#williamshakespeare — Public Fediverse posts

Movie Review: As You Like It (1978)

Title: As You Like It
Release Date: December 17, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Production Company: Time-Life Television Productions | BBC
Main Cast:

• • Helen Mirren as Rosalind
  • Brian Stirner as Orlando
  • Richard Pasco as Jaques
  • Angharad Rees as Celia
  • James Bolam as Touchstone
  • Clive Francis as Oliver
  • Richard Easton as Duke Frederick
  • Tony Church as Banished Duke
  • John Quentin as Le Beau
  • Maynard Williams as Silvius
  • Victoria Plucknett as Phebe
  • Marilyn Le Conte as Audrey
  • Tom McDonnell as Amiens
  • David Lloyd Meredith as Corin
  • Arthur Hewlett as Adam
  • Jeffrey Holland as William
  • Timothy Bateson as Sir Oliver Martext
  • David Prowse as Charles
  • John Moulder-Brown as Hymen
  • Paul Bentall as Jacques de Boys
  • Peter Tullo as Palace Lord

• Mike Lewin as Palace Lord
• Carl Forgione as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Max Harvey as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Chris Sullivan as Dennis
• Paul Phoenix as Page
• Barry Holden as Page

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.

My Thoughts:

I’ve returned to BBC Television Shakespeare which is always a good option for Shakespeare’s plays that don’t get as many movie adaptations.  I was hoping to watch a 1961 Royal Shakespeare Company performance with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind, but couldn’t find the film anywhere (although the audio is on YouTube).  Of course, Helen Mirren is no slouch and she shines in her performance of Rosalind.  Unlike most of the BBC productions which are filmed on sound stages, As You Like It is filmed entirely on location with the better part of the movie set in the forest.  With that being said, it is a bit strange that all the characters just hang out in the woods with no tents or other structures.  The cast is talented but the script doesn’t allow anyone to stand out apart from Mirren.  Dave Prowse, famous for playing Darth Vader, makes an appearance as a wrestler.  As one of Shakespeare’s more musical plays, there are some delightful songs as well.  The problem though is that this production is just too much of a straight, by-the-book run-through of a play that really needs a more compelling dramatic approach.

Rating: ***

Movie Review: As You Like It (1978)

Title: As You Like It
Release Date: December 17, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Production Company: Time-Life Television Productions | BBC
Main Cast:

• • Helen Mirren as Rosalind
  • Brian Stirner as Orlando
  • Richard Pasco as Jaques
  • Angharad Rees as Celia
  • James Bolam as Touchstone
  • Clive Francis as Oliver
  • Richard Easton as Duke Frederick
  • Tony Church as Banished Duke
  • John Quentin as Le Beau
  • Maynard Williams as Silvius
  • Victoria Plucknett as Phebe
  • Marilyn Le Conte as Audrey
  • Tom McDonnell as Amiens
  • David Lloyd Meredith as Corin
  • Arthur Hewlett as Adam
  • Jeffrey Holland as William
  • Timothy Bateson as Sir Oliver Martext
  • David Prowse as Charles
  • John Moulder-Brown as Hymen
  • Paul Bentall as Jacques de Boys
  • Peter Tullo as Palace Lord

• Mike Lewin as Palace Lord
• Carl Forgione as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Max Harvey as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Chris Sullivan as Dennis
• Paul Phoenix as Page
• Barry Holden as Page

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.

My Thoughts:

I’ve returned to BBC Television Shakespeare which is always a good option for Shakespeare’s plays that don’t get as many movie adaptations.  I was hoping to watch a 1961 Royal Shakespeare Company performance with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind, but couldn’t find the film anywhere (although the audio is on YouTube).  Of course, Helen Mirren is no slouch and she shines in her performance of Rosalind.  Unlike most of the BBC productions which are filmed on sound stages, As You Like It is filmed entirely on location with the better part of the movie set in the forest.  With that being said, it is a bit strange that all the characters just hang out in the woods with no tents or other structures.  The cast is talented but the script doesn’t allow anyone to stand out apart from Mirren.  Dave Prowse, famous for playing Darth Vader, makes an appearance as a wrestler.  As one of Shakespeare’s more musical plays, there are some delightful songs as well.  The problem though is that this production is just too much of a straight, by-the-book run-through of a play that really needs a more compelling dramatic approach.

