As You Like It Character Journal: Rosalind Act 3

In act 3, Rosalind finds poems about her on trees throughout the forest of Arden. They talk about how lovely she is and say very nice things about her. She talks with Celia about how poorly the poems are written but then Celia tells her she knows who wrote them. Rosalind immediately starts to ask who wrote them, over and over again. She gets very anxious and she doesn't have any patience. "One inch of/delay more is a South Sea of discovery. I prithee,/ tell me who it is quickly, and speak apace. I would thou couldst stammer, that thou might'st pour this/concealed man out of thy mouth as wine comes out/of a narrow-mouthed bottle-either too much at/once, or none at all. I prithee take the cork out of/ thy mouth, that I may drink thy tidings." (3.2.200-207) Once she finds out Orlando has written the poems she is shocked. She is so taken back that, at first, she doesn't believe it. Then once Celia tells her it is Orlando once more, she gets extremely giddy and excited and begins to ask many questions about Orlando. "Alas the day, what shall I do with my doublet/and hose? What did he when thou saw'st him? What/said he? How looked he? Wherein went he? What/ makes he here? Did he ask for me? Where remains/he? How parted he with thee? And when shalt thou/see him again? Answer me in one word." (3.2.223-228) This shows that her feelings for Orlando are very strong and that is all that is on her mind. She only cares about being with Orlando and nothing else. She is overwhelmed with the feelings of love.

Orlando walks through the forest and comes upon the spot where Rosalind and Celia were talking. They hide and after Jaques leaves, Rosalind bravely confronts Orlando, pretending to be Ganymede. She pretends as if she doesn't know who has been putting the poems on the trees and Orlando admits it was him. Rosalind wants to test Orlando to see if she actually loves her. She tells Orlando that she doesn’t think he's in love, "There is none of my uncle's/ marks upon you./He taught me how to know a man/in love, which cage of rushes I am sure you are not prisoner." (3.3.375-378) After giving him signs of why he is not in love, she says she can cure him and make him able to love. Rosalind's feelings for Orlando appear to be almost uncontrollable for she makes Orlando pretend as if she was Rosalind and makes him woo her. I would cure you if you/would call me Rosalind and come every day to/my cote and woo me." (3.3.433-435) She can't give up her disguise but she still wants to be as close to Orlando as possible. Rosalind wants to see if he actually loves her and wants to find everything out about him.