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Dusinberre's Homoeroticism

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Dusinberre's Homoeroticism
In Shakespeare's As you like it the female protagonist, Rosalind through her questioning of accepted patriarchal norms initiates a tidal wave of change that results in men both understanding and compromising with women which enables both genders to have a new healthy relationship. Just as Dusinberre argues that it is not possible to have "new women without new men" (33), the close relationship between Celia and Rosalind allowed homosexual feelings to arise that enabled Rosalind to establish her image as 'new woman' and through her questioning of archaic men's image she essentially shaped the understanding view, which is center of the 'new men' identity.

Gender exclusion during the Elizabethan period resulted in rising feelings of homoeroticism …show more content…
Initially one may be skeptical of an intimate relationship between two women but Rosalind points out that "coward" men pretend to be brave with their "semblances" (Shakespeare 1.3.118-19). Which begs the question, is men's bravery only cloth deep? Rosalind through her rhetorical questioning blurs the lines between the two genders. Dusinberre asserts that "mannish man" is as much similar to a woman in "man's clothes" (Dusinberre 12). Rosalind's view not only does it help broaden our tolerance for homosexuality but also provokes us to critically analyze the patriarchy we live in. Throughout Elizabethan era, traditionally the male lover goes on a quest to attain the heart of the female beloved. In context to As you like it, Rosalind cross-dressed as Ganymede, encourages Orlando to detach from his "fancy monger" (Shakespeare 3.2.350) attitude and free himself from the self-imposed "cage of rushes" (Shakespeare 3.2.356) if he wishes to win her heart. Furthermore, Ganymede suggests that women also desire the pleasures of flesh just as men when hinting that she would like Orlando to "woo" her every day (Shakespeare 3.2.409). This non-traditional switching of roles, where the female beloved is giving advice to the male lover illustrates the new identities of men, where understanding women's perspective is essential to a happy
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