Sunday, June 24, 2012

How does Rosalind want to cure Orlando of his love?

Rosalind isn't interested in curing Orlando of his love; she wants to teach him how to be a better, more devoted lover. Orlando, much like Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, loves "by the book," and the other characters in the play mock his poor love poems. He is unlearned in the realm of romantic love and wooing.
Rosalind claims (as Ganymede) that she can cure Orlando of his lovesickness by annoying him. Ganymede will pretend to be Orlando's mistress, and then they will playact how lovers are supposed to interact with one another. Ostensibly, this will serve to put him off romance forever, but in reality, Rosalind is hoping to get to know Orlando better and make a better lover of him through these interactions.


It's not so much that Rosalind—disguised as Ganymede—wants to cure Orlando of his love-sickness. It's more that she wants to find out what his true feelings are. She asks him what time it is. Not unreasonably, Orlando replies that, as there are no clocks in the Forest of Arden, he doesn't know. To which Rosalind—still disguised as Ganymede—retorts that a true lover could tell the time quite easily by the sighing of his heart every minute and his love-sick groans every hour.
Rosalind goes on to claim that she can indeed cure Orlando of his love-sickness. She tells him that she once drove a man to seek sanctuary in a monastery by acting unpredictably towards him, thus putting him off love for good. Orlando claims that he doesn't want to be cured, but Rosalind/Ganymede persists, telling him to drop by her cottage every day and try to woo her as her previous lover had done. Then before long all trace of love will be completely removed from his soul.

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