From the perspective of our world today, Shakespeare's era seems about as conservative as a society could be 'be. Shakespeare completely demolishes this notion, with his progressive suggestions of the normality of homosexuality and transgenderism in his comedy As You Like It. He first introduces these different sexualities by describing a homosexual love between Celia and Rosalind, followed by Orlando and Ganymede, Rosalind's male disguise. In doing so, Shakespeare also raises the question of Rosalind as an independent character, or whether she is truly independent. But the most important thing is the epilogue. Just as Shakespeare pushes the audience and characters into a realm of heteronormativity, Rosalind's epilogue reminds us of the homosexuality we had previously accepted, before it was eclipsed by the relationships society deemed correct. Rosalind's epilogue leaves us wondering whether the patriarchal, heteronormative society that Shakespeare presents at the end of the play is the ideal society, or whether, rather, a society in which all sexualities and genders are accepted is ideal. - we long for a transgender. Rosalind and homosexual relationships presented previously. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. This conflict of genders and sexualities to which the epilogue refers is called into question in Celia and Orlando's loves for Rosalind and Ganymede, respectively. Celia, in the first act, is suggested to have quasi-lesbian feelings towards Rosalind. Not only does she tell Rosalind that "you and I are one", but when Rosalind asks Celia her thoughts on love, Celia tells her to "love no man seriously" (1.3.97, 1.2. 26). This latter statement raises the question of whether Celia intends to only love women "in earnest", if she does not love men in this way, explaining her seemingly romantic love for Rosalind. Through our prior love for Rosalind and Celia and their close bond, Shakespeare makes us excited about the idea of ​​a lesbian relationship between them, or at least homosexual feelings on Celia's part. This then leads us to a greater acceptance of homosexuality throughout the play. Likewise, Rosalind's epilogue recalls an acceptance of homosexual love. This is evidenced by the fact that the male actor (playing Rosalind) states that if he were a woman he would "kiss as many of you as the beard he liked", suggesting an acceptance of transgender or homosexual feelings on the part of Shakespeare. , through the actor (Epilogue, line 17). The actor's homoerotic feelings, parallel to those of Rosalind, are there intentionally: they reinforce the idea of ​​normality in homosexuality and transgenderism. In turn, the epilogue leaves us dissatisfied with the rather heteronormative ending, in which Shakespeare gives the ending that society wants, not what is best for the characters, nor even what society should openly accept . Shakespeare, rather, refers to the fact that the character must hide her homosexual feelings – here, Celia hides her lesbian feelings towards Rosalind – much like homosexual tendencies were forced to be hidden from society. Although Shakespeare rightly suggests a normality of homoerotic and transgender feelings, he seems to allow these feelings to be openly displayed only through men – in this case, the actor in Orlando and Rosalind. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting, once again, not only the power disparity between heterosexual sexualities andhomosexuals, but also between men and women. Along with Rosalind's submission to men in the epilogue, the women in this play are not openly allowed to share their homoerotic and transgender feelings like their male counterparts. To this extent, Shakespeare reiterates homosexuality in Orlando's romantic interest in Ganymede. Although he is initially enchanted by Rosalind, his love for "Rosalind" transcends his later love for Ganymede. Perhaps the most telling example in the play is the scene in which Rosalind and Celia openly discuss Orlando's kiss. Rosalind, crying out to Celia, says that "Orlando's kisses are Judas' own children" and that "his kiss is as full of holiness as the touch of sacred bread" (3.4.9-14). Because Orlando and Rosalind were not shown kissing in court, one can fairly assume that Orlando and Ganymede had just kissed. This implies a side of Orlando that we didn't clearly know before, a side in which Orlando harbors homosexual feelings and, moreover, is allowed to act on them. This leaves us with the question of why, unlike Celia, he is given more freedom to act on his homosexual feelings. The question is also why Shakespeare only allows the male actor to hint at homosexual feelings, rather than letting Rosalind say that she would kiss all the women in the audience. Instead, she is forced to almost apologize for being there, because it is "not the fashion to see the lady in the epilogue" (Epilogue, ll. 1-2). In this regard, Shakespeare seems to criticize women's lack of power, doubly as a woman and as a woman with homosexual feelings. If it is true that the audience is somewhat disappointed by the ending, then the epilogue is the key part in which we really feel both the characters' lack of power in their sexuality and also the lack of female power. The epilogue leaves us longing for the power Rosalind had as Ganymede and longing for the freedom the men in the play easily and openly enjoy. If the relationships between Rosalind/Celia and Orlando/Ganymede are the cause of our acceptance of varied sexualities, then it is the ending and the epilogue that worries us. Rosalind, throughout the play and the epilogue, plays a critical but versatile role. Not only is she central to the non-heteronormativity in the play, but she is also the character through which others can express their less-than-heterosexual feelings throughout the play. But it is Rosalind who is not capable of governing herself as she wishes. Ultimately, she is forced to take on the heteronormative role that society wants to give her, once again reflecting the lack of power of women, gays and transgender people. The epilogue also leaves room for the interpretation of the character played by Rosalind. at that time. There is, however, no satisfactory answer to this question: dressed as Rosalind, we would be disappointed if the character did not have the freedom to identify herself as Ganymede; dressed as Ganymede, she would still be demeaned to a lower status than men. The epilogue, by allowing the reader to interpret the way Rosalind is dressed, serves to show the lack of power of women and leaves us wishing that Rosalind had more power, that she was fully Ganymede, because Ganymede granted her such freedoms. Rosalind admits in the epilogue that "it is not the fashion to see the lady in the epilogue", lowering herself to a lower status than men (Epilogue, 1). This attitude of Rosalind contrasts sharply with her Ganymede side, who had "a violent and martial exterior", but who is.