The idea of the pastoral setting was that it was a retreat to a perfect place, often characterised by innocence, from the world of harsh experience and city society. The absence of unpleasant features, such as illnesses, wickedness and the treachery and shallowness of the courts is also noted, as well as the presence of pleasant features, such as plenteousness of food and kindly weather. Education could sometimes be found in the pastoral setting, where people returned from the forest as changed people, with their wicked flaws eradicated in favour of renewed spirit and generous characteristics. Other features include the fact that it often contains shepherds who pipe, look after their sheep and fall in love.
The Forest of Arden is a refuge from the deceit, hypocrisy and ambition of the court. It is a place of harmony, free from the anger of fathers and brothers, from envy or malice, or the false friendships and “painted pomp” of flattering courtiers. It fosters regeneration and reconciliation, as characters are changed by their experiences and discover truths about themselves and others. In respect of the kindly weather mentioned above, ‘As You Like It’ does not feature this, but rather the “churlish chiding of the winter’s wind”. However, even though the natural conditions are hard, the forest is still preferable to the “envious” court, where comfort is combined with cruelty. In these details the forest does seem very much like a pastoral setting, however, to be truly an idealised pastoral setting, the forest must have nothing in common with the court or town life.
The Term Paper on Significance Of The Forest Setting
This play is based on the forest setting which is an important aspect in the love circles between the characters. Notably, the forest setting creates a mysterious, dark and wild atmosphere where the plot of the Shakespeare’s magical elements is played. Since the Elizabethans believed in the existence of supernatural beings, especially the fairies the forest setting in the play offers the natural ...
In the town, the treachery is clear through the disloyalty the Duke shows when talking to Oliver. He unfairly blames Oliver for Orlando’s disappearance and therefore his daughters as well, and threatens to “seize” his lands if he does not return Orlando. His hypocritical, disloyal and threatening behaviour clearly displays the deceitfulness of court life. He proclaims that Oliver is a “villain” for saying that he “never loved my brother in my life”, even though he himself has usurped his brother; Duke Senior, and sent him to the forest. This hypocritical comment, combined with the disloyalty he displays when he turns on his friend to blame him for his own mistakes, display the cruelty of the court and the characteristics, which are not present in the country. In this presentation, therefore, the country seems like an idealised pastoral setting.
On the other hand, the Forest of Arden is displayed in a more unflattering light by some of the other characters. Touchstone is a very interesting character, since he gives us a comparison of the Forest to the court. “In respect that it is solitary, I like it very well; but in respect that it is private, it is a very vile life.”. This emphasizes the advantages; the privacy and time alone, and disadvantages; the lack of any gossip or interesting news. The country is therefore seen as very similar to the court, as each have their own positive and negative aspects. This similarity makes it very difficult to categorise it an idealised pastoral setting, since the court is certainly not. This view is aided by Orlando’s initial impression of the forest as a “savage… desert”. The fact that Adam dies also illustrated the fact that foot is not plentiful, and that the forest is inhospitable, “bleak”, and at times murderous. This view certainly does not announce the forest as an idealised setting.
Conversely, the forest is full of love and friendship, and brings couples such as Silvius and Phoebe, Touchstone and Audrey, Oliver and Celia and Rosalind and Orlando together. Orlando, who declares that “these trees shall be my books”, clearly enjoys being in the Forest now. He hangs the physical embodiment and symbolisation of his love; the poems, on the trees, therefore, displaying that he is in harmony and at peace with the forest, and therefore, relinquishes the idea of it being “savage”, and turns instead towards idealised.
The Essay on Forest Gump Movie Forrest Life
iiiii Forrest Gump There is a huge difference between very bad movies and very good ones. Thats because films can be on either side of the quality scale. A good movie has the ability to burrow deep into the subconscious, with unpredictable and occasional remarkable results. A great work of art can cause euphoria, touch a deep emotional chord, or, in rare cases effect fundamental changes in a ...
In addition, Corin the shepherd has an interesting philosophy on his way of life; “I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness…’ The simplicity of this accentuates the type of characters that inhabit the forest; gentle, kind and caring characters, who are willing to help out strangers. For example, the Duke gently invites Orlando “welcome to our table”, and Corin offers to be Rosalind and Celia’s “faithful feeder” when he has only just met them. These acts of generosity are not found in the court, and therefore, distinguish the country as different, and perhaps, an idealised pastoral setting.
The forest also has a spiritual effect on some of the characters, for example, Jaques; who departs for a “religious life” and an escape from the “pompous court”, Oliver, who falls in “love” with Aliena and is willing to “live and die a shepherd”, and Duke Frederick, who meets a “religious man” in the forest who converts him to a peaceful life; thus “his crown bequeathing to his banished brother”. This transformation and reconciliation is an idea from the pastoral setting, and therefore, the idea of the idealised pastoral setting is fortified.
Moreover, the Forest imbues characters such as Orlando with the forgiveness, gentleness and love so that he could “give battle to the lioness” to save a brother who he thought of as so “unnatural” because he was so cruel. The compassion of Orlando displayed in the Forest, is not discerned within court life, therefore, this again distinguishes the country from the court, and aids the pastoral description.
In addition, even though there are many shepherds within the forest, such as William, Silvius and Phoebe, they are not all the good and kindly characters we have come to expect from the forest. Phoebe is said to have eyes that are “murderous” because she “scorns” Silvius’s love for her. She is cruel to Silvius and babes him “come not thou near me” even though she is “not for all markets” and is unlikely to receive another offer of marriage. The arrogance and vain tendencies she displays do not coincide with the qualities we associate with the Forest of Arden, and furthermore, seem more fitting with the attributes correlated with court life. Therefore, it is untrue to say that the characters within the forest are totally different from the characters at court, and therefore, untrue to say that the Forest is so totally opposite to the court.
The Research paper on Character Proteces Life
Character Protects Life Skip to Navigation Skip to Content OPPapers.comResearch Papers and Essays for All Login Writing Service Upload Blog Follow Us Join Search Character Protects Lifes We have many premium term papers and essays on Character Protects Lifes. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or ...
In conclusion, therefore, I believe that although the Forest of Arden displays many characteristics of the Pastoral setting, such as it being a refuge and place of harmony and innocence, and a place where characters develop and transform into more spiritual or generous people, it is not idealised, since it displays many features similar to court life, and contains some cruel characters. For it to be truly idealised, it cannot have any features of the town, since the court certainly does not represent and idealised pastoral setting. Touchstone’s comparisons, the savageness of the Forest and certain characters such as Phoebe all contain elements of court life, therefore, I cannot honestly say that the Forest of Arden is an idealised pastoral setting.
