As You Like It

Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ had me confused. Was this the same man who wrote Macbeth? How come ‘As You Like It’ went against everything I have learned about storytelling?

Sure, Shakespeare so brilliantly presents the cards within the first half hour of this three-hour play. And this left you feeling excited. But none of the forecasted twists and turns were met. Instead, I found myself watching talking heads, various important plot-developments took place off screen, there were random introductions of new characters even over half way making for superfluous scenes, and a rapid tying up of various loose ends.

Yet still. Still. Those words. The metaphors. The observations. The fact that I was confronted by the limitations of my own premonitions about storytelling. The play was clearly entertaining to the vast majority of the audience. With peaks of profound imagery and poetic reflections on mankind’s nature. By the end of it, I was feeling elated. I was therefore reminded of the fact that a piece of writing does not have to be technically perfect. As long as you bring something across. Anything. We -the audience- are simply to take from the arts what we need, or want. As we please. As You Like It. The title says it all.