Who is Touchstone in As You Like It?
Touchstone stands in the court of Duke Frederick as a licensed fool wearing a motley cap and bells. He speaks truth to power while masking his words with nonsense and jokes about bodily functions.
Questions about Touchstone (As You Like It)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Robert Armin play Touchstone in As You Like It?
David Wiles suggests that Robert Armin played the part of Touchstone in the first productions of As You Like It. The addition of Armin to the Chamberlain's Men occurred in 1599.
Why does Touchstone marry Audrey in As You Like It?
The jester marries Audrey despite the lack of genuine affection between them because she wants to become a courtly lady through marriage. Their union lacks the poetic romance found elsewhere in the forest of Arden.
What mythological reference does Touchstone use in As You Like It?
Touchstone compares himself to figures from Ovid's Metamorphoses where Mercury punishes Battus by turning him into a touchstone stone. This word appears in Book II of the second 1575 edition of Arthur Golding's translation.
How does Touchstone differ from earlier fools in Shakespearean theater?
These new fools differed greatly from earlier roles typically played by William Kempe because their humor is mainly derived from wit and intellect rather than physical comedy. Earlier fools were often nothing but stooges for other characters while Armin brought intellectual depth to the role.