Celia's Electra Complex in As You Like It Essay

CELIAS ELECTRA COMPLEX

In Shakespeares As You Like It, Celia, the only daughter of the usurper Duke Frederick, is a secondary participant in the central plot and so appears to lack the fullness and three-dimensionality in character possessed by her cousin Rosalind. However, upon closer examination, it can be seen that Shakespeare does bequeath Celia with a certain level of complexity. In Celia, Shakespeare shows his prowess in crafting fictional characters, no matter how minor, that possess a great deal of real human emotions and arraying them in such a manner to contribute positively to the overall flow of his works. Shakespeare designs a realm, in the physical form of the forest of Arden, where the characters in his play can self-reflect and many of the major characters gain valuable self-knowledge. Celia, though probably not regarded as a major character, is one that does subtly evolve and obtain an identity by the end of the play. Shakespeare boasts an immense understanding of the workings of the human mind; he can be likened to a philosopher or an even more modern description is a psychologist.

Celia and her experiences are a prime example of her creators knowledge of psychology, even before the discipline was conceived. She goes through the many phases described in the psychosexual development theory formulated by the renowned father of psychology himself, Sigmund Freud. Freud posited that girls undergo a stage in development where they unconsciously feel the desire to possess their fathers by replacing their mothers. The basis for this strange aspiration is the girls jealousy of the male genitalia and yearning to have one of her own, termed penis envy (Freud 30). This internal conflict, coined the Electra Complex (by another renowned psychologist Carl Jung), is finally resolved when the girl enters into a healthy relationship with a reciprocating equal. Celia, initially the more dominant of the two chief female characters, gradually begins to lose herself when she enters into exile with her cousin Rosalind, daughter of the deposed and exiled Duke Senior. Rosalinds ascension into dominance and her love for the also banished Orlando, leaves Celia feeling lost and forlorn. Without a male figure to fixate her desires on, Celia becomes jealous of Rosalind. Her inner turmoil is finally resolved upon meeting and falling in love with Oliver, the eldest brother of Orlando, whom had recently experienced a reformation. Celia, throughout the progression of the play, experiences both the desire to play the maternal role and the penis envy stage of Freuds psychosexual development before her final conflict resolution at the closing stages.

Celia assumes the role of first lady at court; she is her fathers main female counterpart. Shakespeare establishes this by omitting a spouse character for Frederick and in doing so, sets up the conflict situation in Freuds psychosexual development model. In the absence of a mother figure, Celia has essentially realized her unconscious goal of possessing her father and replacing her mother. Her occupation of this position is evident by her affectionate and virtually maternal behaviour towards Rosalind. She calls her my sweet Rose, my dear Rose (1.2.20) and declares to her cousin, thou lovest me not with the full weight | that I love thee (1.2.6-7).

Celia even goes as far as to proclaim that when [Duke Frederick] dies [Rosalind] shalt be | his heir (1.2.16-17). Celia expresses a protective maternal instinct when she counsels Rosalind of to be cautious concerning the matters of love. She says:

make sport withal; but love

no man in good earnest , nor no further in sport neither

than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour

come off again. (1.2.24-27)

The subtle implication here is that Celia subconsciously regards Rosalind as her child in the illusionary play-family, where she and her father function in the parental role.

This warped play-acting is naturally unwholesome as Duke Frederick is not Celias equivalent; he, aside from being her father, is too much of a domineering figure to be her match. His initial decision to permit Rosalind to stay at court for Celias sake (1.3.65), during the banishment of Duke Senior (Rosalinds father), does signify his love for his daughter. However, Fredericks banishment of Rosalind (1.3.38) reveals the full range of his tyrannical reign of the court. He calls Celia a fool to pleading for her cousins case and that Rosalind is too subtleand [Celia] wilt show more bright and seem more | virtuous | When [Rosalind] is gone (1.3.75-81). It is unmistakable from this assertion that Frederick does not think very highly of his daughter since he clearly believes she pales in comparison to his niece. Fredericks aloofness towards sending his own daughter into exile further illustrates the point and Celias firm resolution to following her cousin confirms her unconditional maternal devotion.

In terminating all relations with her father and relinquishing her role as his counterpart in court, Celia begins to lose her dominance and more significantly, her identity or what she perceives as her identity. Shakespeare marks this transition by aptly assigning her the disguised name Aliena, which refers to being a stranger or alien. This not only signifies Celia physically becoming alienated in the foreign world of Arden but also internally becoming alien to herself. The fact that Celia personally takes on this name (1.3.127) symbolizes her subconscious understanding of her transformed situation.

A shift in dominance occurs as the cousins are travelling to the forest of Arden with Touchstone. Upon arrival, Rosalind, though exhausted, is still able to hold her own whereas Celia exasperatingly exclaims, I pray you, bear with me. I cannot go no further. (2.4.9) and I faint almost to death. (2.4.62). The journey to the lush forest operates as a test of will and strength in character of travellers whom wish to enter the peaceful meditative world of Arden. Celia clearly emerges as the weaker of the two ladies due to the internal discord within her subconscious. With this, Shakespeare eludes to the waning of Celias character in the ensuing events. However, Celia does make it to Arden and so her self-discovery is forthcoming.

While Celia, at the start, displays her wit and ability to match the cleverness of Touchstone and Rosalind in conversation (1.2.29-134), she becomes virtually invisible in Arden. The scenes which follow exhibit Celias gradual disappearance from the dialogue; for the majority of Act 3 Scene 2, she is materially present but does not actively participate in the exchanges. Through her disguise as a young man named Ganymede, Rosalind emerges as the prevailing dominant character. On atleast two separate occasions, Rosalind calls for the silent Celia to follow her with the exact words, will you go? (3.3.14; 3.5.76). Celia retreats to a subordinate role as Rosalind takes command of the scenes.

Though it is apparent that Celia does not wish to lose her beloved cousin to Orlando, she shows no discernible resentment towards him. She is, instead, displeased with Rosalind and becomes more distant towards her. Celias resentment and serious doubts of her cousins true sentiments are evident when she maintains that Rosalinds love is rather bottomless, that as fast as you pour affection | in, it runs out. (4.1.192-193). The Freudian perspective, to put some light on this strange behaviour, would argue that the psychosexual conflict within Celias subconscious yearns to possess Ganymede not only because he is a dominant male figure but also because of his symbolic penis. Celias desire for a male counterpart and to assume the maternal role can neither be directed towards nor fulfilled by the new dominant male figure in her life, Ganymede/Rosalind. This is due to her cousins love for and preoccupation with Orlando. Thus, Celia transforms her unresolved desires into jealousy and frustration towards Ganymede/Rosalind, paralleling the penis envy stage of Freuds Electra Complex. When told to act as the priest and marry Orlando and Ganymede/Rosalind, Celia replies that she cannot say the words (4.1.116); she refuses to take part in their game of sexual ambiguity. Celias aggravation reaches a climax when she chastises Rosalind:

You have simply misused our sex in your love-prate.

We must have your doublet and hose plucked over your

head, and show the world what the bird hath done to

her own nest. (4.1.184-187)

Celias outburst reveals her envy of Rosalinds apparent possession of a figurative male sexual organ. She exclaims that Rosalind should be stripped of her male attire, strongly indicating that Celia feels her cousin does not deserve to play the role of the male, a role she herself desperate covets.