THE WINTER WIND OF RELATIONS
From AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Review by Emily Coates
In the forest of Arden, a member of the exiled Duke Senior sings a song about the winter wind in comparison to friendship and relations. The song not only speaks of the winter weather, but also of relations both imagined and very real. I will explore how the lines of the second half of the song measure up to the real-time relationships of the Duke Frederick and Duke Senior and Oliver and Orlando. After that, I will look into the language Shakespeare employs in the use of the words “bite” and “warp”; they were chosen specifically for their imagery. I will seek to understand why he chose those words, in connection to the imagery of water and the wind. To conclude, I will analyze why Shakespeare chose end the song with “this life is most jolly”, although the entirety of the song is about the betrayal of someone who was once held in esteem (2.7 181).
I would argue that Orlando and Oliver’s relationship can be seen as the same wind that Duke Senior and Duke Frederick are on, and bound to follow in the same pattern if something does not change. The winter wind is characterized as being “not so sharp as a friend remembered not” (2.7 198). When winter winds blow, it starts as being incredibly sharp. As the gust continues, it invades any and all pockets of warmth. The imagery this creates for the audience can show the pattern of the relationships. In Orlando and Oliver’s case, the crevasse between them has taken shape by biting words and envy; it is heavily driven by emotion. The passion of youth cuts into their relationship like the winter wind, and creates the unremembered friend. True to the song, any and all loving is “mere folly”, and not to be trusted (2.7.181). Both men allow for their emotions to determine how they feel about one another. For example, Oliver tries a couple of times to banish or seriously injure his younger brother Orlando. However, this instantly goes away when Oliver falls for Celia, and realizes that it would make her sad for him to follow through with his fiendish schemes. The winter wind can also be like this. In the course of an instant, wind that was once harsh dies down and remains calm.
Meanwhile, Orlando takes the passion that he has and focuses it towards Rosalind, to whom he writes love poetry and sighs the day away for. It almost seems as if he has completely forgotten his brother, and any ill feeling that may have occurred between the two; the seen and the unseen. Orlando’s turn of passion is symbolized by the line that says “most friendship is feigning” (2.7 181). It’s ironic that Rosalind is feigning to be a boy, but another way this line can apply to Oliver and Orlando’s relationship is seen when the two are speaking to each other. At the beginning, we see Oliver and Orlando exchanging a few words. Although he is clearly displeased in having to deal with Orlando, Oliver seems cordial. However, Oliver sends Charles to dispose of his little brother, which is unsuccessful. If anything, in his act of anger, Oliver actually starts the ball rolling on Orlando’s relationship with Rosalind, helping his little brother out. Both bodies of passion are set on a course that neither brother would have seen coming.
Had their emotions not led the foolish brothers to love, it could be argued that Oliver and Orlando might have ended up in the same position that Duke Senior and Duke Frederick have found themselves in at the beginning of the play. Their strong passions have since subsided with the onset of age, but the winter wind that they are represented by is far from being quelled. Duke Fredrick especially seems to find any reason to add fuel to the fire of his hatred towards Duke Senior. Just as a winter wind can sometimes cut you deep enough to blow away any warm pockets of air, so is Duke Frederick. He is looking to anything that will keep the quarrel going. This is exemplified when he banishes Rosalind simply for being related to Duke Senior, who states “treason is not inherited, my lord” (1.3 57). Her argument falls on deaf ears, however, and she is banished as a result of Duke Frederick’s anger.
