The literal meaning of Rosalind in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" is grounded in her motivation in acting as Ganymede, as it is her unique perspective that makes the roles' biases clear to the reader gender of society. The need for Rosalind to play Ganymede she defines with a perverse but rational will, for instead of speaking abstractly as Celia does and "sitting and mocking" (I.ii.ln.31) Fortune being the gifts bestowed unequally on men and women, Rosalind physically takes on the duty of the "generous blind woman [who] errs most in her gifts to women" (I.ii.ln.35). She is truly a "blind woman", she does not know what she will encounter, and is forced to become literally blind to a society whose leader, Duke Frederick, has made her unlucky at court. As Celia says, “those whom [Fortune] makes honest, she makes very ungraceful” (I.ii.ln.37). Yet it is not Fortune's action, but society's ruthless decision to banish Rosalind that forces Rosalind to disguise herself as Ganymede and, in so doing, dishonestly misrepresent her true gender. Appearances are certainly deceiving, because even destiny is shaped to accommodate what society deems appropriate, thus establishing an absolutely unnatural hierarchical order. It is for this reason that Rosalind remains immortal as a character, as by carrying out Fortune's work and physically moving towards the Ardennes Natural Forest, she is able to take on an unnatural but liberating gender role. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayCelia serves to perpetuate society's influence on Rosalind, thus undermining Rosalind's unique sense of self and underscoring the image that Celia relentlessly attempts to project onto Rosalind of a woman of correct and socially acceptable behavior. Before exile, Rosalind is therefore trapped as a woman of traditional identity within the very walls of the play's text, confined by the outward appearance of the social conventions that dictate her life. Rosalind simply acts in the appropriate manner expected of a woman in her position, but fails to truly portray the emotions of a genuinely affected person. Celia introduces Rosalind into the text with an attached emotional appeal for her cousin's happiness, "...my sweet cousin, be happy" (I.ii.ln1), but in doing so, the reader's reality regarding Rosalind in the context of the court is filtered by the melancholy that Celia immediately brings to the reader's attention. As a young woman whose father has been banished, Rosalind must now take on the role of a saddened daughter, yet it is clear after a few lines that Rosalind would actually prefer to "be cheerful" as the compassionate Celia urges her to be instead. to remain in "the condition of [her sorrowful state]" (I.ii.ln15) as is expected of her. The irony is that while Celia ostensibly tries to comfort Rosalind, she herself reinforces Rosalind's sad behavior. By simply addressing Rosalind as if something should be a problem, Celia forces Rosalind to defend herself, and Rosalind is involuntarily forced to express the reason for her sadness as her father's banishment, whether or not there is any basis for this statement. . It is exactly this coercive social force in Celia that Rosalind must give in to, as Rosalind deliberately says only what is necessary to avoid social criticism and to publicly uphold the values ​​that to her are politically and socially correct. Rosalind immediately and repeatedly attempts to lift the anguished tone cast on the scene by circumventing Celia's negative sensibilities in a way that still doesn'tit makes you seem careless and insensitive. She says quite deliberately "...would [I] be still more cheerful? Unless you could teach me how to forget an exiled father... (I.ii.ln.4)", where almost as an afterthought she faces his father's exile. In doing so, Rosalind confirms Celia's reasoning that she must be sad, although the true root of her melancholy does not allow itself to be precisely defined at this time. He simply cites a socially acceptable reason for his sadness and, in doing so, quickly digresses as a means of avoiding conversation about the real stimulus of his dejected tone. Rosalind makes a call to "forget the condition of [her] heritage" (I.ii.ln.15) and then another to "invent sport" (I.ii.ln.24) as a means of changing the theme of conversation, but it is Celia who sets the tone for Rosalind's performance, which succeeds in her ongoing effort to dwell on what society expects Rosalind to be sad about, thus allowing for the further subjugation of Rosalind's true emotions. Rosalind resists the conventional order by refusing to expose herself as emotionally vulnerable to Celia, as this would result in complete conformity between the two, and further demolish any sense of a unique self that Rosalind must struggle to maintain. Although the elder court considers the love between Celia and Rosalind "dearer than the natural bond between sisters," (I.ii.ln.276) Celia does not seem particularly adept at perceiving Rosalind's desire to speak of anything beyond exile of his father. . In an effort to gain emotional growth from Rosalind, Celia is attempting to further cement the bond between the two cousins, but Rosalind resists the urge to become the traditional emotional woman so predictable in her sensitivity. In the continuous pairing of the characters of Celia and Rosalind, Celia manages to drive a wedge between herself