As You Like It Character Journal: Rosalind Act 4

In act 4, Jaques approaches Rosalind in the Forest of Arden, disguised as Ganymede, hoping to become close acquaintances. Rosalind coldly scorns Jaques for being Melancholy and refuses to be friends with him, "Those that are in extrem-/ity of either are abominable fellows and betray/themselves to very modern censure worse than/drunkards." (4.1.6-9) She is disrespectful toward him even though he was just trying to get along with her. She mocks him and speaks for all the sadness that is going on at this point.

Orlando arrives late for the love lesson and Rosalind scolds him for doing so. She continues to test his love for her and acts as if she is angry with him. She tells him that a real lover would not come late and says she would rather receive wooing from a snail. "Ay, of a snail, for though he/comes slowly, he carries his house on his head-a/better jointure, I think, than you make a woman./Besides, he brings his destiny with him." (4.1.58-61) This shows that Rosalind's goal is to find out if Orlando actually loves her. Then quickly after that she scolds him, she completely changes her mood and wants Orlando to woo her once again. There is nothing more she wants but Orlando's love and she begins to realize that he does indeed love her. Orlando says that he would die for love but Rosalind disproves this by saying "Men have died from time to time, and worms have/eaten them, but not for love." (4.1.112-112) Rosalind then takes the situation over the edge by having a fake marriage between her and Orlando. Orlando eventually must depart for he has a dinner with Duke Senior but says he shall return within two hours. Rosalind becomes threatening and strict by saying that if he does not come within the exact time he says he will, he is not a true lover. "If you break one jot of/your promise or come one minute behind your/hour, I will think you the most pathetical break-/promise, and the most hollow lover, and the most/unworthy of her you call Rosalind that may be/chosen out of the gross band of the unfaithful." (4.1.201-206) Rosalind really wants her relationship with Orlando to be legit so she continuously acts harsh toward him to make sure he actually loves her. After Orlando leaves Celia accuses Rosalind of misusing the female sex for the affection of love. Rosalind blames this on her deep feelings for loving Orlando, "O coz coz coz, my pretty little coz, that thou/didst know how may fathom deep I am in love. But/it cannot be sounded; my affection hath an/ unknown bottom, like the Bay of Portugal." (4.1.218-221) She has to know she won't get hurt in the relationship and must do this. She is becoming obsessive to the point where all she cares about in the world is Orlando.

At the beginning of act 4, scene 3, Rosalind is getting anxious because Orlando has not shown to the house yet. Silvius walks in with a letter from Phoebe to Ganymede. After Rosalind reads it out loud, she sees that Phoebe is in love with her (Ganymede). She has no pity on Silvius because she cannot believe he would like a woman such as Phoebe. She does not appear to think much of this letter because she has Orlando on her mind. She writes back saying Ganymede will never love her unless she loves Silvius. After Silvius leaves, Oliver approaches with a bloody napkin from Ganymede. He tells a story about how Orlando ran into a patch of trouble and that is the explanation of why he was late. Rosalind, as Ganymede, begins to ask many questions showing that she is very worried and cares for Orlando. She then faints which creates suspicion of Oliver, for fainting is a womanly feature. He says she lacks a man's heart. Rosalind covers it up by saying, "I do so. I confess it. Ah./sirrah, a body would think this was well-counter-/feited. I pray you tell your brother how well I/counterfeited Heigh-ho." (4.3.175-178) She tries to say she faked the fainting but Oliver is still skeptical. Rosalind's deep love and affection for Orlando is beginning to become more obvious.

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.

As You Like It Character Journal: Rosalind Act 2

In act 2, scene 4, Rosalind is very tired and melancholy from walking through the Forest of Arden, but she acts courageously because she is disguised as Ganymede, a man. She believes that men are not aloud to cry and because of this she acts strong and bold. "I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman, but I must/comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose/ought to show itself courageous to petticoat. There-/fore courage, good Aliena." (2.4.4-8)

While Rosalind, Touchstone and Celia are resting, they overhear two shepherds, Corin and Silvius, talking about Sivlius's problems with loving a woman named Phoebe. Rosalind has pity on Silvius because she can relate to the situation. "Alas, poor shepherd, searching of they wound,/I have by hard adventure found mine own." (2.4.43-44) But now she has found love which shows that she can't keep Orlando off of her mind. She wants to be with him more than anything at this point.

Rosalind also shows more confidence because she talks to a complete stranger, Corin, and arranges them a place to stay. This shows that she is feeling much more comfortable disguised as a man; she is interacting with other people and becoming much more social. "I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold/Can in this desert place buy entertainment,/Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed./Here's a young maid with travel much oppressed. And faints for succor." (2.4.73-77)

As You Like It Character Journal: Rosalind Act 1

Rosalind is the daughter of Duke senior who has been banished from the royal court, yet she still lives there. Right at the beginning of act 2 Rosalind's behavior shows that she is melancholy about her father. She wants to be happy, so she asks her cousin Celia to cheer her up. "Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am/mistress of, and would yet I were merrier?/Unless you could each me to forget a banished/father, you must not learn me how to remember/ any extraordinary pleasure." This shows that they have a very strong bond and are very close, for only good friends would ask others to do such a personal favor.(1.2.2-6).

