As You Like It
-Rosalind-
And why, I pray you? Who might be your mother,that you insult, exult, and all at once, over the wretched?
What though you have no beauty.
As, by my faith, I see no more in you than without candle may go dark to bed.
Must you be therefore proud and pitiless?
Why? What means this? Why do you look on me?
I see no more in you than in the ordinary of nature's sale work.
Od's my little life, I think she means to tangle my eyes too!
No, faith, proud mistress, hope not after it:
Tis not your inky brows, your black silk hair,
your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream,
that can entame my spirits to your worship.
You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her,
like foggy south puffing with wind and rain?
You are a thousand times a properer man than she a woman:
Tis such fools as you that makes the world full of ill-favour'd children:
Tis not her glass, but you, that flatters her.
And out of you, she sees herself more proper than any of her lineaments can show her.
But, mistress, know yourself, down on your knees, and thank heaven,
fasting, for a good man's love:
For I must tell you friendly in your ear,
sell when you can, you are not for all markets:
Cry the man mercy, love him, take his offer,
Foul is most foul, being foul to be a scoffer, so take her to thee, shepherd:
Fare you well.
About the monologue
This monologue took place in a Shakespeare's play As You Like It (Act 3 Scene 5). It's where when Rosalind and the group from the court encountered a young shepherd, Silvius in the forest. They watched him being rejected by a shepherdess, Phoebe, as he declares his love for her. During the scene, Rosalind is in the role of Ganymede (a male character).
About Rosalind
throughout the play, we could see that Rosalind is an example of ingenuity, good humor, and patience. She also proves to be a truly loyal friend. In this lesson, we will learn more about this admirable heroine.
How I want it to be performed?...
As Rosalind is not being herself in this monologue, but her strong personality is still there, the heroine side of her is shown strongly in this monologue. In the play, Rosalind can't stand the way Pheobe rejected the love from the young shepherd, Silvius, so she as Ganymede (male version of Rosalind) was giving exhortations to Pheobe, telling her that she should appreciate for a man's love and also she's not for all market. As a male character acting by a female character, it's a new challenge for me. Imagine me being a guy, I will put my chest out and look at the person I'm talking to straight in the eyes. The way I speak need to be strong and full of energy, it needs to be powerful enough not only for the characters in the play to believe that I am a guy but also the audience. I will not do any girly actions like playing with my hair or putting them behind my ear.
Feedback by tutor
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| feedback from tutor, Rob |
What went well?...
- My voice projection
- The energy I brought up
- I know my character very well, I am able to get the right expressions at the right timing
Even better if...
- Focus at only one spot for the imaginary character, I tend to look over the space when I'm speaking to the person.
- Keep the energy strong not only during performances, rehearsals are important as well.
Overall (evaluation): I forgot my lines halfway and not able to continue it, I should spend more time practicing my monologue when I'm free (before going to bed or the free time when I am traveling from home to college). What I did really bad with my monologue was I did not get a very clear imaginary character there, so when I was supposed to speak to her I look all over the space instead. Overall for this monologue exam, I need urge myself to practice more and more, not only to memorize properly with my script also to really act it out to see the difference.
