EN 3191 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Courtly Love, Slut, Apen
Document Summary
Touchstone and audrey are hardly romantic lovers. This is highlighted in his fake marriage scheme, which is an attempt to bed her but leave her later without legal complications. Touchtone even says, we must be married or we must live in bawdry. he places no value on the institution of marriage but is more concerned with the judgments of others. The entire relationship is a metaphor for love not always being pure and honest. Where some people search for an enduring love, these two are satisfied with an ephemeral affair. Touchtone and audrey represent the realism of love affairs. It is messy, sometimes short-term, and not always concerned with propriety. They represent the lovers interested in quick passions, whereas rosalind and orlando represent an unconditional romance. They are also very different in character. He is coming in witty but she is a simple shepherdess.
