Rosalind

Rosalind Response Paper

The critic Harold Bloom writes that "Rosalind's spirit cleanses us of false melancholies, rancid reductions, corrupting idealisms and universalizing resentments" and points out how she outmaneuvers the wit of Touchstone and Jaques. My impression is that just because Rosalind faces a frightening situation with grace and strength, she manages to make the best of her unfortunate situation. She refuses to crack under the pressure. She instead blossoms from the pressure and makes it positive. Her charm and wit shine through every time she speaks. Then there is the matter of her clever way to get Orlando to fall in love with her. Though they fell in love at first sight, as so many of Shakespeare’s characters do, Rosalind is different from most of his “in love for no real reason” women in that she actually gets to take the time to find out for sure if this is the guy for her. She is able to not only learn exactly how true Orlando’s love is, but learn the true depths of it, simply by being good at keeping up her boyish disguise, while she continues playing the game. She loves Orlando ardently, but not foolishly. She keeps her head and says, “Love is but a madness.” Rosalind is, in short, one of the tougher girls in Shakespeare’s comedic canon. There is a reason why “As You Like It” has been beloved for so long. It is because in Rosalind, Shakespeare has created a female character who can stand up on her own and who’s strength through her words and is felt in the hearts of the audience and the readers. This is why I think that Rosalind out outmaneuvers the wit of Touchstone and Jaques.