As You Like It

The forest of Arden is the setting where the majority of As You Like It takes place. As inhabitants of the court enter the forest they experience people and an environment very different from what they are accustomed to and each perceive this experience differently. The environment is consistent so how each character views the forest as an alternative to life in the court reveals insights into the nature of the characters. The forest of …

…reduce reality to one truth or to the other (Berry 141). The different views of the forest reflect the various realities of the characters themselves. Shakespeare gives examples of these, even the extreme positions held by Jacques and Touchstone, to portray a wide range of beliefs for those who favor country life and those who prefer the court. The play ends in an ambiguous manner that allows the audience to debate and conclude as it likes.