On the other hand, not all winter winds are harsh and cutting. Duke Senior seems to be doing quite well for himself in the Forest of Arden. If we compare the winter wind to the anger throughout the relationships, then Duke Senior would be one of the ones that moves the snow and covers the plants with white frost. Having Duke Senior accept the banishment beset by Duke Frederick is done intentionally, to show how letting the wind blow around you excessively can take effect. What I mean by this is that while Duke Frederick lets his anger fester into hatred, thus making his wind fierce and fueled by a forgotten Duke Senior, the very man has let go of any ill feelings and quelling a potential oncoming storm between the two. Instead of nursing his own hate in being wronged, Duke Senior has let go of those violent emotions and become as adaptable as the wind. As seen in his cheerful hunting, the Duke has truly found a way to make “life most jolly.” (2.7.183)
As I have been describing the wind and its relationship to some of the main relationships, I have pointed out the use of harsh words such as sharp and fester. Two that Shakespeare uses that I have not touched on much are included in the second half of Amien’s song, namely ‘bite’ and ‘warp’. Now, going back to the relationships as stated earlier, Orlando, Oliver, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick represent wisps on the same breath of wind. The latter pair however, is a bit further down the line, showing how age can and does play a role in the relationships that we choose to focus on. Shakespeare uses Amiens to describe these two using the words I have mentioned. When talking about the word ‘bite’, it is tied to the imagery of wind in the song. Using wind is appropriate when comparing it to Orlando and Oliver’s relationship, as they are still young and full of gusto in their emotions for one another. They are also opposite of one another, just as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. One of the two is more vehement in his feeling (Duke Frederick and Oliver), while the other allows for the space between them to cool the flames of feeling. Duke Senior and Orlando fit the bill here perfectly. Now, back to Orlando and Oliver; the wind imagery fits because of the way it can blow gently or cut you down seemingly to the bone.
The word ‘bite’ suggests the anger and jealousy found in Oliver, who is the brother more vocal in his anger and hatred. He is more affected by the winds that he feels, and so then puts those feelings into actions against Orlando. It is interesting to note how the song states that the bite is not so close in measurement of “benefits forgot”, which is what Orlando comes to talk to Oliver about in the first scene with them together (2.7 186). Those forgotten benefits, which Oliver does not see fit to bestow upon Orlando is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. From then on out, Orlando is both chased and forgotten by his brother, as the mood strikes him. Much like the winter wind does not last forever; Oliver’s hatred is not always causing Orlando pain.
While the younger two characters may be seen as the wind, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick’s relationship can be likened to the water that warps. Going back to the idea of their emotions having subsided and cooled a bit in time, the relationship between these two fit into the imagery of a stream or river with Duke Frederick being the current and Duke Senior being a stone that is warped and broken down by the relentless buffets of the water’s current. Duke Frederick plays the part of water well. He is never stopping in his reminder to the court who is Duke and who is banished. Any time he has a chance to speak ill or tarnish the name of Duke Senior, he will do it. Though Amiens sings that being a forgotten friend is worse than the water’s warp, he may not understand that the water does not need to sting sharply in order to be effective. Duke Frederick has been angry and hurt over Duke Senior for a long time. His sharpness has left him, but his endurance has not. The language that Shakespeare employs allows the audience to understand that unless something big can happen to make Duke Frederick change course, he will continue to barrage Duke Senior with his hate and anger from all of these years. It takes the unity, love and trust between Celia and Rosalind to open Duke Frederick’s eyes to his foolishness.
Meanwhile, Duke Senior is a perfect example of that rock sitting in the middle of the stream. He remains steadfast in his position of banishment and lets what mean words come his way that do. Duke Senior denounces the court life and appreciates life in the way it has been dealt to him, with the freedom of the trees and the wild. Like that rock, he does not let the waters of Duke Frederick’s hate warp him for evil. He is warped, to an extent, as any rock in a stream would be. However, it has been a change for good. Duke Senior has been given a chance to live in a realm where conning advisers are far, and he can focus on his men, to take care of them. In the darkness of an ‘uncivilized’ society, Duke Senior sees the true joy that comes from the forest, the animals and the “holly” (2.7 182).
Finally, through this analysis, I have come to understand more of why Shakespeare chose to end the song with the lines “this life is most jolly” (2.7 183). Throughout my essay, I have focused mainly on how negative feelings from Oliver and Duke Frederick have played a role in relationships and the language used in a song by a simple man. I have also explored the personality traits of Duke Senior and Orlando, being a foil for the aforementioned others, and how their patience and endurance have changed what could have happened into happily ever after. But the answer of the irony in the last line has been there the whole time. I would go out on a limb to suggest that it is because of those winter winds of anger and hatred that life can be “most jolly” (2.7.183).
