As You Like It Lesson Plan

Why does everyone who read Orlando’s poetry, including Rosalind, laugh at it? What in the poems’ content or form makes them funny?

In this discussion students should refer to specific examples from the text to show where the rhyme scheme or meter of Orlando’s poetry may be unfelicitous. Have a student read one of the poems aloud so the class can better discuss its merits. Beyond the clunky style of the poetry, students should discuss the content, including the overwrought imagery and comparisons of Rosalind to classical heroines. While discussion should include debate about the merits of the poems themselves, it’s also important to consider why the mockers mock – do they...