Shakespeare uses language techniques in As You Like It to create the mood, highlight characters and intensify dramatic effect.

Imagery

As You Like It contains many examples of imagery.  Imagery can be described as the use of vivid words and phrases that fire the imagination and create mental pictures.

Perhaps the best known example of imagery is Jaques ‘Seven ages of Man Speech’, which creates imagery of a child crying ‘mewing and puking’.

The imagery is used to create themes but also it gives the audience enjoyment as they imagine what Shakespeare was meaning.  It also enhances dramatic impact, provides insight into characters and intensifies emotions as when Rosalind tells Celia that the depth of her love for Orlando is “bottomless like the Bay of Portugal”.

In As You Like It, Shakespeare also mocks imagery.  Act 3 Scene 6, Phebe makes fun of the images a lover’s mind can create.

The imagery is conveyed using similes, metaphors and personification.

A simile compares one thing to another using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’, for example, Adam declares “his age is as a lusty winter”.

A metaphor suggests 2 dissimilar things are the same, for example, Orlando calls himself a “rotten tree”.

Personification gives objects and ideas human characteristics, for example, “the good housewife of Fortune”.

Classical mythology is used as this would be much more familiar to an Elizabethan audience.

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Antithesis

This is the opposition of words against each other and is used extensively by Shakespeare.  It expresses conflict by using opposites.   As You Like It is full of conflict, brother versus brother, court versus country, appearance versus reality and each feature is highlighted by antithesis in the dialogue.  For example, Act 2 Scene 1 Duke Senior opposes life in Arden to that at court.  “Hath not old custom made this life more sweet/Than that of pointed pomp! Are not these woods/More free from peril than the envious court?”

Repetition

The most frequently repeated word in the play is ‘love’ (used more than 100 times).  This indicates that love is the major theme of As You Like It.

Repetition is also used to highlight emotion or significance and occurs equally in verse or prose.  For example, Act 2 Scene 4 “thou hast not loved”.

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Lists

This is a technique often used by Shakespeare and again shown most famously in Jaques “Seven Ages of Man” speech.

The accumulating effect of lists of items or phrases intensifies their meaning.

The lists can be single words or phrases, for example, Rosalind’s description of the things she did when she pretended to be an inconstant mistress, Act 3 Scene 3 which includes 18 ways in which she cured a man of love.  Corlin’s list of contents in Act 3 Scene 2 “No more, but what I know the more one sickens”. Rosalind’s list of questions about Orlando, Act 3 Scene 2 “Alas the day, what shall I do with my doublet and hose? What did he when thou saw’st him?...” and Jacques description of the various types of melancholy Act 4 Scene 1 “ I have neither a scholar’s melancholy, which is emulation…”.

Shakespeare uses lists to great affect in Rosalind’s speech confirming that Oliver and Celia have fallen instantly in love, Act 5 Scene 2:

“For your brother and my sister no sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked, but they loved; not sooner loved, but they sighed; no sooner sighed, but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a par of stairs to marriage.”

The use of lists in this speech conveys the swiftness with which Oliver and Celia have fallen in love.  By listing a series of rapidly occurring events Shakespeare quickens Rosalind’s delivery of the speech to reflect the speed of their romance.

The use of lists is also an opportunity for an actor to show off his skill by altering the delivery for each item.

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Prose

Over fifty percent of As You Like It is in prose.  This follows theatrical convention of the time in which prose was used by comic and low status characters.  The proportion of prose indicates that this is a comedy. 

However rules are made to be broken – Rosalind and Celia are of high status but use prose as does Duke Frederick on his entrance.

Silvius and Phebe who are low status speak in verse.

Oliver uses prose for a serious speech when urging Charles to fight Orlando.

An Elizabethan audience would be more attuned to verse and prose so Shakespeare could use it to heighten dramatic effect.

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Verse

The verse used is mainly blank verse Shakespeare had used iambic pentameter a frequently prior to writing As You Like It and so was experienced enough to make the verse more flexible and flowing.

Puns/Wordplay

Wordplay and puns were very popular when Shakespeare was writing As You Like It.  

A pun is a play on words where the same sound or word has different meanings, for example Touchstone puns on ‘bear’ and ‘cross’ when entering the Forest of Arden Act 2 Scene 4.

“For my part, I had rather bear with you, than bear you; yet I should bear no cross if I did bear you, for I think you have no money in your purse.”

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Soliloquy

The dramatic convention where a character reveals their true thoughts, feelings and intentions.  For example; Oliver’s brief soliloquies in Act 1
Scene I

”Is it eve so, begin you to grown upon me?  I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither:”

And later on

“Twill be a good way, and tomorrow the wrestling is.”

Both of these short soliloquies give the audience a deeper understanding of Oliver’s intentions, ie to cure Orlando of his disrespect, his “physic your rankness”  Shakespeare uses these short soliloquies to build dramatic tension and a feeling of danger.