[In the following excerpt, Palmer discusses Touchstone's character in As You Like It . According to the critic, Touchstone is a wise fool who acts as a kind of guide or point of reference throughout the play, putting everyone, including himself, to the comic test. This function is apparent in Touchstones parodic exchanges with Carin, Silvius, Audrey, and especially-Jaques, with whom the fool acts as a foil throughout the play. For further commentary on Touchstones character, see the excerpts by Alfred Harbage, Kenneth Muir, John A. Hart, and Enid Welsford.]
In most of Shakespeare's comedies there is a character who stands, as it were, at the centre. To get a clear view of the composition as a whole we must take up our position as near as possible beside him.
In 'Love's Labour's Lost' we.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 3,377 words. This
study guide contains 74,146 words (approx. 247 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our As You Like It Access Pass.
