The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 13.1370  Tuesday, 21 May 2002

From:           Don Bloom <
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Date:           Monday, 20 May 2002 08:02:23 -0500
Subject: 13.1343 Re: Conspicuous Silence
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.1343 Re: Conspicuous Silence

 Janet OKeefe asks,

> I don't know if this counts as a conspicuous silence, but I have never
> heard a good reason why Rosalind doesn't reveal her identity to her
> father the first time she meets him in the Forest of Arden.  The
> disguise is presented as a way to travel inconspicuously and safely, so
> why not drop it when she reaches her goal?  I suppose by that time she
> might be having too much fun teasing Orlando, but I still don't see that
> as a good reason to lie to her father.

Far be it from me to lecture a female scholar on why a Renaissance woman
might want to go on pretending to be a man (or at least an adolescent
boy), but it seems to me that as soon as she revealed herself she'd go
back to being a daughter, protected by her father (and, of course,
horribly complicating the all-male camping club he's operating). As a
male, she is protected by no one but herself and does what she damn well
pleases -- including teasing Orlando.

Cheers,
don

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