COMEDY

62 GENDER AND SEXUALITYand alluring identity she has created for herself. Chief amongst these aretwo fascinations that would now be labelled as homosexual. First, thedesire of Phoebe for Rosalind, which displaces the shepherd Silvius, herappropriate and conventional mate; and second, more important, theapparent fascination that Orlando has for Ganymede irrespective of hisproclaimed love for Rosalind. Ganymede’s interactions with those hefascinates are characterized by verbal sparring and witty comebacks.Stephen Greenblatt sees this as a stage version of sexual excitement.‘Dallying with words is the principal Shakespearian representation oferotic heat’, he writes. ‘Hence his plots go out of their way to create notonly obstacles in the lovers’ path but occasions for friction betweenthem’ (Greenblatt, 1988:90). The contest of Beatrice and Benedict inMuch Ado About Nothing (1598) exemplifies this kind of verbalforeplay, but in the green world of Arden, the friction caused betweenman and boy appears to condone alternative desiring partnershipsoutside the compulsory heterosexuality of the town. Given thesecircumstances, Stephen Orgel sees a radical sexual agenda at work inthe play, calling Ganymede a ‘dangerous alternative’ to heterosexualnorms and reproductive sexuality, as ‘the idea of the boy displacing thewoman appears in its most potentially threatening form, the catamite forwhom Jove abandons his marriage bed’ (Orgel, 1997:57). Evidence forthis can be found in the ‘wooing scenes’ of acts 3 and 4, in whichGanymede proposes to take Rosalind’s place and invites Orlando topractise his seduction of Rosalind upon him: ‘woo me, woo me, for nowI am in a/holiday humour, and like enough to consent’, she/he says(Shakespeare, 1989:4.1.64–65). Orlando, wholeheartedly embracing thefantasy Ganymede has proposed, pleads with him:ORL. Then love me, Rosalind.ROS. Yes, faith, will I, Fridays and Saturdays and all.ORL. And wilt thou have me?ROS. Ay, and twenty such.ORL. What says thou?ROS. Are you not good?ORL. I hope so.ROS. Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing? (to Celia)Come, sister, you shall be the priest and marry us—Give me yourhand Orlando.—What do you say sister?ORL. (to Celia) Pray thee, marry us.(Shakespeare, 1989:4.1.107–119)