Rating: ***

Movie Review: As You Like It (1978)

Title: As You Like It
Release Date: December 17, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Production Company: Time-Life Television Productions | BBC
Main Cast:

• • Helen Mirren as Rosalind
  • Brian Stirner as Orlando
  • Richard Pasco as Jaques
  • Angharad Rees as Celia
  • James Bolam as Touchstone
  • Clive Francis as Oliver
  • Richard Easton as Duke Frederick
  • Tony Church as Banished Duke
  • John Quentin as Le Beau
  • Maynard Williams as Silvius
  • Victoria Plucknett as Phebe
  • Marilyn Le Conte as Audrey
  • Tom McDonnell as Amiens
  • David Lloyd Meredith as Corin
  • Arthur Hewlett as Adam
  • Jeffrey Holland as William
  • Timothy Bateson as Sir Oliver Martext
  • David Prowse as Charles
  • John Moulder-Brown as Hymen
  • Paul Bentall as Jacques de Boys
  • Peter Tullo as Palace Lord

• Mike Lewin as Palace Lord
• Carl Forgione as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Max Harvey as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Chris Sullivan as Dennis
• Paul Phoenix as Page
• Barry Holden as Page

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.

My Thoughts:

I’ve returned to BBC Television Shakespeare which is always a good option for Shakespeare’s plays that don’t get as many movie adaptations.  I was hoping to watch a 1961 Royal Shakespeare Company performance with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind, but couldn’t find the film anywhere (although the audio is on YouTube).  Of course, Helen Mirren is no slouch and she shines in her performance of Rosalind.  Unlike most of the BBC productions which are filmed on sound stages, As You Like It is filmed entirely on location with the better part of the movie set in the forest.  With that being said, it is a bit strange that all the characters just hang out in the woods with no tents or other structures.  The cast is talented but the script doesn’t allow anyone to stand out apart from Mirren.  Dave Prowse, famous for playing Darth Vader, makes an appearance as a wrestler.  As one of Shakespeare’s more musical plays, there are some delightful songs as well.  The problem though is that this production is just too much of a straight, by-the-book run-through of a play that really needs a more compelling dramatic approach.

Rating: ***

Movie Review: As You Like It (1978)

Title: As You Like It
Release Date: December 17, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Production Company: Time-Life Television Productions | BBC
Main Cast:

• • Helen Mirren as Rosalind
  • Brian Stirner as Orlando
  • Richard Pasco as Jaques
  • Angharad Rees as Celia
  • James Bolam as Touchstone
  • Clive Francis as Oliver
  • Richard Easton as Duke Frederick
  • Tony Church as Banished Duke
  • John Quentin as Le Beau
  • Maynard Williams as Silvius
  • Victoria Plucknett as Phebe
  • Marilyn Le Conte as Audrey
  • Tom McDonnell as Amiens
  • David Lloyd Meredith as Corin
  • Arthur Hewlett as Adam
  • Jeffrey Holland as William
  • Timothy Bateson as Sir Oliver Martext
  • David Prowse as Charles
  • John Moulder-Brown as Hymen
  • Paul Bentall as Jacques de Boys
  • Peter Tullo as Palace Lord

• Mike Lewin as Palace Lord
• Carl Forgione as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Max Harvey as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Chris Sullivan as Dennis
• Paul Phoenix as Page
• Barry Holden as Page

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.

My Thoughts:

I’ve returned to BBC Television Shakespeare which is always a good option for Shakespeare’s plays that don’t get as many movie adaptations.  I was hoping to watch a 1961 Royal Shakespeare Company performance with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind, but couldn’t find the film anywhere (although the audio is on YouTube).  Of course, Helen Mirren is no slouch and she shines in her performance of Rosalind.  Unlike most of the BBC productions which are filmed on sound stages, As You Like It is filmed entirely on location with the better part of the movie set in the forest.  With that being said, it is a bit strange that all the characters just hang out in the woods with no tents or other structures.  The cast is talented but the script doesn’t allow anyone to stand out apart from Mirren.  Dave Prowse, famous for playing Darth Vader, makes an appearance as a wrestler.  As one of Shakespeare’s more musical plays, there are some delightful songs as well.  The problem though is that this production is just too much of a straight, by-the-book run-through of a play that really needs a more compelling dramatic approach.

