the forest for protection, but ends up meeting her love Orlando. In most stories someone like Rosalind would reveal herself to Orlando, but in the case of this play she keeps it a secret and uses it to her advantage. This irony and humor contributes to the play as a whole being considered a satire. An example in the play is this, “Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak.” This quote demonstrates how Rosalind and the audience know the truth of her identity but she uses hints to allude to her identity when speaking with Orlando, which makes it even more ironic as he is unable to identify her.
Caitlin Fleming
ReplyDeleteWeek of December 18th
Satire is the use of sarcasm, ridicule, or irony in order to expose character's stupidity or corruption. Shakespeare's "As You Like It" definelty uses satire in many different occurences. A specific time where satire is shown is when Rosalind is talking to the Touchstone. She first says "Where’d you learn a phrase like, “by my honor,” fool?" and then says "Yes, please; unleash your wisdom". This consists of irony because she orignially calls him a fool and then goes on to tell him to unleas his wisdom. It also shows the sarcasm in the text because the Touchstone is later described as very smart and has much wisdom, so calling him a fool would be her saying it out of sarcasm because she respected him very well and knew he was full of wisdom and knowledge.
Your evidence really adds to your point about the text being a satire.
DeleteCameron Walters-
ReplyDeleteThe play by William Shakespeare “As you like it” is undoubted a satire. The characteristics of a satire is its humor and exaggeration usually used in the form of poking fun at someone or something. A big plot point of the play is a perfect example of this when Rosalind dresses up like a boy and creates relationships through this false personality. This is a large example of humor which is important when deciding if something is satirical or not. Another part of the text that shows that this is satirical is the sort of love triangle that goes on in the play. With Rosalind loving Orlando and her disguising herself to see if he feels the same but in the process of that she has Phoebe fall for her. This seems to be poking fun at the games of love and how it can be complicated. Another poke of fun at one of the characters in the novel is when Rosalind calls Touchstone a fool when he is the exact opposite. Throughout the text he has the appearance to be very intelligent. This is put in there to keep the mood light and fun in the text to keep the audience engaged. A main reason for this play being a satire is because of Rosalind, she was obviously put in the play as a comedic relief and really pulls the idea that this play is a satire. With Rosalind in the play this play is a satire with her playful attitude and witty dialogue.
The play by William Shakespeare "As you like it" is definitely a satire. There are several times through out the play where it seems even the character in the stories realize what they are doing or saying is humorous in some way shape or form. The idea of satire can be humorous exaggerative etc. In the story towards the end they really ealized the humor by the way they listed out how each marriage was going to proceed if one did not marry the other. This was in a sense silly and we have a touch of irony here because the reader's already know that Ganymede is Rosalind. We already know she is going to marry Orlando leaving the play in some what a happy ending due to the main characters receiving what they wanted although not all of them. We also see this when Touchstone analogy for being a fool and that it is better for him to be a fool then to demonstrate the type of wit that he beholds in his brain.
ReplyDeleteSatire is prevalent through the story in various ways. There are many examples of sarcasm and irony to help develop the plot and create an interesting and funny circumstances within the story. For example, when Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede, who Orlando claims to be in love with. Rosalind, in her disguise, has a long conversation with Orlando and he still does not notice that it is not truely Ganymede, even though he claims her to be the love of his life. This is an example of irony in the story and shows the true extent of satire of the play.
ReplyDelete-John Biesecker
Week Nine
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It” is a prime example of satire as it contains irony, humor, and exaggeration to reach out to the audience and create a certain mood or tone throughout the writing. A prime example of a satire that is shown throughout the entire play is that of Rosalind and Orlando’s relationship. Their relationship starts with the cliche of being love at first sight, and then turns into a thing of humor and sarcasm as they encounter in the woods. Orlando is leaving some very terribly written poetry to his love Rosalind, whom thinks the poetry is terrible but says she is going to follow it anyone to see who exactly it is from and for. Orlando first does not recognize Rosalind as she is disguised as a man, even as she is his one true love. This is very ironic, but not as ironic and humorous as their exchange when discussing the accounts of marriage and he did not realize of whom he was discussing his wants to get married to. It is truly shocking how clueless Shakespear could have written this character and how the 'love of his life’ was not recognized from being only dressed up as a man. The irony found in this play is outstanding, and it allows for a lot of audience comical relief.