As You Like It - Ganymede

Ganymede, son of Tros/Laomedon, who was unusually beautiful and loved by all. Typically, in myths, the gods steal him away, particularly Zeus. In some cases, it is to be a cupbearer, and in others it is to be a courtesan/male equivalent of a mistress. Here, he looks slightly effeminate, but very soft and has soft, rich looking cloth in a vibrant color and holding a golden vessel - signs of richness and being blessed by the gods.

Ganymede being carried off by Zeus in the form of an eagle.

Similar to how Orlando is attempting to carry away Rosalind in the form of how he loves her and writing a million and one poems for her. Ganymede, a male, gives Rosalind the ability to speak openly and freely about the relationship they have and how he can be a better romantic partner.
It helps that Ganymede is a very romance-oriented individual thanks to mythology.

The backdrop here portrays the forest as a light, bright place full of life (shocking, considering it's a forest, but this is Shakespeare we're talking about). It opens the set up and gives it a lighter, more casual air to it and provides a detailed set without being overwhelming, and also adds to the atmosphere. In this case, particularly with this set, it helps to add to Ganymede's good intentions and make the whole scene seem very friendly and calm.

The Lovers tarot card - upright, it symbolizes "Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices", reversed it symbolizes "Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values". In the case of Rosalind and Orlando, Rosalind is using the persona of Ganymede to seek out this love and harmony and align their values by turning Orlando into a more ideal lover. Orlando is making the choices to follow along with 'Ganymede's' suggestions to better himself for the sake of Rosalind. Also, this tarot card was kind of perfect since it was "The Forest Lovers".

In 4.1, Rosalind plays as Ganymede playing as Rosalind (Inception much) when talking to Orlando while they are bantering and playing at flirty. At around line 110, they begin to hold a mock wedding (with Celia present), Rosalind coaching Orlando through it

ROSALIND: "Now tel me how long you would have her after you have possessed her?"
ORLANDO: "For ever and a day."
ROSALIND: "Say 'a day' without the 'ever'..."

And she continues to do this, basically educating him on how to be a better lover and more suited to her tastes, rather than a crude boy who shows up an hour late to a meeting.

Rosalind playing as Ganymede and presumably critiquing Orlando to "better" him, performed on stage in a more abstract forest.

CELIA: "You have simply misued our sex in your love-prate! We must have your doublet and hose plucked over your head and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest."

Commentary both on how she tricked a man by playing a man, but also how the actors of the time were all male, so it was a young boy playing a young girl pretending to be a boy pretending to be a girl. In simple terms, he's making a critique through Ganymede/Rosalind on what the point in only having male actors is.

Possession - a word used by Ganymede/Rosalind (4.1.134). Defined by the OED as:

"(mass noun) The state of having, owning, or controlling something."
"(Law) Visible power or control over something, as distinct from lawful ownership; holding or occupancy as distinct from ownership."

Because, you know, women are only to be possessed by men, rather than have their own independence. However, in this case, it refers more to the whole 'how long will you love her after you've been married'.

In fiction, Ganymede seems to draw the attention of everyone - in As You Like It, they draw the attention of Orlando, among others. In the myths, it is of Zeus. There is a manga/graphic novel called Olimpos, about Ganymede, who attracts Zeus even there. Ganymede's beauty makes him seemingly irresistible, but one could argue that it is also his sense of perseverance and intellect, or perhaps his ability to manipulate people?

This is Shakespeare's play, As You Like It. It is Act 4, Scene 1, lines 126-231. Rosalind as Ganymede pretends to be herself as Orlando courts her. With an a...

It's done by like, 12 year olds, but it's the specific lines I want, that being the wedding and how Ganymede (Rosalind) is being a total wingman (thanks, Zeus) for Rosalind (secretly) and Orlando.