Comparative Shakespeare Paper

In both As You Like It and Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the natural world is a force of good and correctness, which is highlighted by the supernatural world.  In each play, the characters have strayed from the natural life and must return to it by the end.  In the tragic Macbeth, nature is angry at the injustices of court and this anger is channeled through the supernatural.  Conversely, in the comic As You Like It, nature is a peaceful refuge from the injustices of court and this calm is shown through the supernatural.  
In the beginning of both plays, the true ruler is forced off the throne and another takes his place.  This marks where the characters of the court began to stray from the natural and correct way of life.  
In Macbeth, nature is angry that the true king, Duncan, has been killed by Macbeth.  By murdering Duncan, Macbeth has upset the natural balance and engendered chaos.  The night of Duncan’s murder was filled with storms and even earthquakes.  Lennox says, “The night has been unruly. Where we lay,/ Our chimneys were blown down and, as they say,/ Lamentings heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death,/ And prophesying, with accents terrible,/ Of dire combustion and confused events/ New hatched to th’ woeful time.  The obscure bird/ Clamored the livelong night.  Some say the earth/ Was feverous and did shake” (Shakespeare 2.3.61-69).  Supernatural events like the “strange screams of death” that talked of “dire combustion and confused events” accentuate nature’s disapproval of the murder at court and foreshadow the chaos that will come from upsetting the natural balance.  Indeed only a few hours later, Ross and an old man discuss the many violations of nature that have occurred since Duncan’s murder.  Ross describes the unnatural darkness that has covered the sky as a result of “the heavens” being “troubled with man’s act” (2.4.7).  Even the natural hierarchy of animals has been upset, mirroring how the natural hierarchy at court has been upset through the crowning of Macbeth as king.  “‘Tis unnatural,/ Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last/ A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,/ Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed” (2.4.13-16).  An owl would not normally kill a falcon, nor would horses usually kill each other: “Duncan’s horses (a thing most strange and certain)...Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out...Tis said they eat each other” (2.4.17-23).  As soon as Duncan is murdered, nature expresses its anger through unnatural supernatural happenings.  

Similarly, in As You Like It the true ruler is Duke Senior who has been usurped by his brother Duke Frederick.  As a result, there is much unhappiness at court while those who have fled into nature are happy.  In As You Like It, when the court begins to stray from the natural way, nature provides a safe haven to recover and change for the better.  Many people are unhappy and angry at court.  There is much conflict between Orlando, Oliver and Duke Frederick.  Orlando and Oliver do not get along for no real reason. Oliver says “I never lov’d [Orlando] in my life” (3.1.14). Duke Frederick does not like either of them because of their father.  Duke Frederick says to Orlando “I would thou hadst been son to some man else./  The world esteem’d thy father honorable,/ But I did find him still my enemy” (1.2.213-215).  Rosalind is deeply unhappy because her father has been banished and because she wants to spend time with Orlando but cannot.  Meanwhile, news of Duke Senior’s natural life in the Forest of Arden has reached the court. When Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind unjustly, it is to the Forest of Arden that Celia and Rosalind head, saying, “Now go we in content/ to liberty and not to banishment” (1.3.133-134).  From the beginning, nature is portrayed as a refuge from the evils of court in As You Like It.

Throughout both plays, the supernatural continues to highlight nature’s reaction toward immorality and “unnatural behavior” of the characters.  In Macbeth, the supernatural conveys the nature’s fury at Macbeth for his murders.  However, in As You Like It, the supernatural highlights the healing powers of nature.  

As the murders and chaos of Macbeth’s reign continue, more and more supernatural events occur.  When Macbeth murdered Banquo, nature responded by sending Banquo’s ghost to frighten and punish Macbeth.  Upon seeing the ghost Macbeth becomes completely unhinged saying “The time has been/ That, when the brains were out, the man would die,/ And there an end. But now they rise again/ With twenty mortal murders on their crowns/ And push us from our stools. This is more strange/ Than such a murder is” (3.4.94-99).  Macbeth killing Duncan went against the way of nature and therefore unnatural events, like Banquo coming back as a ghost, plague Macbeth himself.  Lady Macbeth also begins to succomb to the supernatural events.  Lady Macbeth begins to sleepwalk, hallucinating about blood on her hands.  Her doctor says helplessly, “A great perturbation in nature, to receive at/ once the benefit of sleep and do the effects of/ watching” (5.1.10-11).  Lady Macbeth’s unnatural sleepwalking is highlighted by her continued screams of “Out, damned spot, out, I say” (5.1.37).  Lady Macbeth is the only one who can see the blood on her hands, and she takes this as evidence of the fact that she will never be able to be morally clean again.  The Macbeths’ offenses against nature are too serious for forgiveness. As the doctor says, “Unnatural deeds/ do breed unnatural troubles” (5.2.75-76).  Nature remains furious until the Macbeths are both dead.  