Rating: ***

Movie Review: As You Like It (1978)

Title: As You Like It
Release Date: December 17, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Production Company: Time-Life Television Productions | BBC
Main Cast:

• • Helen Mirren as Rosalind
  • Brian Stirner as Orlando
  • Richard Pasco as Jaques
  • Angharad Rees as Celia
  • James Bolam as Touchstone
  • Clive Francis as Oliver
  • Richard Easton as Duke Frederick
  • Tony Church as Banished Duke
  • John Quentin as Le Beau
  • Maynard Williams as Silvius
  • Victoria Plucknett as Phebe
  • Marilyn Le Conte as Audrey
  • Tom McDonnell as Amiens
  • David Lloyd Meredith as Corin
  • Arthur Hewlett as Adam
  • Jeffrey Holland as William
  • Timothy Bateson as Sir Oliver Martext
  • David Prowse as Charles
  • John Moulder-Brown as Hymen
  • Paul Bentall as Jacques de Boys
  • Peter Tullo as Palace Lord

• Mike Lewin as Palace Lord
• Carl Forgione as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Max Harvey as Banished Duke’s Lord
• Chris Sullivan as Dennis
• Paul Phoenix as Page
• Barry Holden as Page

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the current duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.

My Thoughts:

I’ve returned to BBC Television Shakespeare which is always a good option for Shakespeare’s plays that don’t get as many movie adaptations.  I was hoping to watch a 1961 Royal Shakespeare Company performance with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind, but couldn’t find the film anywhere (although the audio is on YouTube).  Of course, Helen Mirren is no slouch and she shines in her performance of Rosalind.  Unlike most of the BBC productions which are filmed on sound stages, As You Like It is filmed entirely on location with the better part of the movie set in the forest.  With that being said, it is a bit strange that all the characters just hang out in the woods with no tents or other structures.  The cast is talented but the script doesn’t allow anyone to stand out apart from Mirren.  Dave Prowse, famous for playing Darth Vader, makes an appearance as a wrestler.  As one of Shakespeare’s more musical plays, there are some delightful songs as well.  The problem though is that this production is just too much of a straight, by-the-book run-through of a play that really needs a more compelling dramatic approach.

Rating: ***

Book Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: As You Like It
Publication Info: New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2019. [Written circa 1599]
Summary/Review:
 

I feel like most of Shakespeare’s plays that I haven’t read yet that I at least have a passing idea of what it’s about and it’s cultural legacy.  As You Like It is a rare play that I went into with basically no previous knowledge.*  There is a complex setup that establishes this pastoral comedy which I feel makes it less well-structured than Shakespeare’s best works.

The basic gist is that Duke Frederick has usurped the throne of his elder brother Duke Senior, who lives in exile in the Arden Forest. Senior’s daughter Rosalind remains at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia.  Orlando, the youngest son of a deceased duke who’d been loyal to Senior, chafes at the tyranny of his elder brother Oliver. At a wrestling match where he challenges Frederick’s champion, Orlando meets Rosalind and they fall in love at first sight.

Frederick arbitrarily exiles Rosalind, and Celia loyally offers to go with her, along with the court fool Touchstone.  Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, while Celia takes the appearance of a poor girl, Aliena.  Meanwhile, Orlando flees his brother along with his elderly servant Adam, and they meet Duke Senior’s entourage.  Orlando composes poems of love which he posts on trees and are discovered by Rosalind. As Ganymede, Rosalind acquaints herself with Orlando and offers to pretend to be Rosalind so he can practice wooing her.  This feels very gay even though it really isn’t.  Then again, all of these characters would’ve been played by boys in Shakespeare.

