Gender and Social Norms in Shakespeares As You Like It Essay -- Shake

Gender and Social Norms in As You Like It Shakespeare based his comedy As You Like It primarily on three other works. Its speckle follows the basic structure of Rosalynde, published in 1590 by Thomas Lodge. The Tale of Gamelyn, written by an unkn receive author in the mid-fourteenth century, is a violent center of attention side of meat narrative that was found among Chaucers papers and provides further details for Shakespeares work. With the Forest of Ardenne serving as an escape for our main characters, Shakespeare takes his details from the countless Robin pileus ballads popular in Medieval England. This paper will examine how Shakespeares adaptations and alterations of emphasis and plot from these source works have turned our attention to the role of gender norms in society, the restrictions of social norms, and human influence on ones future. Lastly, included is a brief discussion of how these factors might influence a production of this clever and entertain work. In Sha kespeares play, the question of womens role is central to theme and plot. By assuming the clothes and likeliness of a man, Rosalind treats herself to powers that are normally beyond her reach as a woman (Spark 7). She is able to talk, walk and have the freedoms of a man, while having the heart of a woman. She is even able to court a lover of her own choice and train him in the art of love. Shakespeare focuses his work on the drastically different role that she can take under the guise of a man. In contrast, the novel Rosalynde, focuses only on the male concerns of the story. The entire story has been directed exclusively to men and made glaringly obvious in its preface origination with the words, To Gentleman Readers. Throughout the story, L... ...int.htm. Kuhn, Maura. Much Value in It. Shakespeare Quarterly 28 (Winter 1977) 40-50. Hanawalt, Barbara A. ed.. Chaucers England- Literature in Historical Content. Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press, 1992. Howard, Jean E., Intodu ction to As You Like It. The Norton Shakespeare Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, et.al. cutting York W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. 1591-1599. Prendergast, Maria Teresa Micaela.Rennaissance Fantasies- The gathering of Aesthetics in Early Modern Fiction. Kent Kent State UP, 1999. Sparknotes. As You Like It, by William Shakespeare. 8 Nov. 2002 http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/asyoulikeit/. Strout, Nathaniel. As You Like It, Rosalynde, and Mutuality. Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 v. 41 no 2 (Spring 2001) 277-95. Tenney, Edward A.. Thomas Lodge. Ithica Cornell UP, 1935.