Loyalty in William Shakespeare's As You Like It

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Loyalty in William Shakespeare's As You Like It

In Shakespeare's As You Like It loyalty is dominant theme. Each character possesses either a loyalty or disloyalty towards another. These disloyalties and loyalties are most apparent in the relationships of Celia and Rosalind, Celia and Duke Fredrick, Orlando and Rosalind, Adam and Orlando, and Oliver and Orlando. In these relationships, a conflict of loyalties causes characters to change homes, jobs, identities and families.

Two characters, Celia and Rosalind are loyal to each other throughout the play, which is apparent through the decisions Celia makes. In this quotation, Celia defies her father to stay loyal to Rosalind.

"Which teacheth thee thou and I am one: Shall we be sunder'd? Shall we part, sweet girl? No: Let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly" (Act 1, Scene 3).

Celia gives up her position as heir to the throne without hesitation so she can remain loyal to Rosalind. Celia even renounces the throne when Duke Fredrick declares Rosalind a traitor, as Celia says "If she be a traitor, Why so am I" (Act 1, Scene 3). Celia renounces the court, her family, and her valuables for loyalty.

Similar to the devotion shared between Celia and Rosalind, Adam, the servant for the De Bois Family shows a great degree of loyalty towards Sir Rowland. This is shown threw his generous acts towards Orlando. Adam's un-dying allegiance to Sir Rowland is shown through his response to Orlando's departure into the Forest of Arden: "Let me go with you; I'll do the service of a younger man in all you business and necessities" (Act 2, Scene 1). Adam did not allow Orlando to go alone into the forest and gives him all his life savings so that Orlando could survive. Orlando is a great model of loyalty and committed service. Orlando reciprocates the loyalty of Adam, who was at one point near death.

Contrary to the aforementioned, three of the most important relationships in As You Like It lack loyalty. Loyalty is necessary in all healthy relationships, in As You Like It. The lack of loyalty in certain character relationships emphasizes the need for loyalty in the relationships in the play. The behavior of some of the characters in the play proves that the lack of loyalty is detrimental to their relationships. These relationships are between Duke Fredrick and Celia, Oliver and Orlando, and Rosalind and Orlando.

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