In various side plots, a shepherdess named Phebe falls in love with “Ganymede.” A shepherd named Silvius in turn is in love with Phebe. Touchstone also falls in love with the shepherdess Audrey, competing with William for her affections.  And Celia ends up paired off with Oliver, who repents of his cruelty after Orlando rescues him from a lion in a scene that takes place completely off stage.  Rosalind expertly works through all these troubles to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit one that puzzlingly ends with Hymen, the god of marriage, making an appearance as well as news of Duke Frederick also having had a change of heart.

The strength of this play is Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and fully-realized woman characters.  Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind is wonderfully written and  I love how Rosalind tries to keep a step ahead of all the deceit and disguise. Unfortunately, the other characters tend to be underdeveloped and the other three other romances doesn’t add much to the story. The play ends abruptly, not unusual for a Shakespeare comedy, but it feels that if so much time hadn’t been spent building the premise, a more natural conclusion could’ve come out of Rosalind’s scheming.

* This isn’t entirely true, because As You Like It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues from the melancholy Jaques. I was so surprised when I read it!

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Rating: ***1/2

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. The Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, Part 1
4. Henry VI, Part 2
5. Henry VI, Part 3
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
13. The Life and Death of King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. The History of Henry IV, Part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. The History of Henry IV, Part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. King Henry V
20. Julius Caesar

Book Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: As You Like It
Publication Info: New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2019. [Written circa 1599]
Summary/Review:
 

I feel like most of Shakespeare’s plays that I haven’t read yet that I at least have a passing idea of what it’s about and it’s cultural legacy.  As You Like It is a rare play that I went into with basically no previous knowledge.*  There is a complex setup that establishes this pastoral comedy which I feel makes it less well-structured than Shakespeare’s best works.

The basic gist is that Duke Frederick has usurped the throne of his elder brother Duke Senior, who lives in exile in the Arden Forest. Senior’s daughter Rosalind remains at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia.  Orlando, the youngest son of a deceased duke who’d been loyal to Senior, chafes at the tyranny of his elder brother Oliver. At a wrestling match where he challenges Frederick’s champion, Orlando meets Rosalind and they fall in love at first sight.

Frederick arbitrarily exiles Rosalind, and Celia loyally offers to go with her, along with the court fool Touchstone.  Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, while Celia takes the appearance of a poor girl, Aliena.  Meanwhile, Orlando flees his brother along with his elderly servant Adam, and they meet Duke Senior’s entourage.  Orlando composes poems of love which he posts on trees and are discovered by Rosalind. As Ganymede, Rosalind acquaints herself with Orlando and offers to pretend to be Rosalind so he can practice wooing her.  This feels very gay even though it really isn’t.  Then again, all of these characters would’ve been played by boys in Shakespeare.

In various side plots, a shepherdess named Phebe falls in love with “Ganymede.” A shepherd named Silvius in turn is in love with Phebe. Touchstone also falls in love with the shepherdess Audrey, competing with William for her affections.  And Celia ends up paired off with Oliver, who repents of his cruelty after Orlando rescues him from a lion in a scene that takes place completely off stage.  Rosalind expertly works through all these troubles to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit one that puzzlingly ends with Hymen, the god of marriage, making an appearance as well as news of Duke Frederick also having had a change of heart.

The strength of this play is Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and fully-realized woman characters.  Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind is wonderfully written and  I love how Rosalind tries to keep a step ahead of all the deceit and disguise. Unfortunately, the other characters tend to be underdeveloped and the other three other romances doesn’t add much to the story. The play ends abruptly, not unusual for a Shakespeare comedy, but it feels that if so much time hadn’t been spent building the premise, a more natural conclusion could’ve come out of Rosalind’s scheming.

* This isn’t entirely true, because As You Like It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues from the melancholy Jaques. I was so surprised when I read it!

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Rating: ***1/2

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. The Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, Part 1
4. Henry VI, Part 2
5. Henry VI, Part 3
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
13. The Life and Death of King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. The History of Henry IV, Part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. The History of Henry IV, Part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. King Henry V
20. Julius Caesar

Book Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: As You Like It
Publication Info: New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2019. [Written circa 1599]
Summary/Review:
 

I feel like most of Shakespeare’s plays that I haven’t read yet that I at least have a passing idea of what it’s about and it’s cultural legacy.  As You Like It is a rare play that I went into with basically no previous knowledge.*  There is a complex setup that establishes this pastoral comedy which I feel makes it less well-structured than Shakespeare’s best works.