Most of the answer comes from the famous speech that Duke Senior recites in the forest, shortly after this song is sung. He states “And this our life exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not change it.” (2.1 35-7) While the winter wind Amiens sings about can be interpreted as the loss of one once held dear due to harsh feelings, Duke Senior comes to understand it in a different way. In the combination of the quotation used and Duke Senior’s role as the softer winter breeze, it’s clear to see that Shakespeare was wise to end the song in such a phrase. There is good to be found everywhere. This is a lesson that Duke Senior learns during his time in exile. He learns that although we face hard times, we will have a rough life if we miss the forest for the trees. While Duke Frederick has focused so much on his singular hatred for Duke Senior, Duke Senior has spent his time focusing instead on what blessings lay around him.
In the same manner, it takes a major hardship in order for Duke Frederick to learn about true happiness. When Celia leaves him to remain with Rosalind, he is infuriated to say the least. Not only has his enemy, Duke Senior, stolen away what Duke Frederick deemed his, now Celia was choosing the exiled Duke over her own father. Celia is the only child to Duke Frederick, and he cares for her very much. He wishes to expunge Rosalind so that his own Celia will shine much brighter. However, he completely misses that the daughter of the man he loathes is one of the reasons Celia can shine so bright. Having grown up together, they have grown into their current personalities because they had each other. Duke Frederick, in his need to have everything done according to his wants, has completely missed out on some of the greatest moments in his daughter’s life. He refuses to acknowledge the holly in his life because he is too busy complaining about the snow and ice that has covered it.
On the other hand, we can see how the final lines of the song also apply to Oliver and Orlando. Oliver on his own has a very hard time finding joy in a life that is burdened with a responsibility like Orlando and this adversity seems too much for him. Oliver struggles with this, and instead of confronting it, he takes out all of his anger on his brother. It is not until he meets Celia and falls in love that he can let go of this anger and resentment. For him, holly would do nothing but be a bother. There would be no beauty in it, or any value for that matter. Upon meeting his future bride, however, there is a change of heart. For once, Oliver can focus on something good and wonderful, as opposed to his weightier feelings of hatred. From there, he chooses to see the good around him and forgive Orlando for everything. The past is buried, and together, they start anew. The theme of reconciliation not only allows for them all to marry the ones they love, but also make amends with blood relations.
Orlando, on the other hand seems to have an easier time understanding adversity as Duke Senior does, as he tortures himself with courting Ganymede. There is nothing stopping him from going to where Rosalind might be and courting her instead. In his own way, he has echoed the line stated by Duke Senior, “Sweet are the uses of adversity” (2.1 12). He courts Ganymede until he can no longer bear the idea of being away from Rosalind. He has become so enraptured with her that it is painful. This pain, however, is one that he learns to tolerate, as the hope of meeting with his beloved becomes ever closer. When Rosalind disguised as Ganymede announces that the object of Orlando’s affection will be with them the next day, Orlando is not sure if he can believe the news. However, he is willing to put his heart out on the line one more time. He chooses to be positive and trust this boy who speaks so civilly. This plays back into the notion that Shakespeare writes in his lines “Then heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly” because of the meaning carried in the words heigh-ho (2.7.182-3). In Elizabethan times, the line could be used as an expression of boredom or sadness. It could also be a cry of hope or encouragement, which I would argue is the desired usage in Amien’s song.
By implementing those two words, Shakespeare leaves a question for each of us to solve for ourselves. It is the question that ties all of the analysis together. As we figure out the answer to the question, then we will also be able to find the holly of life beautiful despite the weather. It can change us for the better if we let it. The characters in the play As You Like it have found the answer to this question for their personal lives. The question in question is this: look at the things around you; will you choose to be happy?
From AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Review by Emily Coates
In the forest of Arden, a member of the exiled Duke Senior sings a song about the winter wind in comparison to friendship and relations. The song not only speaks of the winter weather, but also of relations both imagined and very real. I will explore how the lines of the second half of the song measure up to the real-time relationships of the Duke Frederick and Duke Senior and Oliver and Orlando. After that, I will look into the language Shakespeare employs in the use of the words “bite” and “warp”; they were chosen specifically for their imagery. I will seek to understand why he chose those words, in connection to the imagery of water and the wind. To conclude, I will analyze why Shakespeare chose end the song with “this life is most jolly”, although the entirety of the song is about the betrayal of someone who was once held in esteem (2.7 181).
I would argue that Orlando and Oliver’s relationship can be seen as the same wind that Duke Senior and Duke Frederick are on, and bound to follow in the same pattern if something does not change. The winter wind is characterized as being “not so sharp as a friend remembered not” (2.7 198). When winter winds blow, it starts as being incredibly sharp. As the gust continues, it invades any and all pockets of warmth. The imagery this creates for the audience can show the pattern of the relationships. In Orlando and Oliver’s case, the crevasse between them has taken shape by biting words and envy; it is heavily driven by emotion. The passion of youth cuts into their relationship like the winter wind, and creates the unremembered friend. True to the song, any and all loving is “mere folly”, and not to be trusted (2.7.181). Both men allow for their emotions to determine how they feel about one another. For example, Oliver tries a couple of times to banish or seriously injure his younger brother Orlando. However, this instantly goes away when Oliver falls for Celia, and realizes that it would make her sad for him to follow through with his fiendish schemes. The winter wind can also be like this. In the course of an instant, wind that was once harsh dies down and remains calm.
Meanwhile, Orlando takes the passion that he has and focuses it towards Rosalind, to whom he writes love poetry and sighs the day away for. It almost seems as if he has completely forgotten his brother, and any ill feeling that may have occurred between the two; the seen and the unseen. Orlando’s turn of passion is symbolized by the line that says “most friendship is feigning” (2.7 181). It’s ironic that Rosalind is feigning to be a boy, but another way this line can apply to Oliver and Orlando’s relationship is seen when the two are speaking to each other. At the beginning, we see Oliver and Orlando exchanging a few words. Although he is clearly displeased in having to deal with Orlando, Oliver seems cordial. However, Oliver sends Charles to dispose of his little brother, which is unsuccessful. If anything, in his act of anger, Oliver actually starts the ball rolling on Orlando’s relationship with Rosalind, helping his little brother out. Both bodies of passion are set on a course that neither brother would have seen coming.
Had their emotions not led the foolish brothers to love, it could be argued that Oliver and Orlando might have ended up in the same position that Duke Senior and Duke Frederick have found themselves in at the beginning of the play. Their strong passions have since subsided with the onset of age, but the winter wind that they are represented by is far from being quelled. Duke Fredrick especially seems to find any reason to add fuel to the fire of his hatred towards Duke Senior. Just as a winter wind can sometimes cut you deep enough to blow away any warm pockets of air, so is Duke Frederick. He is looking to anything that will keep the quarrel going. This is exemplified when he banishes Rosalind simply for being related to Duke Senior, who states “treason is not inherited, my lord” (1.3 57). Her argument falls on deaf ears, however, and she is banished as a result of Duke Frederick’s anger.
