William Shakespeare 's The Forest Of Arden And The Court

William Shakespeare is the world’s pre-eminent dramatist whose plays range from tragedies to tragic comedies, etc. His general style of writing is often comparable to several of his contemporaries, like Romeo and Juliet is based on Arthur Brooke’s narrative poem, “The tragical history of Romeo and Juliet”. But Shakespeare’s works express a different range of human experience where his characters command the sympathy of audiences and also are complex as well as human in nature. Shakespeare makes the protagonist’s character development central to the plot.

In this essay I will address how conflict is successfully used in Act 1 Scene 1 to prepare the audience for the rest of the play. It will firstly show how Shakespeare uses physical conflict between the two feuding families. Secondly I will demonstrate the idea that Shakespeare introduces emotional conflict through the character of Romeo, and his outpourings of love for Rosaline. Finally I will show that the character of Romeo demonstrates both physical or external conflict and emotional or internal conflict. The purpose of the prologue is to clearly outline the plot of the whole play in fourteen lines and it also allows the audience to be settled before the actual play

The play starts with Sampson and Gregory, two of Capulet’s servants, beginning a quarrel with two servants of Montague. This shows that from the working-class to the upper-class in the two families, they still hold a grudge against the opposite family. Tybalt arrives at the scene, speaking of his loathing of the Montagues, “I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee”. A furious riot develops with Lords Capulet and Montague joining in and officers clubbing both sides of the fight, only for it to be stopped by the neutral Prince Escales. The riot further emphasises the vast level of hate between the two families.

Human nature is often considered in isolation from the rest of the world as if it would be an exception or a special case. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, the complexities of human nature are explored in depth. This essay will explore in particular how Shakespeare dramatises the concepts of human misunderstandings, deception and dichotomy through effective dramatic techniques.

Firstly let us consider conflict. In each act of the play, we see the overpowering desire to belong leading to a climax of conflict

Inherent within humanity is the need to belong, in which an individual must accept one another in order to achieve a greater sense of connectedness and identity. This is firstly evident in Shakespeare's As You Like It whereby the ideas of love are used to reveal how relationships are fundamental to one's sense of belonging. Act 1 Scene 3 explores belonging and not belonging through love and nature as it establishes the plot at the mark of separation from court and country by Rosalind and Celia breaking the sense of belonging to place. Celia and Rosalind convey a strong bond evident in Celia’s plea to her father, Duke Frederick, to keep Rosalind at court rather than banishing her to the Forest of Arden. Conventions of love are evident

In much of literature there exists the juxtaposition of the natural world vs. the unnatural. Human’s effect on nature and how it, in turn, influences us, is a crucial theme in many classic works. In Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, the initial setting is in the court, however, the characters are soon introduced to the Forest of Ardenne where the “magic” and the differences of the natural world are clear. Shakespeare uses this juxtaposition of settings to contrast the values of each environment and create resolution for all characters at the end of the play.

In this play, there is a noticeable difference between the natural way in which humans want to act against what is considered natural in society. Elements of society cause the characters to be able to justify unnatural actions. Shakespeare thoroughly laces this play with the concept of humans are neither good nor evil by nature.

To begin with, in this play the author unfolds family conflicts that involve its characters into a series of events that affected their lives and pushed them to unexpected ways.

“As You Like It”, is a Shakespearean comedy that is believed to have been written around the 1600’s. This play holds onto many strong motifs throughout the entire play. One of the most obvious motifs would have to be the concept of exile. Many of the characters in the play have been intimidated away from their homes, while others left voluntarily to live in the forest of Arden. This separation from their homes in the court aids in helping Shakespeare’s major themes come alive. The major themes evident in Act 4 Scene 3 is the malleability of humans through experience, the effects of love, and a comparison of city life to country life.

Dramatic techniques play significant roles in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, allowing for the idealistic perception of the historical audience to develop into a further empathy with the characters in Macbeth. Shakespeare achieves this by playing on beliefs held in that era, such as the Great Chain of Being, and interweaves them to bring further emphasis to his themes of ambition, masculinity and the conflicting moralities/idealisms in fair and foul actions/in what can be defined as fair or foul.

Only in the forest do women exercise power. How far do you agree with this statement?

Gender identity and its roles in 17th and 19th century England were regarded as rigid fact — definite and unyielding. The adherence to these social protocols was of utmost importance. Masculinity was viewed as being dominant, assertive, and bold, whereas femininity involved beauty, obedience, and chastity. The theatre became a method of challenging this rigid social concept. Both William Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest explore these public values through their characters. Wilde and Shakespeare’s use of gender reversals satirize the traditions of social order, marriage, and gender responsibilities at the time, thereby revealing that gender is not absolute.

In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It the speech act is introduced and helps to create a unique insight into the play and its events. Shakespeare integrates a speech act by Jaques to deliver a deeper meaning and lesson to the audience or reader of the work. Jaques in his speech act conveys a message with a much deeper meaning and teaching to society in general. The speech act rendered by Jaques addresses the themes of satire, philosophy, and the ages of man.

One of the most deep rooted themes in As You Like It is the contrast between city and country life, which in the play manifests itself as the contrast between life in court and life in the forest. Many of the poets and writers in Shakespeare’s day lived in the court, or at least in the city of London, and they spent much of their time pondering the instability and intricacies of court life, and wondering if a simpler life in the country would be more desirable. ‘I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger’ (1.1.137-8)’ Neck breaking is considered entertainment at Duke Fredereick’s Court. Also, Oliver’s desire to see the court wrestler kill his little brother