The basic gist is that Duke Frederick has usurped the throne of his elder brother Duke Senior, who lives in exile in the Arden Forest. Senior’s daughter Rosalind remains at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia.  Orlando, the youngest son of a deceased duke who’d been loyal to Senior, chafes at the tyranny of his elder brother Oliver. At a wrestling match where he challenges Frederick’s champion, Orlando meets Rosalind and they fall in love at first sight.

Frederick arbitrarily exiles Rosalind, and Celia loyally offers to go with her, along with the court fool Touchstone.  Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, while Celia takes the appearance of a poor girl, Aliena.  Meanwhile, Orlando flees his brother along with his elderly servant Adam, and they meet Duke Senior’s entourage.  Orlando composes poems of love which he posts on trees and are discovered by Rosalind. As Ganymede, Rosalind acquaints herself with Orlando and offers to pretend to be Rosalind so he can practice wooing her.  This feels very gay even though it really isn’t.  Then again, all of these characters would’ve been played by boys in Shakespeare.

In various side plots, a shepherdess named Phebe falls in love with “Ganymede.” A shepherd named Silvius in turn is in love with Phebe. Touchstone also falls in love with the shepherdess Audrey, competing with William for her affections.  And Celia ends up paired off with Oliver, who repents of his cruelty after Orlando rescues him from a lion in a scene that takes place completely off stage.  Rosalind expertly works through all these troubles to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit one that puzzlingly ends with Hymen, the god of marriage, making an appearance as well as news of Duke Frederick also having had a change of heart.

The strength of this play is Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and fully-realized woman characters.  Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind is wonderfully written and  I love how Rosalind tries to keep a step ahead of all the deceit and disguise. Unfortunately, the other characters tend to be underdeveloped and the other three other romances doesn’t add much to the story. The play ends abruptly, not unusual for a Shakespeare comedy, but it feels that if so much time hadn’t been spent building the premise, a more natural conclusion could’ve come out of Rosalind’s scheming.

* This isn’t entirely true, because As You Like It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues from the melancholy Jaques. I was so surprised when I read it!

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Rating: ***1/2

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. The Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, Part 1
4. Henry VI, Part 2
5. Henry VI, Part 3
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
13. The Life and Death of King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. The History of Henry IV, Part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. The History of Henry IV, Part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. King Henry V
20. Julius Caesar

Book Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: As You Like It
Publication Info: New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2019. [Written circa 1599]
Summary/Review:
 

I feel like most of Shakespeare’s plays that I haven’t read yet that I at least have a passing idea of what it’s about and it’s cultural legacy.  As You Like It is a rare play that I went into with basically no previous knowledge.*  There is a complex setup that establishes this pastoral comedy which I feel makes it less well-structured than Shakespeare’s best works.

The basic gist is that Duke Frederick has usurped the throne of his elder brother Duke Senior, who lives in exile in the Arden Forest. Senior’s daughter Rosalind remains at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia.  Orlando, the youngest son of a deceased duke who’d been loyal to Senior, chafes at the tyranny of his elder brother Oliver. At a wrestling match where he challenges Frederick’s champion, Orlando meets Rosalind and they fall in love at first sight.

Frederick arbitrarily exiles Rosalind, and Celia loyally offers to go with her, along with the court fool Touchstone.  Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, while Celia takes the appearance of a poor girl, Aliena.  Meanwhile, Orlando flees his brother along with his elderly servant Adam, and they meet Duke Senior’s entourage.  Orlando composes poems of love which he posts on trees and are discovered by Rosalind. As Ganymede, Rosalind acquaints herself with Orlando and offers to pretend to be Rosalind so he can practice wooing her.  This feels very gay even though it really isn’t.  Then again, all of these characters would’ve been played by boys in Shakespeare.

