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One of the biggest things to look for when reading Love's Labour's Lost is wordplay. From our class discussions and things I've read online, that's what makes the play worthwhile. It's not known for its fascinating plot or three-dimensional characters. It seems like everything else was sacrificed for the sake of Shakespeare's cleverness in his writing.

I've seen a few instances of this famous wordplay, but this time reading the play I decided to look for it specifically. And when I had this "wordplay hunting" as my focus, I found that the play is just loaded with it - especially with Armado and Moth (who you'll remember from my last post about Love's Labour's Lost).

So here are some examples:

Moth: Master, will you win your love with a French brawl?

Don Adriano de Armado: How meanest thou? brawling in French?

Moth: ... and make them men of note—do you note me?

Don Adriano de Armado: How hast thou purchased this experience?

Moth: By my penny of observation.

(I think this is like saying "a penny for your thoughts")

Moth: And out of heart, master: all those three I will prove.

Don Adriano de Armado: What wilt thou prove?

Moth: A man, if I live; ...
("Prove" as in "I will show you" and "prove" as in "become")

Moth: As swift as lead, sir.

Don Adriano de Armado: The meaning, pretty ingenious? Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow? ...

Moth: You are too swift, sir, to say so: Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?

(Good point.)

Costard: Pray you, which is the head lady?

Princess of France: Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads.

Costard: Which is the greatest lady, the highest?

Princess of France: The thickest and the tallest.

("Head" and "highest" as in "main, principal, chief" and also as in "the body part above the neck" or "height" and "stature")

Biron: ... they have pitched a toil; I am toiling in a pitch...

All this, especially Moth and Armado, made me think of yet another classic comedic gem:

Tender Juvenal and Tough Senior

I can say without hesitation that I knew nothing about "Love's Labour's Lost" before today. In fact, I don't think I would have remembered it as one of Shakespeare's plays. If I were to take a Sporcle quiz, it would have been the one I would never think of even with the 10 minutes allowed to take the quiz.

But, it's already really fun to read. Even though the first scene is the most interesting in terms of plot, and themes of intellect vs. hedonism, abstinence vs. indulgence, I actually feel like talking about the second scene with Armado and Moth.

Even though I didn't understand all of it, I was very amused and entertained. It sounded like a couple of kids who get into big arguments over the most insubstantial of topics.

And, it also reminded me of this: