" 'Run, run, Orlando; carve on every tree/ The fair, the chaste and unexpressive she.' " III. ii. pg 35.
Orlando falls in love with Rosalind in about 13.6 seconds. He spends a lot of time in the play trying to prove it. Orlando speaks the line above to himself very soon after he arrives in the forest. He spends the next few scenes running around writing love sonnets and proclamation on the trees, effectively defacing them. When Rosalind follows him into the forest, and is in disguise, she spends some time questioning him about his true love. Orlando thinks that she is Ganymede, and answers to convince Ganymede of his genuine love for Rosalind. Rosalind keeps her identity a disguise so she can find out Orlando's true feelings. Orlando's love is called into question by a few characters in this story, and also by me. I had a hard time believing he was really in love, given the short amount of time that he had known or spoken to Rosalind, but also by the fact that he answered Rosalind's questions so ridiculously. When Rosalind asked him what he would do if his love was around, Orlando answered that he would kiss then speak. Rosalind corrected him, saying that he should rather speak first. Conversations such as these make Orlando seem flawed in his intentions. And instances such as his tree-carving escapades make Orlando seem flawed in his sanity. Is he in love or not?
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