PCPA’s Rosalind and Celia: “As close as two women can get”

How close can two people be? There are emotional and physical answers to this question. Emotionally, two people can be tied through marriage, or if they are the same gender, they can label themselves as “partners” or “soulmates.” Physically, only through sexual intercourse can two people be at their “closest.” PCPA’s prologue described Rosalind and Celia from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, as “more than friends, as close as two women can get.” Throughout PCPA’s performance, they display Rosalind’s and Celia’s close relationship as not only emotional but also physical[SM1] .

Shakespeare included scenes and events which raise questions about the nature of Rosalind’s and Celia’s relationship. When he introduces Rosalind and Celia, Celia describes Rosalind as “my sweet rose, my dear rose” (1.2 21-22), a description you would expect from a male describing his female lover[SM2] . When asked about her thoughts on falling in love, Celia says that she will “love no man in good earnest” (1.2 26[SM3] ). When defending Rosalind to her father, Duke Frederick, Celia admitted that she is a traitor because they “slept together” (1.3 71). Later when Rosalind and Celia leave the palace for the Forest of Arden, Rosalind disguises herself as a male to ward off possible assailants. When they chose a male, Touchstone, to accompany them, they were no longer only two maids traveling to a forest. Rosalind did not have to dress in male attire, but her readiness to do so could hint at her previously taking a masculine role in a sexual relationship[SM4] .

Shakespeare also included scenes which counter the possibility of a sexual relationship between Rosalind and Celia. Most notably, Rosalind and Celia are both willing to accept Orlando and Oliver as male lovers. Their willingness to become involved in heterosexual relationships does not mean that they could not have had a homosexual relationship. Later Rosalind claims that should could love “no woman” (5.2 92), when ensnared in a love circle between Phebe, Silvius, and Orlando. Was this a claim she made truthfully, or one to avoid Phebe, who she described as having “inky brows,” “black silk hair,” “bugle eyeballs,” and a “cheek of cream” (3.5 46-47[SM5] )?

The PCPA performance displayed a very physical relationship between Rosalind and Celia. In their first scenes, Rosalind and Celia held each other’s hands, faces, legs, and waist. When Celia sat, Rosalind often sat beside her, caressing her legs or adoringly looking into her eyes. Later in the scene they danced together, holding each others hands. When they stopped, Rosalind stared into Celia’s eyes, and ran her hands down from Celia’s face, brushed her hands against her breasts, and then grabbed her waist. This type of touching often makes even best friends blush, but for Rosalind and Celia, it was natural[SM6] .

Later in PCPA’s performance, Celia taunted Rosalind with the knowledge of who authored the poems posted in the trees. When Celia refused speak, Rosalind straddled Celia in a cowgirl position. Since Rosalind was disguised as a male, this image was very sexually charged. This could easily evoke imagery of their sexual lives in which Rosalind plays the domineering role, lying on top of and straddling Celia[SM7] .

The PCPA’s performance raised questions about the nature of Rosalind and Celia’s possibly sexual relationship that were not entirely prevalent[SM8] when reading As You Like It[SM9] .

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[SM1]Excellent introduction using general definition leading to topic of this paper

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[SM2]good use of quote and commentary

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[SM3]good

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[SM4]very well observed. Also Celia could have also dressed as male

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[SM5]astute presentation of the contrary evidence. But this leads to the interpretive possibility that the character development of both girls toward marriageable women is from same-gender to opposite gender erotic attachment. This might also apply to Orlando’s maturing “beard,” for he too is seen as a girlish body within the pastoral environment.

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[SM6]Extremely well described and eloquently stated.

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[SM7]ditto

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[SM8]word choice—perhaps “evident”?

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[SM9]Jeff—a really terrific paper. Your specific insights about the textual and performance insights illuminate my appreciation of the play and production. A with sprinkles on top.