Comment on Shakespeare’s use of wit and humour in “As You Like It.” [NU: 2017, 22] ★★★

Or, bring out comic elements in “As You Like It.”

“As You Like It” (1623) is one of Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) most celebrated comedies. The play is full of wit and humor. Shakespeare uses clever dialogue and funny situations to entertain us. The humor is both simple and deep. It comes from the characters, their words, and their actions. Here are the ways Shakespeare adds humor and cleverness to this play:

Wordplay and Wit: One of the key sources of humor in the play is Shakespeare’s clever use of wordplay and wit. Characters like Rosalind, Touchstone, and Jaques are masters of language. Rosalind, in particular, is known for her sharp and playful wit. She enjoys teasing others, especially Orlando, when she is disguised as Ganymede. Rosalind playfully mocks Orlando’s love for her by saying,

“Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.”

Here, Rosalind humorously mocks Orlando’s love. This is actually Rosalind’s way of expressing her love. Touchstone, the fool, also brings a lot of humor through his clever jokes and observations. Again, Jaques makes this humorous remark to Orlando:

"By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you."

False Identities and Disguises: Another comic element in the play comes from false identities and disguises. Rosalind’s disguise as Ganymede creates several funny situations. Disguised as a man, she interacts with Orlando. This leads to many playful moments as Rosalind, pretending to be a man, teaches Orlando how to woo her. The disguise also creates a humorous situation with Phoebe, who falls in love with Ganymede, not knowing it is Rosalind in disguise. Rosalind humorously warns Phoebe,

“I pray you, do not fall in love with me.”

Foolishness of Love: Shakespeare often uses humor to highlight the foolishness of love. The characters in “As You Like It” fall in and out of love quickly and sometimes for silly reasons. Silvius, the lovesick shepherd, is a comic figure who is blindly in love with the proud Phoebe. His over-the-top declarations of love are exaggerated and funny. Silvius says,

“O Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe!”

Here, Silvius repeats her name as if his whole world revolves around her. Here, Shakespeare’s humor makes the audience laugh at the silliness of Silvius’s addiction.

Even Orlando’s love for Rosalind is exaggerated. Orlando hangs poems on trees in the forest. His poetic declarations of love are humorous, especially when Rosalind mocks them while pretending to be Ganymede.

Touchstone’s Role as a Fool: Touchstone, the court fool, is one of the funniest characters in the play. He uses his wit to mock both the court and the countryside. He playfully debates with the shepherd, Corin. He says Corin’s hands smell like sheep, and courtiers pretend to smell like perfume. Here, Touchstone mocks the hypocrisy of courtly life. Touchstone loves simple country girl Audrey. His pursuit of love is full of funny talks.

Jaques’s Humor: Jaques is a "melancholy" man. He has a different kind of humor. He is sarcastic and loves to make fun of people’s foolishness. It is his famous quote:

“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:” 

This speech is not traditionally funny, but it has dark humor. He describes life as a play where people act out different roles—infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, judge, pantaloon, and very old. His speech mocks how people take life too seriously, even though it all ends the same way.

Shakespeare ends the play in a cheerful manner. Rosalind fixes the problem, and all the couples marry.

In conclusion, Shakespeare fills “As You Like It” with wit and humor. The clever jokes, funny characters, disguises, and playful love stories keep us entertained. The play shows how humor can make even serious moments light. It reminds us to enjoy life and laugh often. This is why everyone still loves “As You Like It”.