In various side plots, a shepherdess named Phebe falls in love with “Ganymede.” A shepherd named Silvius in turn is in love with Phebe. Touchstone also falls in love with the shepherdess Audrey, competing with William for her affections.  And Celia ends up paired off with Oliver, who repents of his cruelty after Orlando rescues him from a lion in a scene that takes place completely off stage.  Rosalind expertly works through all these troubles to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit one that puzzlingly ends with Hymen, the god of marriage, making an appearance as well as news of Duke Frederick also having had a change of heart.

The strength of this play is Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and fully-realized woman characters.  Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind is wonderfully written and  I love how Rosalind tries to keep a step ahead of all the deceit and disguise. Unfortunately, the other characters tend to be underdeveloped and the other three other romances doesn’t add much to the story. The play ends abruptly, not unusual for a Shakespeare comedy, but it feels that if so much time hadn’t been spent building the premise, a more natural conclusion could’ve come out of Rosalind’s scheming.

* This isn’t entirely true, because As You Like It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues from the melancholy Jaques. I was so surprised when I read it!

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Rating: ***1/2

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. The Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, Part 1
4. Henry VI, Part 2
5. Henry VI, Part 3
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
13. The Life and Death of King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. The History of Henry IV, Part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. The History of Henry IV, Part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. King Henry V
20. Julius Caesar

Book Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: As You Like It
Publication Info: New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2019. [Written circa 1599]
Summary/Review:
 

I feel like most of Shakespeare’s plays that I haven’t read yet that I at least have a passing idea of what it’s about and it’s cultural legacy.  As You Like It is a rare play that I went into with basically no previous knowledge.*  There is a complex setup that establishes this pastoral comedy which I feel makes it less well-structured than Shakespeare’s best works.

The basic gist is that Duke Frederick has usurped the throne of his elder brother Duke Senior, who lives in exile in the Arden Forest. Senior’s daughter Rosalind remains at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia.  Orlando, the youngest son of a deceased duke who’d been loyal to Senior, chafes at the tyranny of his elder brother Oliver. At a wrestling match where he challenges Frederick’s champion, Orlando meets Rosalind and they fall in love at first sight.

Frederick arbitrarily exiles Rosalind, and Celia loyally offers to go with her, along with the court fool Touchstone.  Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, while Celia takes the appearance of a poor girl, Aliena.  Meanwhile, Orlando flees his brother along with his elderly servant Adam, and they meet Duke Senior’s entourage.  Orlando composes poems of love which he posts on trees and are discovered by Rosalind. As Ganymede, Rosalind acquaints herself with Orlando and offers to pretend to be Rosalind so he can practice wooing her.  This feels very gay even though it really isn’t.  Then again, all of these characters would’ve been played by boys in Shakespeare.

In various side plots, a shepherdess named Phebe falls in love with “Ganymede.” A shepherd named Silvius in turn is in love with Phebe. Touchstone also falls in love with the shepherdess Audrey, competing with William for her affections.  And Celia ends up paired off with Oliver, who repents of his cruelty after Orlando rescues him from a lion in a scene that takes place completely off stage.  Rosalind expertly works through all these troubles to a satisfactory conclusion, albeit one that puzzlingly ends with Hymen, the god of marriage, making an appearance as well as news of Duke Frederick also having had a change of heart.

The strength of this play is Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex and fully-realized woman characters.  Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede pretending to be Rosalind is wonderfully written and  I love how Rosalind tries to keep a step ahead of all the deceit and disguise. Unfortunately, the other characters tend to be underdeveloped and the other three other romances doesn’t add much to the story. The play ends abruptly, not unusual for a Shakespeare comedy, but it feels that if so much time hadn’t been spent building the premise, a more natural conclusion could’ve come out of Rosalind’s scheming.

* This isn’t entirely true, because As You Like It contains one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues from the melancholy Jaques. I was so surprised when I read it!