Right after Orlando wrestles Charles and beats him he talks to Rosalind after the match and they appear to have feelings for each other. Rosalind talks to Celia about her overwhelming love for Orlando and explains that she has immediately fallen in love with him. "Let me love him for that, and do you love/him because I do." (1.3.36-37). She wants Orlando more than anything right now and is overwhelmed with deep love. Right after this happens Duke Frederick comes charging through the room full of anger in his eyes. He banishes Rosalind from the kingdom. She appears to be calm about the situation but is confused on why the Duke is denouncing her from the royal court so unexpectedly. Just as she was feeling joyous again she now felt terrible and melancholy for she did not want to leave the court. She cannot believe what Duke Frederick has done and now despises him.

Celia said that she would go with Rosalind which showed how close the two of them were and how their bond of friendship could never be broken. Celia suggests that they go to the forest of Arden to find Duke Senior. At first Rosalind shows skepticism because there is quite a bit of danger that lurks in the forest. "Alas, what danger will it be to us,/Maids as we are, to travel forth so far?/Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold. (1.3.114-116) Rosalind quickly switches her decision after thinking about how good it would be to see her beloved father and decides to disguise herself as a man. She is still very worried about what the two of them are about to do but still she shows great ambition, bravery and perseverance for she is willing to go through such lengths to find her father in the dangerous Forest of Arden.

Macbeth LRJ act 6

1. Shakespeare asks many questions throughout Macbeth. One question he asks is how far corruption can go before it gets put to an end? Throughout the book it shows how Macbeth becomes unstable to fit his roll on the thrown. He becomes more and more insane and begins to completely destroying his own kingdom. The point where he falls is at the peak of his stubborn insanity which is shown on page 173. "I will not yield/To kiss the ground before young Malcom's feet/And to be baited with the rabble's curse." Another question that Shakespeare asks is if people can change the course destiny for there own personal benefit? Macbeth was so ambitious and focused on getting what he wanted, he didn't even realize the damage he was doing. He tried to change the future but he couldn't do it at all. The harder Macbeth tried to change destiny the more of a mess he got himself into. He finally realized after he murdered Duncan that he should just give up and turn himself over to Destiny becuase he realized what terrible things he had done. This is shown on page 53 in act 2 scene 2. "To know my deed, 'twere not know myself."

2. Macbeth never realizes the mess he has gotten himself into and even when he is about to die, his enraged, power-drunk self becomes so utterly mad that he cannot even think about what he is doing. Corruption can get to a point where people have destroyed everything around them. And if they still don't realize what they have done then it is put to an end. Shakespeare also confirms that destiny cannot be changed. Everything the witches foretold came true, no matter what Macbeth did to stop them.

Macbeth LRJ act 5

1. A theme in act 5 is that fate cannot be changed. Everything the witches foretold ended up happening, no matter what people did. Macbeth tried so hard to change his fate but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t change it. Another theme is that corruption leads to loss. Macbeth became overly ambitious and began to become ruthlessly insane. He just didn’t want to stop no matter how far he got. Even when he was in too deep he didn’t pull out, he just kept on going. This overly ambitious attitude is shown on page 157. “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked./Give me my armor.” His mad and ruthless reign began to destroy his kingdom and everything became a disaster for Macbeth.

2. At the beginning of act 5 in scene 1 a great deal of lightness and darkness is shown. this describes the character and informs the reader what is going on with more detail. Much of this lightness and darkness is shown in the conversation between The doctor and The gentlewoman on page 149. Doctor: “How came she by that light?” Gentlewoman: “Why, it stood by her. She has light by/her continually. ‘Tis her command.” Doctor: “You see her eyes are open.” Gentlewoman: “Ay, but their sense are shut.” This shows the description of Lady Macbeth. She may appear to have a light and kind heart on the outside, but on the inside she has something deep, dark, and treacherous to hide. This pattern is shown throughout act 5. Characters are perceived through the images which Shakespeare puts on a particular person.

Macbeth LRJ act 4

1. The scene with Lady Macduff shows Ross reassuring Lady Macduff that Macduff had fled only for the best. She is paranoid because she has no husband at home and doesn’t know what to do. A messenger comes in and tells her that her, and her son, should leave immediately. Before they can escape murderers break into the house and kill Lady Macbeth and her son. This shows how ruthless and ambitious Macbeth is for sending these murderers after Lady Macduff. She doesn’t even have anything to do with Macbeth but he kills them anyways. This shows how far he is willing to go to get what he wants.

2. This scene shows that Macduff wants to overthrow Macbeth so badly that he would leave his wife and his child just to do this. He is acting just as ambitious as Macbeth is. This ambitious characteristic is also shown when Macduff is trying to convince Malcolm to overthrow Macbeth with him on page 129. “Let us rather/Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men/Bestride our downfall’n birthdom. Each new morn/New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/Srike heaven on the face, that it resounds/As if it felt with Scotland and yelled out/like syllable of dolor. Just as Macbeth, Macduff will stop at nothing to get what he desires.

3. Macbeth is getting extremely ruthless with an utter desire to harm people. He is getting more violent and will not stop at anything. There was no reason to kill Lady Macduff and her child, yet he carried through with it anyway because he is growing more and more mad. His demanding reign is shown on page 117. “Then live, Macduff; what I need I fear of thee?/But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,/And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live,/That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,/And sleep in spite of thunder.”