Debate Between Touchstone and Corin

Duke senior describes how, at Arden, he could see ‘tongues in trees”, “sermons in stones” and had no enemy except the harshness of the elements of nature- “churlish chiding of the winter’s wind”. The pastoral existence was devoid of the “painted pomp” back at court which shows the carefree, pleasurable lifestyle that the duke was enjoying in Arden in contrast to the constant public haunt that he had to go through prior to his banishment. The words are romanticized and the mood is set for the rest of the play. Despite some natural perils, there was ‘good in everything’. This tilts the argument in favor of pastoral existence. Shakespeare highlights the educational, edifying and enlightening nature of this foray into the woods.

The argument between Touchstone and corin is also crucial in this regard and although touchstone wins over and Corin chooses to back out, it is obvious that Touchstone’s points of argument are merely farcical and domineering whereas Corin’s simple but logical rationale leaves more of an impact. Even Corin’s admission of defeat does not mean that courtly manners are superior in fact it only showcases Corin’s sensibility in acknowledging that both of these co-exist and there are some acceptable norms at court which may seen ridiculous in the forest while some forest customs could prove to be inappropriate for the city.

In the play, As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, there is an omnipresent theme of a pastoral life versus court life that permeates throughout the play and engulfs all the characters. This ubiquitous theme italicizes and exhibits the similarities and differences that court and pastoral life play on the characters that inhabit these surroundings and environment. Characters such as Duke Senior, Touchstone, and Corin play a major part in shedding light on the comparison of pastoral and court life, which help the readers more plainly discover the similarities and discrepancies of these two ways of life. In Act Two, Duke Senior presents his views of court life and that of pastoral life, which does a great deal in clearing up the gray areas in Shakespeare’s readers’ minds of the two very different lifestyles. Duke Senior engages in a discourse with his fellow brothers of exile and rhetorically questions them by saying, “Hath not old custom made this life more sweet that that of painted pomp? Are not these woods more free from peril than the envious court? (2.1)” He responds to his own question with a biblical allusion stating In the Forest of Arden, however, life is very different. For one thing, there is no urgency to the agenda. There are no clocks in the forest, and for the exiled courtiers there is no regular work.

They are free to roam around the forest, prompted by their own desires. There is plenty of food to eat, so the communal hunt takes care of their physical needs. That and the absence of a complex political hierarchy creates a much stronger sense of communal equality hearkening back the mythical good old days. The exiled Duke himself attests to the advantages of living far from the court, free of the deceits of flattery and double dealing and welcomes Orlando to the feast without suspicion. And, most important here, especially in comparison with the history plays, is the importance of singing. “As You Like It” is full of songs-not performances by professional court musicians, but impromptu group singing which expresses better than anything else the spontaneous joy these people derive from life in the Forest and the joy they give back to others. The songs indicate clearly the way in which in the Forest people can shape their actions to their moods-a situation totally unlike the court where one has to consider one’s actions much more carefully. Hence, the Forest of Arden provides for the exiled courtiers an important freedom to experiment with their lives, to discover things about themselves.

In the Forest people can talk openly with whoever they might happen to meet on a stroll through the trees, and that might be anyone, given that in the Forest no one owns any particular territory (there are no rooms, palaces, roads-unlike the court where there is a preoccupation with property) and thus one might well meet and have to deal with a person whom one would never get close to in the court (that can have comic results, of course, as Touchstone’s conversations with Audrey and William demonstrate). In the Forest life is, as I have observed, lived more immediately in the moment with whatever life presents at the moment. Such an approach to life is impossible in the politically charged world of the court. That freedom makes possible Rosalind’s transformation and her taking charge of the courtship and makes an interesting contrast between Rosalind and Viola (in Twelfth Night)-the latter is not nearly so free to take charge, because she is still operating in a social environment with a clear structure of authority, which she has to respect. Hence, the fortunate outcome of that play relies upon her patience and luck far more in the case of Rosalind, who is the driving force in her courtship (Viola’s desires very nearly are unfulfilled). We should note, however, that the Forest of Arden is not an entirely idyllic setting.

The Duke pays tribute to the often brutal weather, and there are some dangerous animals lurking in the underbrush. Corin, the shepherd, informs us that he works for another man-a slight but significant reminder that even in this pastoral setting the realities of power are not entirely absent. Unlike Duke Senior, Touchstone dislikes the country precisely because it is not like the court. Moreover, he regards the court as the benchmark, the reference point, the “touchstone”, against which all other kinds of men and society are to be measured. Even though Corin puts forward a reasoned argument, Touchstone persists in his belief that country life is ungodly, asserting that Corin will be damned for her part in it. Although this is light-hearted, the contrast between civilization and nature that is implicit is an important theme in the play, and one that is intrinsic to the comic structure.

It informs the wider underlying debate about the tension between the individual and society-a debate that is communicated through so many of the dramatic and thematic mechanisms employed, such as disguise. The interweaving of these different elements gives the play a cohesion and style. And, of course, there is never any sense here that the Forest is a suitable place to live on a continuing basis. Given the opportunity to return to the court, all the exiles (except, significantly, Jacques) seize the chance. The Forest has done its work-it has educated some, repaired fraternal relationships, brought the lovers to a fuller awareness of their own feelings. Now, they can return to what will be, we sense, a much better and fuller life in the court.