Irony in As You Like It

Frederick makes the claim that rejecting his brother Orlando tarnishes his class. The claim is ironic: Frederick has done the same thing to his own brother Duke Senior. The Duke lives like a peasant in the forest because Frederick banished him.

Remember that Rosalind is posing as Ganymede in this scene. Each time she insists that she is “your Rosalind” it is embedded with irony: she simultaneously is Rosalind and is merely playing the part of Rosalind.

Despite the amorous nature of the letter, Rosalind accuses Phebe of railing—complaining bitterly. The irony is that Silvius, unbeknownst to Rosalind, loves Phebe. Thus his reply, “Call you this railing?” carries a deeper significance. On one level, he calls into question whether Phebe is truly railing. On a deeper level, Silvius is jealous; he wishes the letter were addressed to him.

Oliver’s claims about Orlando’s brother are an example of dramatic irony because the audience knows that Oliver is Orlando’s brother. Oliver does not reveal this fact until the end of this scene, perhaps because he wants to first explain that he has mended his relationship with his brother before revealing his identity.