As You Like It Group

Question:

saina
saina
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What is the contrast between the court life and country life (Forest of Arden) in As You Like It?

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Posted by saina on Wednesday September 16, 2009 at 6:39 AM and tagged with contrast, country life, court life, forest of arden.

Answers:

  1. appletrees
    appletrees Teacher
    College - Junior

    eNotes Editor

    One way that Shakespeare demonstrates the difference between court and country life is to have the court characters speak in verse form, and to have the country characters speak in prose form. This is a technique utilized in many of the comedies. The country characters, who live in the Forest of Arden, are portrayed as willful and sometimes simple-minded. The women in particular are shown in string contrast to their court counterparts. Phoebe the shepherdess has a hot temper as displayed in her conversation with Silvius. She also is easily attracted to other men, as shown in her immediate attraction to Ganymede/Rosalind. Audrey, a simple milk maid, is shown to be naive and ignorant as she allows Jacques to seduce her. Both these characters' words and behaviors imply that country women are more sexually open and active than the women from the court.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/as-you-like-it

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    Posted by appletrees on Wednesday September 16, 2009 at 8:40 AM