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Rating: ***1/2

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. The Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, Part 1
4. Henry VI, Part 2
5. Henry VI, Part 3
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
13. The Life and Death of King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. The History of Henry IV, Part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. The History of Henry IV, Part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. King Henry V
20. Julius Caesar

https://www.europesays.com/es/755580/ ‘Escribir un poco más’, un ensayo inédito en castellano de Javier Marías sobre Shakespeare | Cultura #Alfaguara #Cultura #Ensayo #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #Escritores #España #JavierMarías #Libros #literatura #LiteraturaEspañola #PenguinRandomHouse #Spain #WilliamShakespeare

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqs-ueGZ9QI

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A quotation from Shakespeare

VIOLA: I hate ingratitude more in a man
   Than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness,
   Or any taint of vice whose strong corruption
   Inhabits our frail blood.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Twelfth Night, Act 3, sc. 4, l. 372ff (3.4.372–375) (1601)

More about this quote: wist.info/shakespeare-william/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #shakespeare #williamshakespeare #twelfthnight #character #ingratitude #thanklessness #thoughtlessness #trait #unappreciation #ungratefulness #vice #flaw #favors #returnthefavor

A quotation from Shakespeare

VIOLA: I hate ingratitude more in a man
   Than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness,
   Or any taint of vice whose strong corruption
   Inhabits our frail blood.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Twelfth Night, Act 3, sc. 4, l. 372ff (3.4.372–375) (1601)

More about this quote: wist.info/shakespeare-william/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #shakespeare #williamshakespeare #twelfthnight #character #ingratitude #thanklessness #thoughtlessness #trait #unappreciation #ungratefulness #vice #flaw #favors #returnthefavor

A quotation from Shakespeare

VIOLA: I hate ingratitude more in a man
   Than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness,
   Or any taint of vice whose strong corruption
   Inhabits our frail blood.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Twelfth Night, Act 3, sc. 4, l. 372ff (3.4.372–375) (1601)

More about this quote: wist.info/shakespeare-william/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #shakespeare #williamshakespeare #twelfthnight #character #ingratitude #thanklessness #thoughtlessness #trait #unappreciation #ungratefulness #vice #flaw #favors #returnthefavor

A quotation from Shakespeare

VIOLA: I hate ingratitude more in a man
   Than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness,
   Or any taint of vice whose strong corruption
   Inhabits our frail blood.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Twelfth Night, Act 3, sc. 4, l. 372ff (3.4.372–375) (1601)

More about this quote: wist.info/shakespeare-william/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #shakespeare #williamshakespeare #twelfthnight #character #ingratitude #thanklessness #thoughtlessness #trait #unappreciation #ungratefulness #vice #flaw #favors #returnthefavor

A quotation from Shakespeare

For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;
Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Sonnet 94, ll. 13-14 (pub. 1609)

More about this quote: wist.info/shakespeare-william/…

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https://www.europesays.com/ie/511477/ Hamnet’s Maggie O’Farrell: ‘I turned down an OBE because I didn’t want British Empire as part of my name’ – The Irish Times #AudreyDiwan #BrianFriel #ChloeZhao #ColmToibin #Éire #ElementPictures #Entertainment #IE #Ireland #JessieBuckley #magazine #MaggieOFarrell #oscars #PaulMescal #WilliamShakespeare

Who is better, Dickens or Shakespeare? We asked nine prominent writers https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/02/who-is-better-dickens-or-shakespeare #WilliamShakespeare #CharlesDickens #VirginiaWoolf #AndrewDavies #ChinuaAchebe #WoleSoyinka #SarahPerry #ElifShafak #Stagebooks #Culture #Books

Who is better, Dickens or Shakespeare? We asked nine prominent writers https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/02/who-is-better-dickens-or-shakespeare #WilliamShakespeare #CharlesDickens #VirginiaWoolf #AndrewDavies #ChinuaAchebe #WoleSoyinka #SarahPerry #ElifShafak #Stagebooks #Culture #Books

Who is better, Dickens or Shakespeare? We asked nine prominent writers https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/02/who-is-better-dickens-or-shakespeare #WilliamShakespeare #CharlesDickens #VirginiaWoolf #AndrewDavies #ChinuaAchebe #WoleSoyinka #SarahPerry #ElifShafak #Stagebooks #Culture #Books

Who is better, Dickens or Shakespeare? We asked nine prominent writers https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/02/who-is-better-dickens-or-shakespeare #WilliamShakespeare #CharlesDickens #VirginiaWoolf #AndrewDavies #ChinuaAchebe #WoleSoyinka #SarahPerry #ElifShafak #Stagebooks #Culture #Books