What's with the Cuckold Horns?
There are multiple times in the play where characters reference "Cuckold Horns".
The definition of “Cuckold Horns” is: Horns growing on the head of someone (traditionally a man) who has been “Cuckolded” or cheated on by his spouse. The Horns can be seen by everyone except the wearer. Thus, everyone knows this person has been cheated on by their spouse except for them.
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The word “Cuckold” first came into use because cuckoo birds will often lay eggs in nests that don’t belong to them. This may give the impression that a cuckoo parent had cheated with another bird. Thus, the word came to be. The horns could be symbolic of stags, which give up their mates to other males, or the Devil, who symbolize sex and lust, or the capon known for their lack of their lack of sexual hormones and aggression.
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The comedic picture of a horned man who has been cheated on has been used since the 16th century!
Cuckold Artwork!
This piece depicts a man slowly becoming a cuckold. This is signified through the scene at the bottom. As he proposes his horns are small, but even as he proposes the woman is connected to another. This transforms into a scene with the woman in the arms of another as the cuckold stands by, his horns now larger, and is unable to do anything. The ring in the center is symbolic of a wedding band that is cracking. The words “Always and Forever” signify the promise that was made and that is now breaking. The cuckold is in the center of the ring, with large spindly horns. Though the stereotype of the cuckold is a man being cheated on, I wanted to represent the man with a sort of androgynous look. Because gender is such an important theme in As You Like It. I thought it was important to show “him” that way and also show that this can extend to any gender. I also was pulling from our source of Rosalind as Ganymede in this play and feminine of a man Ganymede is. Another truth of this play is that many of the men are not typically masculine and many of the women not typically feminine. This image is supposed to show the inevitability of being cuckolded and the life of a cuckold.
-Sophia Lane
This piece represents a man who has been cheated on by his partner, also known as a “Cuckold”. The dark green background represents the forest of the play and symbolizes envy and betrayal. The man in the painting has his eyes closed because he is blind to the fact that his lover is lying to him. And finally, the Horns are a universal sign for a Cuckold because everyone else can see them except for the man. The red of the horns also represents the anger of his embarrassment and her dishonesty. I started with a freehand sketch and filled it in with acrylic paint. To make the image sharper, I traced the painting with a black paint pen.
-Lucy Geiser
Music!
CUCKOLD PLAYLIST- A STORY THROUGH MODERN SONGS OF CUCKOLDS
Jealous: A man is jealous of how much attention his girlfriend is getting from other men.
Just Give Me a Reason: The man and woman both realize something is wrong with the relationship, and reflect on how they want it to be saved.
Rolling in the Deep: The woman realizes how much the man has hurt her, and wants to get back at him.
I'm Not the Only One: The man realizes that the woman is cheating on him, and laments to himself.
Dancing On My Own: The man sees for himself that the woman is cheating on him, and he feels alone.
Mr. Brightside: The man envisions how the woman is cheating on him, and feels sick.
You Know I'm No Good: The woman confronts her own feelings about what she has done. She reflects that the man knew that she wasn't pure before she started her actions.
I Want You Back: The man tries to win the woman back, after he knows that they are torn apart.
Me and My Broken Heart: The man turns from actively trying to get her back, to questioning his decisions and thinking about how much it hurts.
When I was Your Man: The man regrets not putting enough effort into the relationship while it was still healthy.
Cry Me a River: The man realizes that he has been crying over a person who does not respect him, and rejects her apology. He moves on.
A NOTE ABOUT CUCKOLD SONGS:
As I researched songs about the cuckold, I found less and less as I went further back in time. Now, the topic of cheating and a broken heart is less taboo, and more commonly found in music than ever.
In Shakespeare's day, the cuckold song that is sung in As You Like It would be more of a comedic effect for the audience, rather than a lament in which the audience would sympathize with the cuckold. The horns were a badge of shame, since only the man could not see them for what they were.
In these songs, the cuckold is more of an idea than a strict rule. The images are different, envisioning a broken heart and looking to the past, rather than the horns that would have been a common image, known well for what they were in Shakespeares age. Notice, not one mention of horns in these modern songs.