Forest of Arden is the Golden World in As You Like It

The Golden World refers to the Forest of Arden which represents the Conventional pastoral world without any artificial idealization of its unalloyed bliss. In this idyllic region, the passage of time is not measured by minutes or seconds, and therefore hours of worries and anxieties do not trouble one. Here as life is not burdened with duty, nor fraught with toil and moil, all spend their time happily and freely in a state of fanciful idleness. Life in the Forest of Arden away from evils and envy, intrigues and iniquities at court is in harmony with nature. In As You Like It, the Forest of Arden with its natural artifices is a haven of ease and contentment, peace and rest to Duke Senior who seeks pleasure even out of the bowl of melancholy and believes:

Life exempt from public haunt

Find tongues in trees, books, in running brooks

Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

The Forest of Arden is free from the disgraces of reality like corruption, war, strife and avarice but cannot break loose from only one disgrace that is the inclemency of weather causing discomfort to Duke of Senior. The Golden World of the Forest of Arden has been splendidly celebrated in the song of Amiens:

Under the Greenwood true

Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note

Unto the sweet bird’s throat

Come hither, come hither, come hither.

Here shall he see

No enemy.

But winter and rough weather.  

How did the nightingale die in Frog and Nightingale?

The cunning frog pressurized the nightingale to practice more and longer in order to improve the tonal quality of her voice, by taking advantage of the bird’s innocence. He also set his eyes on better billings by making a show of her performance. The foolish bird danced to the tune of her master and lost the sweetness of her voice due to long hour of practice. The hoarse and quivering voice began to leave the audience annoyed and tired. To see a dip in ticket sales, the frog teased her as ‘brainless bird’ and instructed her to puff her lungs out of passion. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on the lungs, and the poor bird died.        

Who or what is responsible for the nightingale’s death in Frog and Nightingale

The frog was cunning, greedy and jealous of the nightingale. To stay unrivalled in the Bingle Bog, he deliberately chalked out a plan and executed it smartly to cause the bird’s death. The frog presented himself as a noble critic and advised her to get trained by him. Flattered by the frog the bird began to practice for long hours and could not see through his trick. The frog insisted on practice for long hours to improve her tonal quality, and the bird danced to his tune.

Consequently, her voice became hoarse and lost its charm. She became pale and sad. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on her lungs during practice, and the poor bird died. Thus the frog drove the innocent nightingale to death. The bird herself is responsible for her death. She was not confident of her talent. She believed in the frog more than in herself, and followed his instructions blindly. 


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