Elisa Rivera

Elisa Rivera “In Respect of Itself, It is a Good Life”

The melancholy Jaques in the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare states in his famous speech that “All the world’s a stage, / and all the men and women merely players.” (2.7 139-166) Throughout the speech, Jaques eloquently philosophizes that life can be divided into 7 stages, each man moving from one stage to another until one is as infantile as one begins. This undisputed reality of life’s changes is seen throughout the play and Shakespeare uses the theme to argue that a person’s happiness stems from how they choose to deal with life’s alterations[SM1] .

In act 2, scene 7, Jaques states that life can be equated to the theater stage and that it can be divided into 7 separate characters that are unique in their own way. The first character, the infant, enters the stage as a helpless puking baby in the arms of her maid. After the infant, many other characters follow such as the lover and the soldier. In the end, however, Jaques states that as a very old man near death, one is as helpless as an infant. He is, “…sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.” (2.7 166) By moving from one concrete character of life to another, Jaques implies that most men and women go through life in the same fashion and with the same stages. After playing the part of a schoolboy going to school like a snail, one can be sure that he will play the part of the lover. Life is stated as being a concrete plan of stages and that people will proceed through life’s moments with a certainty of what is to come next. Jaques, the melancholy man, doesn’t even [SM2] romanticize the characters of life because he understands that each character is just as outlined as the next.

The idea of the speech conveys that life’s changes are immanent and this is emulated throughout the play itself. This is seen in how the comedy’s characters move swiftly from one way of life to another without arguing about how to change it back. A pertinent example of this is when Duke Senior makes a speech about adjusting to life in the forest. Arguing that being in the forest of Arden is a chance to engage the senses or the mind, 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.” (2.1, 15-17) All throughout the speech, Duke Senior never states that they should fight to get back into court or that they have been dealt a card in life that shouldn’t have occurred. He actually states the opposite. Duke Senior seems to embrace this change in lifestyle and thinks he can use his exile to free himself from the rigid thinking of the court. Another moment when a character embraces a life’s change as concrete is when Oliver decides that he is no longer evil. After an implausible life changing event with Orlando saving him from a serpent and a lioness, Oliver states that he does “not shame to tell you what I was, since my conversion / so sweetly tastes, being the thing I am.” (4.3 137-138) Oliver harmoniously takes this event to mean that he must stay loyal to his brother and he never questions his decision to change. The scene seems to be implausible and far-fetched to detract from the plot itself and to focus the audience’s attention to Oliver’s determined change of heart. Therefore, Duke Senior and Oliver’s peaceful acceptance of life as “one man in his time who plays many parts,” (2.7 142) exemplifies the central theme that changes are concrete and inevitable[SM3] .

The theme portrayed by Jaques’ speech that change is a natural and imminent part of life is used by Shakespeare to illustrate a deeper meaning that happiness stems from how a person deals with these concrete changes. Touchstone’s discussion with Corin about whether he enjoys the country life exemplifies this choice of how to deal with life’s changes. “Truly, Shepard, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd’s life, it is naught. In respect that it is solitary, I like it very well; but in respect it is in the fields, it is a very vile life,” (3.2 13-16) Touchstone tells Corin. Here, Touchstone is telling him that how he enjoys his present life depends on how one looks at it. If he chooses to dwell on the point that it is peaceful and solitary, he would enjoy the life with more happiness than if he chose to dwell on the fact that it was lonely[SM4] . Shakespeare even uses this idea of choosing to be happy to address the audience directly. In a lighthearted manner, Rosalind asks the audience during the epilogue to choose whether to enjoy the play or not and that it was a personal decision. Rosalind declares, “I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please you; and I charge you, O men, for the love you beat to women- as I perceive by your simpering none of you hates them- that between you and the women the play may please.” (5.4 12-16) It seems that this play was just as concrete as the life changes that occurred to the characters in it. The audience then has the choice of enjoying the play as much as they choose in the same manner that people can choose to enjoy changes in life[SM5] . Thus, Shakespeare uses the idea that one may enjoy life’s hardships and changes as much as they decide to just by looking at it in a certain manner.

When Jaques compares life to theater in his famous speech, he states that people play many characters as they move through their lives and that it is immanent that they will eventually pass away. Shakespeare then uses this theme to put forth an idea that happiness depends on how one chooses to deal with those life changes. Shakespeare even goes as far as to bring this message full circle. He does this by stating that the audience can enjoy the play as much as they like, just as they can enjoy life as much as they like. In the end of life, Shakespeare cleverly illustrates, you may begin a “second childishness,” (2.7 165) but you may enjoy it as much “as you like it[SM6] .”