On the other hand, not all winter winds are harsh and cutting. Duke Senior seems to be doing quite well for himself in the Forest of Arden. If we compare the winter wind to the anger throughout the relationships, then Duke Senior would be one of the ones that moves the snow and covers the plants with white frost. Having Duke Senior accept the banishment beset by Duke Frederick is done intentionally, to show how letting the wind blow around you excessively can take effect. What I mean by this is that while Duke Frederick lets his anger fester into hatred, thus making his wind fierce and fueled by a forgotten Duke Senior, the very man has let go of any ill feelings and quelling a potential oncoming storm between the two. Instead of nursing his own hate in being wronged, Duke Senior has let go of those violent emotions and become as adaptable as the wind. As seen in his cheerful hunting, the Duke has truly found a way to make “life most jolly.” (2.7.183)
As I have been describing the wind and its relationship to some of the main relationships, I have pointed out the use of harsh words such as sharp and fester. Two that Shakespeare uses that I have not touched on much are included in the second half of Amien’s song, namely ‘bite’ and ‘warp’. Now, going back to the relationships as stated earlier, Orlando, Oliver, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick represent wisps on the same breath of wind. The latter pair however, is a bit further down the line, showing how age can and does play a role in the relationships that we choose to focus on. Shakespeare uses Amiens to describe these two using the words I have mentioned. When talking about the word ‘bite’, it is tied to the imagery of wind in the song. Using wind is appropriate when comparing it to Orlando and Oliver’s relationship, as they are still young and full of gusto in their emotions for one another. They are also opposite of one another, just as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. One of the two is more vehement in his feeling (Duke Frederick and Oliver), while the other allows for the space between them to cool the flames of feeling. Duke Senior and Orlando fit the bill here perfectly. Now, back to Orlando and Oliver; the wind imagery fits because of the way it can blow gently or cut you down seemingly to the bone.
The word ‘bite’ suggests the anger and jealousy found in Oliver, who is the brother more vocal in his anger and hatred. He is more affected by the winds that he feels, and so then puts those feelings into actions against Orlando. It is interesting to note how the song states that the bite is not so close in measurement of “benefits forgot”, which is what Orlando comes to talk to Oliver about in the first scene with them together (2.7 186). Those forgotten benefits, which Oliver does not see fit to bestow upon Orlando is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. From then on out, Orlando is both chased and forgotten by his brother, as the mood strikes him. Much like the winter wind does not last forever; Oliver’s hatred is not always causing Orlando pain.
While the younger two characters may be seen as the wind, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick’s relationship can be likened to the water that warps. Going back to the idea of their emotions having subsided and cooled a bit in time, the relationship between these two fit into the imagery of a stream or river with Duke Frederick being the current and Duke Senior being a stone that is warped and broken down by the relentless buffets of the water’s current. Duke Frederick plays the part of water well. He is never stopping in his reminder to the court who is Duke and who is banished. Any time he has a chance to speak ill or tarnish the name of Duke Senior, he will do it. Though Amiens sings that being a forgotten friend is worse than the water’s warp, he may not understand that the water does not need to sting sharply in order to be effective. Duke Frederick has been angry and hurt over Duke Senior for a long time. His sharpness has left him, but his endurance has not. The language that Shakespeare employs allows the audience to understand that unless something big can happen to make Duke Frederick change course, he will continue to barrage Duke Senior with his hate and anger from all of these years. It takes the unity, love and trust between Celia and Rosalind to open Duke Frederick’s eyes to his foolishness.
Meanwhile, Duke Senior is a perfect example of that rock sitting in the middle of the stream. He remains steadfast in his position of banishment and lets what mean words come his way that do. Duke Senior denounces the court life and appreciates life in the way it has been dealt to him, with the freedom of the trees and the wild. Like that rock, he does not let the waters of Duke Frederick’s hate warp him for evil. He is warped, to an extent, as any rock in a stream would be. However, it has been a change for good. Duke Senior has been given a chance to live in a realm where conning advisers are far, and he can focus on his men, to take care of them. In the darkness of an ‘uncivilized’ society, Duke Senior sees the true joy that comes from the forest, the animals and the “holly” (2.7 182).
Finally, through this analysis, I have come to understand more of why Shakespeare chose to end the song with the lines “this life is most jolly” (2.7 183). Throughout my essay, I have focused mainly on how negative feelings from Oliver and Duke Frederick have played a role in relationships and the language used in a song by a simple man. I have also explored the personality traits of Duke Senior and Orlando, being a foil for the aforementioned others, and how their patience and endurance have changed what could have happened into happily ever after. But the answer of the irony in the last line has been there the whole time. I would go out on a limb to suggest that it is because of those winter winds of anger and hatred that life can be “most jolly” (2.7.183).
