‘ As You Like it Blog Post’

In ‘As You Like It’ Shakespeare compares Duke senior to the heroic outlaw of British folklore: Robin Hood. On the surface this comparison was obvious; they both live in the forest and they both have a loyal group of followers.

“They say he is already in the Forest of Arden and a many merry men with him, and there they live like the Old Robin Hood.” (1.1.100)

However, I wanted to see whether there was more to this connection than just their forest surroundings. My basic knowledge of Robin Hood comes entirely from the animated Disney movie in which he is played by a fox. Therefore it was necessary that I do some research before I came to any conclusions. I found that both were outlaws driven into the forest by a corrupt ruler. In the case of Robin Hood it was the villainous brother of Richard the Lionheart, King John,that exiled him. He was removed from his land and forced to start again in Sherwood Forest. Duke Frederick occupied the role of King John in ‘As You Like It’, removing Duke Senior from his dukedom and exiling him to the Arden Forest. Neither grieved their exile to the forest. In fact it was exactly the opposite. They both relished their surroundings, free from the constraints of court life and taking with them “many merry men”. Duke Senior is content in the woods claiming to learn more for the stones and brooks than the churches and libraries. Robin Hood also makes the most of what life gave him, training his men to ‘steal from the rich and give to the poor’. Both are opportunistic characters, seizing their exiles and making the most of their situations.

In some productions both characters even share similar appearances. On the left is Carey Elwes from ‘Robin Hood Men in Tights’ while on the right is Michael Egan from a 2003 production of ‘As You Like It’. Robin Hood is traditionally dressed in green, an obvious choice given his leafy surroundings. This adaption of Duke Senior is therefore a clear tribute to Robin Hood and his distinctive dress sense, right down to the feathers in their caps.

Despite their similarities both in their opportunistic characteristics and their sense of style, the characters do diverge in certain aspects of their existence.

Robin Hood is a ‘yeoman’ (a small land owner), certainly not from the same cloth of nobility that Duke Senior was cut from. It is therefore of little surprise that his intentions are more philanthropic. He is driven by the redistribution of wealth and the promotion of equality. He is a selfless hero and a model for others to follow. Duke Senior is not an outward social activist. Rather he is opportunist who is found to be a fair and kind ruler, content with what he has been given. His passivity, however, is finally rewarded at the end of the play when Duke Frederick returns the thrown to him. Both represent the benefits of a working moral compass and the rewards that can come with it.