(10) As You Like It

As You Like It is a really interesting play, exploring differences and contrasts in Life (for example, court life vs. life in nature or laughter vs. melancholy). What make it so great, at least in this respect, is that Shakespeare generally does not come down on one side or the other….he just explores. As Anne Barton says in her (again) excellent introduction:

“…Shakespeare refuses to legislate or even take sides in the various rivalries the comedy sets up…these polarities, the subject of ceaseless debate and meditation, tend to be identified with particular characters, but the comedy as a whole is far more interested in doing justice to the complexity of the argument than in prescribing correct choices.”

I like this approach quite a bit, especially in a world where absolute opinion seems to reign supreme. In our contentious age, a bit of centrism works for me. It’s nice to see a balanced portrait of both sides of the story, a view held above the dogmatic throat-stuffing of the zealous fanatic.