Why Must Rosalind Disguise Herself In As You Like It?

“Do you not know I am a woman?” In Act III, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Rosalind speaks these words when Celia reveals that Orlando has been marking the trees in Arden with love verses. Her dialogue brings out one of the central themes of the play — that of cross-dressing. What freedoms does cross-dressing afford her?