Current conceptions of gender appear to be different from what they were in Shakespeare's time. Clear divisions between male, female and neuter are apparent. We would have to go back to Shakespeare's time to try to see the different visions of gender identity. Using the play As You Like It and the characters depicted in it, we could perhaps see how our conception of gender could well be challenged. The role of gender in this play seems confusing at first glance. Men playing women who fall in love with men and these women acting in order to be men. Men courting women played by and then courting men represented by these female actresses. By carefully perusing the text of As You Like It (Greenblatt, ed., PP1591-1657), we can try to delve into the characters depicted and uncover any challenges to our view of gender identity. During this essay, I will highlight some of the texts and critiques that I believe lead to Shakespearean gender identity and show how it has evolved over time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay I would suggest that Shakespeare explores the homoerotic possibilities of several characters. A good example of this is the relationship between Rosalind and Celia. Rosalind is called a traitor by Duke Frederick (Greenblatt, ed., p1610) and Celia responds very quickly to try to help her. The deeper implication of their friendship seems to be emphasized when Celia says (Greenblatt, ed., p1610, lines 66-70): But now I know her. If she's a traitor, well, so am I. We still slept together, got up in an instant, learned, played, ate together, and wherever we went, like Junos' swans, we always remained coupled and inseparable. This seems to suggest that their friendship is more intimate than it seems and Juliet Dusinberre in As Liked Who says that the play rewrites the record of female desire so that women want to read it. I will return to Rosalind and Celia later in this essay. The conception of gender is also challenged with the scene at the Duke Seniors forest house (Greenblatt, ed., pp1612-1613). There are no women in the forest retreat nor does there seem to be any desire for them. This seems to be a lifestyle for all men, described as being gentle. Duke Senior says (Greenblatt, ed., p1612, line 5) Here we do not feel Adam's penalty and this line alone really highlights the feeling of absence of women among men. We must look at the relationship between Rosalind and Orlando and Rosalind's disguise as Ganymede. To do this, we must discover the meaning of the name Ganymede. The name Ganymede has social and literary connotations and suggests masculine desire between men. Ganymede was a young boy from mythology with whom Jupiter fell in love. The boy replaced Jove's wife as his lover. In Shakespearean times, the name Ganymede was used to describe a prostitute and more specifically the name given to a young man who was the lover of an older man. The term was fully understood at the time and I suspect Shakespeare used it to imply a homoerotic overture between Orlando and Ganymede. The idea of ​​a homoerotic relationship between these two would also be supported by Orlando's quick acceptance of the situation. Orlando describes Ganymede as fair and good and courts and flirts with him as he would have done with Rosalind. Returning to Rosalind and Celia, we can find more evidence of their deep connection when they talk about Orlando (Greenblatt, ed.,.