As the story of As You Like It continues, it becomes clear that nature, represented by the Forest of Arden, has supernatural healing powers.  The members of Duke Senior’s court are  happy there and gain wisdom.  Duke Senior says “Now my co-mates and brothers in exile,/ Hath not old custom made this life more sweet/ Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods/ More free from peril than the envious court? Here...our life, exempt from public haunt,/ Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,/ Sermons in stones, and good in everything” (3.1.1-17).  There is much to learn from nature, and nature protects people from the troubles of the human world.  

Everyone who enters the Forest of Arden undergoes a magical transformation.  Rosalind grows more confident and independent.  She relies less on Celia’s advice and even disagrees with her at times.  Orlando and his brother are reconciled through the supernatural appearance of a lioness.  Orlando saves his brother from the lioness and the two find new love for eachother.  The Forest of Arden cures other love ailments as well.  By the end of their stay in the forest, Orlando, Rosalind, Celia, Oliver, Touchstone, Audrey, Phoebe and Silvius have all overcome their various courting problems and have married.  It is obvious that the nobles and noblewomen learn from the lives of the peasants, who live in harmony with nature.  Corin argues calmly with Touchstone when Touchstone declares that the ways of the country are silly and inferior.  Corin says “Those that are good/ manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country/ as the behavior of the country is most mockable at court...” (3.2.44-47).  

The Forest of Arden also allows the nobles to disregard the hierarchy of court and live together naturally.  Duke Senior hunts and eats together with all the members of his court, and invites Orlando, as well as his servant Adam, to join them at the table.  Duke Senior says “Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table” (2.7.105).  Duke Senior even reassures Orlando that they will not begin eating until Adam can join them: “Go find [Adam]...we will nothing waste till you return” (2.7.133-135).  Nature is a welcome respite from the troubles of court and has magical healing powers on the troubles that the nobles do bring with them.

Through either the healing powers of nature or in response to nature’s fury, the characters of Macbeth and As You Like It return to the natural way by the end.

In Macbeth, the kingdom of Scotland is returned to the natural order through the death of the Macbeths and the crowning of Malcolm as king.  As the son of Duncan, Malcolm is the rightful king.  In fact, nature is used to unseat Macbeth.  The soldiers use boughs from Birnam Forest to disguise themselves as they march on Macbeth’s castle.  When Macbeth sees that “[Birnam] wood comes toward Dunsinane” (5.5.51-52) he panics, realizing he will now be defeated.  Indeed, nature has come to restore Malcolm to the throne and save Scotland.  The supernatural triumphs over Macbeth in that the witches’ prophesies all come true in the end and Macbeth is slain.  Macduff says to Malcolm and all the nobles present “Hail, King! for so thou art. Behold where stands/ Th’ usurper’s cursed head...Hail, King of Scotland!” (5.8.65-70). Everyone responds “Hail, King of Scotland!” (5.8.71).  Malcolm then makes plans to call back all the refugees who fled Macbeth’s reign as well as to bring the evil members of Macbeth’s court to justice.  The play ends with “So thanks to all at once and to each one,/ whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone” (5.8.87-88).  It is obvious at the end of Macbeth that Scotland has been returned to the natural way.  Nature has been appeased and there will be no more strange and evil supernatural occurrences.

In As You Like It, the court returns to the natural way as well.  Duke Frederick sets off to raise an army against Duke Senior but just as he reaches the Forest of Arden he magically changes his mind and decides to take on a religious life.  “Duke Frederick hearing how that every day/ Men of great worth resorted to this forest,/ Address’d a mighty power, which were... to take/ His brother here, and put him to the sword./ And to the skirts of this wild wood he came,/ Where, meeting with an old religious man...was converted/ Both from his enterprise and from the world,/ His crown bequeathing to his banish’d brother...” (5.4.153-162).  The Forest of Arden cured Duke Frederick as well as the other members of the court.  The marriages at the end are a sign that everyone has been restored to the good natural way.  The play ends with Duke Senior declaring “Proceed, proceed. We will begin these rites,/ As we do trust they’ll end, in true delights” (5.4.196-197).  Though it is clear that most of the nobles will not stay in the Forest of Arden, it is clear that they will return to court, changed and restored to the natural way.  

In Macbeth, nature is harsh and violent in response to Macbeth’s many evil deeds, whereas in As You Like It, nature is a safe and restorative haven from the evils of court life.  However, in both plays the natural world is a force of good and correctness.  The principle that humans should live in harmony with nature is a common principle that is found in many cultures.  Shakespeare displays this principle from many different perspectives in both of his plays.