and the protagonist, because while Rosalind expresses neither a strong sentimental attachment to her father nor any apparent guilt over her fate, her emotions are simply exploited by what Celia, a representative of society's natural mores, assumes they are. Thus, it is as a model of social order and conventional values ​​that both Celia and the larger society she represents are initially portrayed, but both fail to show a deeper understanding of Rosalind's need for self-expression and an identity unique that cannot be defined. from society at court. Rosalind's emotions are piqued by Orlando's similar fate, and her desire to be with him is therefore based on the fact that the two share commonalities. Superficial passions are not supreme, because what Rosalind needs is someone with whom she can identify and at the same time be able to preserve her own sense of self. While it may be Orlando's strength that initially piques Rosalind's interest, it is neither his wit nor his charm that makes her fall in love with him. The moment she approves of her family, Orlando suddenly becomes a viable option for marriage, and Rosalind allows herself to fall in love, as is clear when she says "If [she only] had known [her ancestors] before... [she] she should have given him tears and supplications, before he ventured thus (I.ii.ln.237)" In saying so, she already takes on the role of wife, serving to admonish and protect Orlando. Rosalind is no longer so concerned about what is expected of her, for in losing the Duke's expectations of her, she freely continues to congratulate Orlando. Not only does he deliver a chain as a symbol of their mutual affection, but, by establishing a physical bond with Orlando, he reveals, almost against his will, the source of his melancholy at the beginning of the play. Orlando is in the same oneRosalind's position, as her scheming brother influenced her own fortunes. Likewise, he cannot help but admit that "[his] pride [also] fell with his [own] fortunes (I.ii.ln.252)." By being able to identify with Orlando, she is able to isolate her desire to be proud of herself and identify the need to find a way to improve her sense of dignity and self-worth. Rosalind thus takes on the role of a woman in love, but manages to recognize her feelings for Orlando as both insensitive but sincerely meaning. This distinction sets her apart from other idealistic and romantic figures in Shakespeare's works, for while Rosalind recognizes the affection Orlando has on her, instead of waiting for him to save her, she is able to optimize his effects on her by going with satisfaction "In freedom, and not in exile (I.iii.ln.138)", and literally liberating one's sense of self-confidence and bringing about a change in the role one plays in one's life. Rosalind's growing attachment to Orlando parallels her increased awareness that she is in fact alone and that, unless swift action is taken, social authority and general control over her personal rights which are rapidly diminishing they will soon have completely disappeared. At the beginning of scene three, Celia asks if Rosalind is still thoughtful about her father, but Rosalind replies, "some of it is for the father of my child (I.iii.ln.11)." Rosalind's response is more selfish and distant than before, because while society treats her like a child whose worries should, in turn, concern only her absent father, Rosalind slowly moves towards greater autonomy, as can be seen when is asked "But is that all?" [worry] about your father?" (I.iii.ln.10) and Rosalind flatly says "No..." (I.iii.ln.11). Rosalind is becoming a woman only to realize that she doesn't have "a [word]" (I.iii.ln.3) for Celia, the typical representative of the traditional behavior of restrictive courtly society. "They are nothing but cutters, cousin, thrown upon you like festive trifles" (I.iii.ln .13) says Celia, but Rosalind is now less able to maintain the same politically and socially correct manner in which she had managed to so effectively meet Celia's expectations in that scene, act I, scene ii, Celia delivers his inheritance to Rosalind saying, “You know that my father has no children beside me, nor would any man have any; and truly when she dies, you [Rosalind] will be her heir" (I.ii.ln.17), but this merely serves to reinforce the mutual identity of the two cousins ​​and to undermine Rosalind's independent social status. Thus it is a bond common with Orlando which makes Rosalind confident in her own image and able to identify with him without replacing her sense of self with his character. In an attempt to regain the "pride" that had been lost to her, she forges a new identity for Celia , but more faithful to her inner self: Ganymede. Rosalind literally goes "from the office of Fortune to that of Nature" (I.ii.ln.40) changing her natural gender to reap the rewards that Fortune has granted her, rewards such as intrinsic intelligence, energy, and charm, all virtues that society has thus far prevented her from benefiting from. Acting as Ganymede, Rosalind has the freedom to assert herself in the presence of others, act as an equal among men, and even initiate. a courtship as Ganymede successfully does with Orlando. This type of freedom is unknown to women, especially Rosalind, who, as can be seen before her exile, is limited by society's expectations of a woman in her position. Celia continually represents the ideal representation of women in.