In the epilogue of As You Like It, Rosalind discusses the nature of real and enacted gender identity in a final attempt to resolve the gender confusion that exists throughout work. The events leading up to the denouement make this resolution necessary, fraught as they are with the disguising of one's "natural" or off-stage gender and the on-stage confusion of male and female roles. Although this confusion had its basis in the theatrical practice of contemporary Shakespearean theatre, the role of Rosalind was played by a man, many other levels of gender transformation exist within the play. For example, the male actor who plays Rosalind plays the part of the male Ganymede opposite Orlando; in the role of Ganymede, she "pretends" to be Rosalind to cure Orlando of his love. When these transformations occur within the game, for example, when the character of Rosalind dresses as the male Ganymede, they shed light on the larger questions raised by the gender transformation in the game. Because actors often disguise their gender, gender seems arbitrary when performed, and can be changed at will. As Rosalind says to Orlando, "I would cure you, if only you called me Rosalind, and came every day to my whetstone, and wooed me" (III, ii. 1603-4). By suggesting the "cure" of having Orlando act out her love, Rosalind reaffirms her theatrically "real" role as Rosalind, even though she is dressed as a man. This fiction satisfies both Orlando's desire to woo Rosalind, even if she appears absent, and Rosalind's desire to be wooed, even if she appears in the guise of a man. Orlando is able to verbally enact his desires while continuing to idealize and adore the "absent" Rosalind. Her desires are thus divided into love and friendship, and Rosalind, in her role as tutor and absent muse, is able to fulfill both roles. The play's epilogue acts as an explanation and combination of these roles, resolving paradoxes through a metatheatrical understanding of the actor's place in the theater as a whole. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Rosalind's suggestion to "cure" Orlando could perhaps be better understood as a desire to see Orlando's wishes fulfilled before her, even though she may not participate. Because of her love for Orlando, Rosalind has good reason to "pretend" a love game between her and her love. Such pretense allows her to reveal herself emotionally without compromising her distant status as "beloved." She is not forced to perform according to traditional gender stereotypes because, at least according to Orlando, she appears as a showman. He is able to confidently express his most honest desires, such as "Yes, in faith, I will [love you], Friday, Saturday, and everything in between" (IV. i. 2026) while remaining in his role as guardian of Orlando. In the epilogue, Rosalind returns to the issue of traditional gender roles, stating that "It is not fashionable to see the lady in the epilogue" (V. iv. 2776-7). This statement seems ironic, as Rosalind was dressed in men's clothing and spoke openly about her desire to love "Fridays, Saturdays, and everything in between." However, since "fashion" called for men to play female parts, "Rosalind" is a man offstage, and therefore does not "actually" commit any unfashionable act by dressing as a man. The lady is "given an epilogue" only in the space of the work; underneath the theatrical show it is still the man who says the lines. Yet Rosalind goes further, suggesting that a female character should be allowed to speak. Having a woman talk about the epilogue, she argues, “isn'tuglier than to see the lord of the prologue" (V. iv. 2777-8). The prologue and epilogue mark the two "bookends" of the play, introducing and concluding the action; it seems that each is equally important to the 'work as a whole. In both contexts, a woman or a man is equally eligible to speak: the selection, Rosalind implies, is arbitrary, a woman's place "no uglier than the gentleman's." wait for a male character played by a man to give the denouement, it is equally feasible that a female character played by a man can speak Rosalind, through the use of the phrase “see,” not only suggests that the audience must embrace both genders, but also reinforces the visual aspects of the performance itself. "See... the epilogue", the word "see" means not only "to allow", but "to watch", as the epilogue is played by a male actor. dressed as a drag queen. The genre is represented here as a spectacle, with the male actor taking on and acting the part of the woman, who then takes on the dress and disguise of a man. The status of "male" becomes confusing for the audience, as a male actor becomes Rosalind who becomes Ganymede. The audience must literally “see” the female character Rosalind who gives the epilogue, knowing that, outside the theater, the actor is male. This confusion, resulting in a series of visual transformations: male actor, female character, male dress, demonstrates the arbitrary nature of gender in this performative context. It didn't matter, for example, that the male actor playing Rosalind had female lines; for the same reason, it should not be "unpleasant" that the female Rosalind is the one who delivers the traditionally male epilogue. When Rosalind notes that "it is not fashionable to see the lady as an epilogue," she speaks to the audience's likely preconceptions regarding "male" and "female" speech. However, because so many gender norms have been violated, the acceptable one of males acting in female roles, and the less acceptable one of Rosalind dressing as a man, the traditional or "fashionable" gender of the discourse becomes less clear. Rosalind suggests that she can provide the denouement as well as any man; indeed, the public has already seen her in male disguise. The visual example of Rosalind dressed as a man suggests that genders can be put on or taken off at will; it should therefore be easier to allow Rosalind to have traditionally masculine speech. Rosalind confirms the seductive, even magical, nature of the performative genre when she says in the epilogue that "begging does not suit me. My way is to summon you" (V. iv 2785). Having already enacted so many transformations, Rosalind has established herself as a "magician" rather than a beggar. Through theatrical disguises, the male actor convinced the audience that he was a woman; furthermore, that female character has, through a further disguise, convinced Orlando that she is male. The act of conjuring became familiar to Rosalind and proved effective in the context of the play. For her, it is not necessary to plead or argue rhetorically to achieve change; rather, he only has to play a male or female role. Rosalind lays out her strategy clearly when she says she will "summon you", implying her use of disguise and its action as quasi-magical techniques. The reason why she does not beg is also theatrical: she notes that "I am not equipped like a beggar, therefore begging does not suit me" (V. iv. 2784-5). By examining this phrase, one realizes the causal relationship between being "dressed up as" a character and playing the role of that character. Rosalind does not have a beggar's disguise, "therefore" she cannot play the part of a beggar. Of all the possible reasons to prefer evocation.