As You Are
Introduction
‘As you like it’ is a play written by Shakespeare. The play revolves around two plots- Orlando and Oliver's rivalry and Duke Frederick's usurpation by his brother. The onset of the play details Orlando's attitude towards Oliver. Oliver, the firstborn sibling inherited the family estate from their family's father, Rowland. Therefore, he is the head of the family. Therefore, one of the most interesting characters in the entire play in Orlando. Being the last born son of Sir Rowland, de Bois, he is perceived as courageous, loyal, caring, modest, strong, and good-looking. Due to his physical and his positive reaction towards his siblings despite the mistreatment meted against him, he stands out in terms of character and even ambition.
If one takes a stroll in the forest and comes across Orlando, a romance, a fight, an argument, and a feast is more likely to occur. This reaction is derived from his character. The romance aspect can occur due to his patience and tolerance. Orlando can handle adversity without becoming harsh or changing his entire demeanor. More so, he is a child of a rich man but he is not bothered by his eldest brother's inheritance. Instead, he is more concerned about how his siblings are treating him. Therefore, he is a romantic man in every aspect of his personality. Also, he is uneducated but has the necessary knowledge required to run his life. His life is full of noble causes. Therefore, in an encounter with a woman, he will be romantic and patient with the woman he meets. For instance, in act 1, when Oliver decides to give a portion of his inheritance to Orlando, he calls Adam and then abuses Orlando, ‘get you with him, you old dog.'(1.1.69). Even though Adam seems offended, he advises Orlando to leave with him. This proves Orlando patient and devotion towards his family. He can defend and love at the same time. More so, he defends himself against Olive tyranny and selfishness. In short, when one encounters Orlando, he will be more romantic than vengeful or indifferent due to his handsome face and patient to overcome adversity.
Apart from romance, if one meets Orlando while walking in the forest, a fight might ensue. Orlando is a keen strong man who does not conform to societal rules and regulations. As long as he can defend himself, he might take action and accomplish anything that he wants to do. Despite his young nature, he is more mature mentally than Oliver. He faces most of the challenges he faces head-on and comes to terms with his situation (Shakespeare, 2021). Therefore, if one rubs Orlando the wrong way, he might defend himself. His defensive nature is seen when he comes into contact with his eldest brother. His trajectory seems troubled and unsettled hence he can fight anyone who wrongs him the wrong way. Although he is not a man who has devoted his life to fighting for justice and cannot take the blame for most of the unfairness he encounters in life as portrayed in the play, ‘the worst fault you have is to be in love.’(3.2.2). Therefore, Orlando can love and can also defend himself against aggressors who want to fight him and prove his entire life.
Orlando has proven to be strong and elusive in terms of his engagement with his siblings and also the people he loves and hates. He is one of the characters that is objective and does not stray from his goals. Whenever he gets the chance of redeeming himself, Orlando does not hesitate, even if it means that he will argue with his aggressors. Orlando cannot be painted as a person who can passively tolerate unfairness or permit any mistreatment around him. As the play portrays him, he is charismatic and loved by all the people around him (141). The choices he makes throughout the entire play do not seek to hurt anyone but they are a way of defending himself against his aggressors. Even though he lacks in decent wits as evidenced when he argues with Jacques, 'he is drowned in a brook…’ (1.2.3). additionally, the author of the play tries to portray him as strong because he does not bow down to his oldest brother when he meets him. More so, he carefully is determined to come to terms with his own life and the things he has done to change his life for the betterment of his future. Therefore, he endured a lot of hardship after his father died. In ancient times, the youngest children were fond of their parents and they looked up to them for advice and nurturing but after death robbed him of his father, he had no choice but to come up with better ways of coping with the grief of his father and having to leave the rest of his life with an abusive older sibling was unbearable to him and this explains the reason he argues and defends himself from people who hate him and does not wish him prosperity.
Orlando is a charming man who at the end of the play marries Rosalind. Through Rosalind’s character, the persona mannerisms and actions of Orlando are seen clearly. Even as she flees into the forest, Orlando's love for her remains steady and unshaken. The habitual routine she was used to can prove her loyalty to Orlando. As one of the youngest people in the play, he is very active and initiative. For example, he fights off Charles and successfully overcomes him. This proves that Orlando can sing because he composes poems to his lover while in the forest (Shakespeare, 2021). As he encounters persecutions and even discrimination, he is sharp and immediately notices that his lover Rosalind is pretending to be Ganymede. This show of solidarity proves that he is one of the most important keys in the plays as he facilitates the intentions and propagation of other characters. Therefore, if one comes across Orlando in a forest, he can sing, through poems, and also his ability to pretend that he is Ganymede makes him look more of a man with a perfect and effective way of accomplishing tasks.
In summary, if one comes across Orlando in the forest, he could sing, argue, fight, and romance due to his formidable character. He faces numerous challenges such as a discriminative older brother. He is charismatic and everyone around him loves him dearly. He is one of the most outstanding people in the entire book because he fights off Charles and stands up to his brother who has been bullying him. Moreover, Orlando is not desperate and ensures that he does not get things sorted out in an illegal manner.
References
Shakespeare, W. (2021). As you like it. Cambridge University Press.