Most of the answer comes from the famous speech that Duke Senior recites in the forest, shortly after this song is sung. He states “And this our life exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not change it.” (2.1 35-7) While the winter wind Amiens sings about can be interpreted as the loss of one once held dear due to harsh feelings, Duke Senior comes to understand it in a different way. In the combination of the quotation used and Duke Senior’s role as the softer winter breeze, it’s clear to see that Shakespeare was wise to end the song in such a phrase. There is good to be found everywhere. This is a lesson that Duke Senior learns during his time in exile. He learns that although we face hard times, we will have a rough life if we miss the forest for the trees. While Duke Frederick has focused so much on his singular hatred for Duke Senior, Duke Senior has spent his time focusing instead on what blessings lay around him.
In the same manner, it takes a major hardship in order for Duke Frederick to learn about true happiness. When Celia leaves him to remain with Rosalind, he is infuriated to say the least. Not only has his enemy, Duke Senior, stolen away what Duke Frederick deemed his, now Celia was choosing the exiled Duke over her own father. Celia is the only child to Duke Frederick, and he cares for her very much. He wishes to expunge Rosalind so that his own Celia will shine much brighter. However, he completely misses that the daughter of the man he loathes is one of the reasons Celia can shine so bright. Having grown up together, they have grown into their current personalities because they had each other. Duke Frederick, in his need to have everything done according to his wants, has completely missed out on some of the greatest moments in his daughter’s life. He refuses to acknowledge the holly in his life because he is too busy complaining about the snow and ice that has covered it.
On the other hand, we can see how the final lines of the song also apply to Oliver and Orlando. Oliver on his own has a very hard time finding joy in a life that is burdened with a responsibility like Orlando and this adversity seems too much for him. Oliver struggles with this, and instead of confronting it, he takes out all of his anger on his brother. It is not until he meets Celia and falls in love that he can let go of this anger and resentment. For him, holly would do nothing but be a bother. There would be no beauty in it, or any value for that matter. Upon meeting his future bride, however, there is a change of heart. For once, Oliver can focus on something good and wonderful, as opposed to his weightier feelings of hatred. From there, he chooses to see the good around him and forgive Orlando for everything. The past is buried, and together, they start anew. The theme of reconciliation not only allows for them all to marry the ones they love, but also make amends with blood relations.
Orlando, on the other hand seems to have an easier time understanding adversity as Duke Senior does, as he tortures himself with courting Ganymede. There is nothing stopping him from going to where Rosalind might be and courting her instead. In his own way, he has echoed the line stated by Duke Senior, “Sweet are the uses of adversity” (2.1 12). He courts Ganymede until he can no longer bear the idea of being away from Rosalind. He has become so enraptured with her that it is painful. This pain, however, is one that he learns to tolerate, as the hope of meeting with his beloved becomes ever closer. When Rosalind disguised as Ganymede announces that the object of Orlando’s affection will be with them the next day, Orlando is not sure if he can believe the news. However, he is willing to put his heart out on the line one more time. He chooses to be positive and trust this boy who speaks so civilly. This plays back into the notion that Shakespeare writes in his lines “Then heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly” because of the meaning carried in the words heigh-ho (2.7.182-3). In Elizabethan times, the line could be used as an expression of boredom or sadness. It could also be a cry of hope or encouragement, which I would argue is the desired usage in Amien’s song.
By implementing those two words, Shakespeare leaves a question for each of us to solve for ourselves. It is the question that ties all of the analysis together. As we figure out the answer to the question, then we will also be able to find the holly of life beautiful despite the weather. It can change us for the better if we let it. The characters in the play As You Like it have found the answer to this question for their personal lives. The question in question is this: look at the things around you; will you choose to be happy?
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