[In the following excerpt, Eckhoff examines Rosalind's character, particularly the "sparkling gaiety and wit" she maintains even in the face of adversity. It is the heroine's "proud and benevolent nature, " according to the critic, that makes her not only a stable person, but a source of encouragement for other characters in the play. For further commentary on Rosalind's character, see the excerpts by Alfred Harbage, Brigid Brophy, Kenneth Muir, John A. Hart, Nancy K Hayles, Thomas F. Van Laan, Thomas Kelly, and Clara Claiborne Park]

Let us consider Rosalind in As you like it It goes without saying that she is closely related to many others of Shakespeare's favourite daughters, such as Viola [in Twelfth Night], Imogen [in Cymbeline] and Marina [in Pericles]. She has their wisdom, their firmness of character, and at the same time their pliancy, their indomitable courage in the face of adversity. On...