Fortune v. NatureAs You Like It, Act 1.2

Today . . . Actors playing Rosalind and Celia face the challenge of how to make their wordplay intelligible and amusing to a modern audience.

In Act 1, scene 2, . . . Celia tries to cheer up Rosalind, who thinks with sadness of her banished father. Responding to Celia’s affection, Rosalind joins in witty wordplay about love, fortune and nature.

Definitionwit, wittytoday: the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of connections between ideas that are amusing and entertaining

Wit, wotarchaic: to know; knowledge

First we must decide, what is Fortune?

Then we must dissect the lines, word by word.

Celia, lines 31-33Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally.

Rosalind, lines 34-36I would we could do so, for her benefits are mightily misplaced, and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women.

Celia, lines 37-39For those she makes fair she scarce makes honest, and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favoredly.

“Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally.” Celia

“I would we could do so, for her benefits are mightily misplaced, and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women.” Rosalind

Rosalind, lines 40-42Nay, now thou goest from Fortune’s office to Nature’s: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in lineaments of Nature.

What are . . . the gifts of the world

(from Fortune)?the lineaments of

Nature?

Fortune v. NatureNay, now thou goest from Fortune’s office to

Nature’s: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in lineaments of Nature.

Fortune Nature*wealth *looks*power*intelligence*prestige *moral qualities

Celia, lines 43-47No? when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire?

Celia, lines 43-47 (continued)Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument.

Rosalind, lines 48-50Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature’s natural the cutter-off of Nature’s wit.

Celia, lines 51-56Peradventure this is not Fortune’s work neither, but Nature’s; who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses and hath sent this natural for our whetstone for always the dulness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you?

The “gist” or idea is . . . Celia is commenting that fools are sent by nature to sharpen witty people’s intelligence.

So, our original point - - Actors playing Rosalind and Celia face the challenge of how to make their wordplay intelligible and amusing to a modern audience.

With a partner, . . .You are actors who have been selected to play Celia and Rosalind.

Prepare lines 31-56 in a manner (gestures, motions, voice, intonations) to make your wordplay intelligible and amusing to a modern audience.

ContinuumDo you think Nature or Fortune is responsible for beauty?

ContinuumDo you think nature or fortune is responsible for goodness?

Vote from your seatStrongly disagree (sit with hands

down)In the middle (sit with one hand

raised)Agree (stand)Strongly agree (stand and raise your

hand)

Do you agree or disagree?

The circumstances of life are determined by one’s nature over and above one’s fortune.