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"As You Like It"
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This phrase exposes the reader to Shakespeare's use of the homoerotic. Celia expresses her profound love for Rosalind by referencing their relationship as a spiritual union. This is a union that Celia does not share with another man, not even her father. While it appears that this is just an example of a lesbian relationship, the actors performing these roles during Shakespeares time would have been two young boys. Therefore, the performative nature of the homoerotic is both in a male-to-male and a female-to-female context.
Furthermore, the fact that Celia's father exiles her and she simply wishes that he "seek another heir," seems to be a testament to her rejection of relationships with men. However, later in the scene, Rosalind transforms herself into a man, Ganymede. Throughout the text, Shakespeare illustrates the performative nature of gender and sexuality.
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