Touchstone, A Functional Character in Shakespeare's As You like It: A Recherche Research

Abstract

Drama is a representation of life and life, as we all know is a pendulum betwixt smiles and tears. In Shakespeare’s As You Like It a functional character namely Touchstone gives the pendulum a sly push in the opposite direction by exposing the discomfort of the life and the coarseness and lack of education of rustics and yet revealing their worth and honesty. Shakespeare’s idyllic play As You Like It contemplates life within and without Arden, with numerous shifts of angles, alternating valuations, and variations of moods. Touchstone preserves a cunning balance in the play. Touchstone serves as a fool in Duke Frederick's court using his role to criticize and poke fun at the court's follies.  As a court-fool he has seen court-life and learnt ‘court’ philosophy and occupies a place just below the first rank amongst the clowns of Shakespeare. He is known for his fertile mind and a ready wit without which he could not have held the position of a fool at any court. But his bawdy humour is a gauge by which others are measured and found wanting. As the professional jester he is a privileged person enjoying unlimited freedom of speech and having the right to make ironical or satirical remarks about anybody and everybody, though not permitted to cross the bounds of decency. Though Touchstone's character provides comic relief and offers insights into the play's themes of love, marriage, and societal expectations, the love-interlude between Touchstone and Audrey is not strictly speaking any love-affair as Touchstone is a practical man who has studied and probed the realities of life, and who has no illusions of any kind. Hazlitt rightly considers Touchstone as a mixture of the ancient cynic philosopher with the modern buffoon.