How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line). Line numbers correspond to The Norton Shakespeare, second edition, published in 2008.
Quote #7
Who might be your mother,
That you insult, exult, and all at once,
Over the wretched? What though you have no
beauty—
As, by my faith, I see no more in you
Than without candle may go dark to bed— (3.5.39-44)
Oh, burn! When Phoebe acts like a snotty Petrarchan mistress, Rosalind is not having any of it. She even advises Phoebe to marry Silvius now while she can because nobody else will want her: "For I must tell you friendly in your ear,/ Sell when you can: you are not for all markets." Ouch.
Quote #8
Sweet youth, I pray you chide a year together.
I had rather hear you chide than this man woo. (3.5.69-70)
Has Phoebe fallen in love with "Ganymede" or with Rosalind? It's not entirely clear and ultimately it probably doesn't matter because Rosalind eventually reveals her true identity and Phoebe marries Silvius. Still, the fact that Phoebe gets turned on by "Ganymede" draws our attention to the homoerotic possibilities of the play. The same-sex attraction at work here also recalls the intimate relationship between Rosalind and her cousin Celia.
Quote #9
ROSALIND [as Ganymede to Orlando]
Come, woo me,
woo me, for now I am in a holiday humor and like
enough to consent. What would you say to me now,
an I were your very, very Rosalind?
ORLANDO
I would kiss before I spoke. (4.1.72-76)
That Rosalind sure is a clever girl. Disguised as "Ganymede," Rosalind offers to help her crush Orlando practice his moves. Orlando takes up the offer—he pretends that "Ganymede" is Rosalind and woos "him." It's a little confusing, we know. Still, as critic Katharine Eisaman Maus points out, here, Orlando and Rosalind indulge in an "elaborate game of 'Let's pretend.'" By playing make-believe, Orlando and Rosalind can indulge in their fantasies without any consequences. They even have a pretend wedding—how sweet!
We also want to point out that Orlando's enthusiastic willingness to woo "Ganymede" raises the question of whether or not Orlando is attracted to "Ganymede." We never really know for sure, but Shakespeare definitely wants us to think about it.