Dramatic Irony: As You Like It

Rosalind: "Then there is no true lover in the forest; else sighing every minute and groaning every hour would detect the lazy foot of Time as well as a clock." (III. ii. 43).

I find this entire part of the play ironic. In Shakespeare's time, female parts were portrayed by men. So, when As You Like it was performed, Rosalind's part is kind of confusing. A man would play Rosalind in the play. However, during the period of Rosalind's disguise in this play, a man would be portraying a woman who was portraying a man. This is just so comical to me! Part of the dramatic irony is that Rosalind does not just come out and profess her love for Orlando. She kind of whips him into shape to find out if he really is the one for her. As a hopeless romantic, I found this part adorable. It also reminded me of She's the Man. I know this play is based off of The Twelfth Night,  but there are so many similarities between Amanda Bynes' movie and this play. For instance, Rosalind is in love with Orlando, but she is afraid to tell him. So, she disguises herself as a man to see if his love is true. Phebe falls in love with Rosalind, but Rosalind is actually in love with Orlando. It's simply a complicated love triangle, but I like this play. Why? I like it because it's a happy ending. Yes, I was a bit surprised by this. The only Shakespeare plays that I have read have been about tragedy. I hate reading things where everyone dies in the end. It makes me sad. However, it was nice to know that Shakespeare is capable of writing romantic comedies. I know that a lot of my peers did not like this play, but I was touched by the cheesiness of it. I'm so glad that everyone ended up happy! =)