Note to As You Like It, 1.2.241: "envious"


Return
to
As You Like It,
Act 1, Scene 2, line 241.
envious: —In this play and many others, Shakespeare presents envy as the source of great evil, and Duke Frederick's attitude towards Orlando is perfect example of Shakespeare's concept of envy. Duke Frederick resents Orlando simply because he is the son of Sir Rowland de Boys, who is a better man than Duke Frederick. Duke Frederick's envy shows itself not as a desire to be like Sir Rowland de Boys, but as hatred of everything associated with him.