Love's Labour's Lost
Love's Labour's Lost is an early comedy bursting with puns and verbal fireworks, and one of Shakespeare's wordiest plays. The young King of Navarre and three of his lords swear an oath to give up women and study hard for three years. The vow collapses almost at once, when the Princess of France and her three ladies arrive and the men fall for them one by one. Unusually for a comedy, it ends not with weddings but with the women asking the men to wait.
Characters
Famous Quotes
See all quotes →“The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo.”
Armado — Act 5, Scene 2
“A jest's prosperity lies in the ear Of him that hears it, never in the tongue Of him that makes it.”
Rosaline — Act 5, Scene 2
“Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye, Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues.”
Maria — Act 2, Scene 1
Further Reading
Best Lines by Shakespeare: Quotes on Life, Love and More
A curated collection of Shakespeare's most famous lines, organised by theme, from love and loss to daily wisdom, sport and celebration. Each quote includes the play it comes from and why it still resonates.
Who Was William Shakespeare? A Complete Life and Biography
The life of Shakespeare: born in Stratford 1564, the Globe, his death in 1616, and the First Folio. The facts, checked.
Test Your Knowledge
Think you know your Shakespeare? Put it to the test with one of our free quizzes.
See all quizzes →As an Amazon Associate, ShakespeareGo earns from qualifying purchases.