Examining the Language of Love in Shakespeare's As You Like It

This paper aims at exploring one of the major themes of As you Like It - ‘love at first sight’ through the lens of language. Not only the hero (Orlando) and the heroine (Rosalind) fell in love at first sight in the play but a girl like Celia, who is always suspicious and wary of romantic love, surprisingly and suddenly began to woo Oliver in one meeting. I also observe here some of the minor characters in action in this light. In this essay, we are trying to understand two first meetings in the great comedy, one in the Duke’s court, the other in the Arden, as dramatic situations. The playwright here, at two crucial moments in the action, is not taking situations and elements of convention for granted. Working within the formula, the playwright works also outside it, assimilating to life (and silently adapting the story to this end): invents circumstance, telescopes events, fashions mood and moment, relates situation to character. Apparently the characters look that they knew each other from a long time, but a close analysis of the situations and actions of the characters in the play shows us that their amour began at first sight and in a body they establish the ‘Dead Shepherd’s words : ‘who ever lov’d that lov’d not at first sight’.