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How Does Shakespeare Present Rosalind's Character Throughout The Play

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A Very Human Heroine
Arguably the most interesting protagonist in William Shakespeare’s dramas, Rosalind - along with her alter ego Ganymede - dominate the scenes of As You Like It, a 1599 comedy full of many distinct and likeable characters. The depth of the play’s character list, however, is overshone by this young girl along with her desire to overcome her hardships in her own bold ways. Although she is a prominent character, her status as a heroine cannot completely mask her flaws. Rosalind, the daughter of the former, banished Duke, shows both virtues and faults throughout the play; Shakespeare gave his protagonist attributes that reflect a real, imperfect human. The writer portrays Rosalind as very loving and compassionate, but does not …show more content…

Her delicate tone is inviting to all those around her, but one character receives an exceptional amount of attention from her. Rosalind and her dear cousin Celia stay loyal to one another even though they are both the daughters of feuding brothers. Although Rosalind’s father has been exiled, her love for Celia allows her to stay in the kingdom, even sleeping in the home of the man that showed so much hostility to her family. Early in the story, she says “I will forget the condition of my estate to rejoice in yours.” (17) Her oppressive situation does not break her, as she is able to show joy in Celia’s prosperity. She proposes that she “devise sports” (19) to forget about her buried sadness and is able to deal with her circumstances by distracting herself. Her relationship with Celia aids in her masking of sorrow, allowing her to show off a more kind and friendly side to the audience. This is similar to the human race as it is widely known that friends and companions can help people forget about tough times. Pleasant experiences with those one care about helps build up good morale. Indeed, Rosalind has extremely loving attributes, hence she is a fitting representative for the compassion of

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