Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

locking, as she stands across the stage from Orlando when she is upset. Her anger is seen in the distance
that she maintains from Orlando. When he steps forward to be near her, she moves across the stage to get
away from him. After telling him that he would not die from being in love, they are close and they touch,
but she snatches her hands away from him and stuffs them in her pockets and walks about like she is trying
to return to her masculine ways. She again moves clear across the stage because Orlando tells her that he
must leave. These things indicate that love transformed her, that she is freed from any restrictions of the
court, and that she is not afraid to express herself.
McAnuff’s production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It gives rise to the development of Rosalind’s
character. Although she begins as a fearful, dependent woman, she blossoms through the experiences that
she has in the forest, particularly those with Orlando. This growth is noted in the changes that occur with
Rosalind’s costume and mannerisms on stage. The love that she finds in Orlando is believed to have opened
her up to a world where she is free to think for herself, for after her meetings with him she is full of
confidence. The audience is able to see that she will not let others control who she is and that she is quite
capable of making decisions for herself and even others in the forest. The Rosalind that McAnuff creates is
one of a women finding strength in love after living under a repressive regime.
Works Cited
As You Like It. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Des McAnuff. Stratford Festival Theater,
Stratford, Canada, 12 Oct 2010.
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. Barron’s Educational Series: Hauppauge, NY, 2009.
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