Love’s Labour’s Lost by William Shakespeare Know-the-Show Audience Guide researched and written by the Education Department of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Artwork: Scott McKowen The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: Know-the-Show In This Guide – LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: An Introduction ............................................................................... 2 – The Life of William Shakespeare ............................................................................................... 3 – LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: A Synopsis ....................................................................................... 4 – Sources of the Play ................................................................................................................... 5 – Who’s Who in the Play ............................................................................................................. 6 – Changing Views of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST ............................................................................ 7 – The Language of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST ............................................................................... 8 – Food for Thought....................................................................................................................... 9 – Commentary & Criticism ........................................................................................................ 10 – In this Production ................................................................................................................... 11 – Explore Online ....................................................................................................................... 12 – Sources and Further Reading .................................................................................................. 13 1 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: Know-the-Show Love’s Labour’s “Watching Love’s LostAn Introduction Labour’s Lost is like drinking champagne Love’s Labour’s Lost is probably best known for being ignored. Luckily, one doesn’t need for the first time: It was originally written for an elite audience, most likely a to understand every word unexpectedly royal celebration, and has since become one of Shakespeare’s in the play to appreciate wonderful. The most historically neglected plays. It was performed for Queen Shakespeare’s amazing use play is elegant, its Elizabeth in 1597, revived in 1604, and then not heard from of language or the clever, humor sparkling again until 1839. That’s a 235-year hiatus, and it makes Love’s memorable characters he and sophisticated. Labour’s Lost the only Shakespeare play not performed at all created to speak it. And like rare wine, during the 18th century. There are many reasons scholars believe it was originally that the play was outright rejected for such an extended period designed for an of time, including casting issues. As Dower and Riding state in elite coterie.” The Essential Shakespeare Handbook, the play’s “lack of clear - Norrie Epstein leading roles made it unattractive to those theatres...which built The Friendly Shakespeare productions around charismatic actors.” Though Love’s Labour’s is finally receiving well-deserved critical attention and performance time in the present day, it is still regarded by many audiences as a difficult play. Love’s Costume rendering for Labour’s is considered by most critics to be a satire, and satire is Costard as “Pompey the almost always limited to a specific time and society. The play is Great” by Nikki Delhomme for the 2015 production of overflowing with topical Elizabethan puns and cultural in-jokes Love’s Labour’s Lost. which are nearly impossible to “translate” for modern viewers. 2 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: Know-the-Show popular, appealing to members of all social spheres including The Life Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. While they were well- liked, Shakespeare’s plays were not considered by his educated contemporaries to be exceptional. By 1608, Shakespeare’s Williamof Shakespeare involvement with theatre began to dwindle, and he spent more time at his country home in Stratford. He died in 1616 on his birthday, William Shakespeare, widely April 23. recognized as the greatest English dramatist, was born on April 23, Most of Shakespeare’s plays found their first major publication 1564. He was the third of eight in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death, when two of his children born to John Shakespeare fellow actors put the plays together in the First Folio. Other early and Mary Arden of Stratford-on- printings of Shakespeare’s plays were called quartos, a printer’s Avon in Warwickshire, England. term referring to the format in which the publication was laid out. Shakespeare’s father was a These quartos and the First Folio texts are the sources of all modern prominent local merchant, printings of Shakespeare’s plays. and Shakespeare’s childhood, though little is known about it National Portrait Gallery, London for certain, appears to have been quite normal. In fact, it seems that the young Shakespeare was A Man of Many Words allowed considerable leisure time because his writing contains Shakespeare used over 20,000 different words in his plays extensive knowledge of hunting and hawking. In 1582 he married and poems. Of these, 8.5% (approximately 1,700 words) had Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. She was eight years his never been seen in print before Shakespeare used them. Many of these are still in use today, including “alligator” (Romeo and senior, and the match was considered unconventional. Juliet), “assassination” (Macbeth), “puking” (As You Like It), and “swagger” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), to name only a few. It is believed that Shakespeare left Stratford-on-Avon and To give you a sense of just how extraordinary this is, consider went to London around 1588. By 1592 he was a successful that the King James Bible uses only 8,000 different words. actor and playwright. He wrote approximately 38 plays, two epic poems, and over 150 sonnets. His work was immensely 3 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: Know-the-Show has a letter for Rosaline he wishes Costard to deliver. Costard Love’s Labour’s accidentally mixes up the letters, delivering Rosaline’s letter to Jaquenetta, who seeks the aid of a schoolmaster (Holofernes) and a curate (Nathaniel) to read it. Realizing that the letter is from LostA Synopsis Berowne, they order Jaquenetta to quickly deliver it to the King, believing it to be an act of treason against the King’s proclaimed Please note: Below is a full summary of the play. If you prefer not edicts. to spoil to plot, consider skipping this section. King Ferdinand of Navarre, along with three close friends (Berowne, Longaville, and Meanwhile, Berowne, pining for his love, secretly overhears the Dumaine), decide to create a “little academe” in his royal court. King writing a love poem to the Princess. Longaville enters and is They swear an oath to dedicate themselves entirely to intellectual overheard reciting his sonnet for Maria. Eventually Dumaine also pursuits — and to forbid any women from coming within a enters lamenting his yet unrequited love for Katherine. Longaville mile of the court — for a period of three years. Their resolve is steps forward to reprimand the unsuspecting Dumaine. Then the quickly tested upon the arrival of the Princess of France with her King steps forth and berates both Longaville and Dumaine. Finally, three lovely ladies-in-waiting (Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine). Berowne reveals himself and expresses his great disappointment The King refuses to admit them to the court, but he and his in his companions, feigning an unshaken commitment to learning. companions do visit the ladies’ camp to hear their embassy. His lie is revealed, however, when Jaquenetta enters with his love Almost immediately, the young scholars fall in love, despite their poem to Rosaline. The men decide to abandon their oath and oath. dedicate themselves instead to winning the hearts of the visiting ladies of France. Meanwhile, Don Adriano de Armado, a Spanish braggart in attendance at the court, sends a letter to the King complaining The men, disguised as Muskovites, visit the women, only to be that he has intercepted Costard (a rustic) in a compromising mocked by the ladies who had news of their charade. When the situation with a country maid named Jaquenetta, in violation men return as themselves, the trickery is revealed, and the couples of the King’s decree. Costard is sentenced to a week’s fasting watch a performance of The Nine Worthies presented by Armado, and imprisonment under the guard of Armado. Armado later Holofernes, Nathaniel, and Moth. The merriment is interrupted reveals to Moth (his young page) that he himself is in love with by a message from France announcing the death of the Princess’s Jaquenetta, and he plans to meet her secretly. father. As the ladies prepare to leave, they task each of the men to be true for the next twelve months. At the end of a year, if the Armado frees Costard so that the swain can deliver a letter men can hold true to their oaths, there is hope that they will all be to Jaquenetta. Along the way, Costard meets Berowne who happily reunited. 4 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: Know-the-Show THE NINE WORTHIES Several minor characters The masque of “The Nine Worthies” Sources presented in Love’s Labour’s Lost takes of the Play have historical