Cross-dressing in "As You Like It" :
The
prolific and deft dramatist William Shakespeare has resorted different
techniques in his plays to make them attractive and to achieve the desired
result. The cross-dressing is one of such techniques that we find in his comedy
"As You Like It". Rosalind, before setting out for the forest of
Arden to find her banished father take the camouflage of a man. She titivates
herself as a brave hunter or a martial-man with, in her word, "A gallant
curtle-axe upon my thigh,/A boar-spear in my hand," She takes disguise of
a man as she is 'more that common tall'. Now she is not Rosalind. She says:
"I'll have no worse a name than Jove's own page"; she takes the name
'Ganymede'. Celia, her cousin, does not take male dress but she changes
herself with 'poor and mean attire' and
'with a kind of umber smirch' on her face. Celia , now 'Aliena( which means a
stranger) has played a vital role in making the matter of 'cross-dressing'
meaningful. Why do Rosalind and Celia camouflage in such way ? The reason behind it, in Rosalind's word
" Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold".
The Duke Frederick has banished the Duke Senior and has usurped the dominions , but he does not banish Rosalind with her father. It's no compassion, but self-interest that inspires him to keep Rosalind who would serve as a constant companion of his daughter Celia. Now, being jealous with Rosalind's good nature and disposition that, he thinks, belittle Celia's honour, the Duke Frederick has ordered Rosalind to leave the kingdom within ten days. Celia tries to persuade her father to revoke the order, but in vein and she also decides to leave the kingdom and to go with Rosalind to the forest of Arden. Why would she denounce such royal dignity and comfortable life ? The reason is clear in Celia's words : " We still have slept together,/Rose at an instant,learn'd,play'd,eat together,/And whereso'er we went, like Juno's swans, / Still we went coupled and inseparable". However, the whimsical, jealous and cruel nature of the Duke Frederick compel his daughter Celia to leave home stealthily causing much concern for her father. This is the cause behind the introduction of the 'cross-dressing' in the comedy "As You Like It".
The 'cross-dressing' in "As You Like It" has brought about a new comic flavour in the play.The dress and disguise of these two royal girls add variety to this drama. The innovative power of Rosalind and Celia comes to the fore. The fertility of their brain proves with their thinking that the thieves are provoked more by the beauty of woman than the precious gold.
The 'cross-dressing' helps in smooth movement and proper development of the play, it helps in the plot construction. Had it been avoided the play would have ended in the midway or would take turn in another way. If Rosalind and Celia left the kingdom in their original royal dress, they would have fled , they would have been caught by Duke's people.
The 'cross-dressing' helps Rosalind to gauge the depth of Orlando's love for Rosalind. The relationship of love between Oliver and Celia would not have developed.More than that the Duke Senior could recognize his daughter in normal attire and the play would suffer some further development .
Improbabilities in "As You Like It" :
Improbability should not be termed as defect of the drama. It does not mar the literature in it. Improbability can only itch the mind of the readers and disturbs him/her a little in the full enjoyment of the play. Some Improbabilities are found in 'As You Like It' like all other dramas of Shakespeare. First we point out the matter of Ganymede , the disguised Rosalind. It seems improbable that Orlando who loves Rosalind so much can not recognize her. More than that , the Duke Senior can not get the smell a bit of his daughter. How can it be possible ? In disguise one can hide ones appearance to some extent or to a great extent, but the person does not undergo the change of such a great proportion he/she becomes a person of new identity and personality. A careful view can detect the disguised person easily. It's a great wonder that Orlando comes to close contact with Ganymede,he converses with disguised Rosalind and also woos her,yet he fails to recognize her.
Is it not an improbability that Celia who is very practical and intelligent falls in love with Oliver who can not be an attractive lover. Oliver is basically a villain , he has a wicked past ,he hatches plans one after another to kill his own brother Orlando, he betrays even his dead father Sir Rowland de Boys. Love is a matter of finer sentiment and it can not be appropriate for a cruel person like Oliver.Celia-Oliver love affair is described by Rosalind in amusing way : "There was never anything so sudden , but the fight of two rams and Caesar's thrasonical brag of Come, Saw and Overcome".
