OUTSIDE

Within this context outside can either mean (1) a suit of clothes or (2) outward appearance. The ambiguousness of the word illustrates the transformative nature of Celia and Rosalind as they disguise themselves as men. Both women will put on a different set of clothes in order to change their outward appearance. Shakespeare's play on the word outside symbolizes the importance of costume and appearance when attempting to maneuver within a society where one's dress was a rigid social custom delineating a person's social status.

 

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