William Shakespeare Love's labour's lost

William SHAKESPEARE: LOVE´S LABOUR´S LOST

Main characters:
 King of Navarre – is the king and a scholar
 Berowne, Langaville, Dumaine – are the three lords, they have joined king in his oath of scholarship
 Princess of France – she comes to visit the King
 Rosaline, Maria, Catherine – three ladies attending the Princess
 Boyet – is the lord who is attending the Princess
 Don Armando – is a Spaniard
 Moth – Don Armando´s page
 Costard – a clown
 Jaquenetta – a young girl
 Sir Nathaniel, Holofernes – a curate and the scholarmaster

Plot: At the very beginning the King and the three lords Berowne, Langaville and Dumaine discuss the founding of their academy. So they swear an oath to scholarship which includes avoiding contact with women for three years. They swear: If any man be seen to talk with a woman the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possible devise. Than they receive a letter from Don Armando in which he informs them that he has caught Castard and Jaquenetta consorting in the park. Castard´s punishment is one week of only bran and water. Don Armando confess to his page Moth, that he has fallen in love with Jaquenetta. In that time, the Princess of France has arrived to visit the King. She sends Boyet, one of her attendants, to the King to announce their arrival, since she has heard the King´s vow that no woman may approach his silent court. Boyet returns and informs Princess that the King intends to lodge her in the field rather than break his oath and allow women in his house. The King enters with his lords and tells the Princess that he cannot bring her to the court because of his oath. She hand him a paper and they discuss the payment of a hundred thousand crowns and the control of Aquitaine. The three lords fall in love with three ladies Rosaline, Maria and Catherine and the King fall in love with the Princess. Berowne gives Costard a letter to deliver to Rosaline, but Costard accidentally switches it with the letter from Don Armando to Jaquenetta. When he gives Berowne´s letter to Jaquenetta she brings it to the learned Holofernes and sir Nathaniel to read for her. They tell her that the letter was meant for someone else and to deliver it to the King. Berowne watches the king from a hiding spot as he reads about his love for the Princess.

Longaville enters and the King hides as well, he and Berowne observe Longaville rerading of his love for Maria. Dumaine enters, Longaville hides and all three see Dumaine reading an ode he has written to Catherine. Longaville advances and tells Dumaine that he is not alone in love. The King than scolds the two man for breaking their oath. Berowne reveals that the King is in love as well. Jaquenetta arrives and give Berowne the letter which he rips up. However Dumaine picks up a piece of the paper with Berowne´s name on it, and Berowne confess that he is in love as well. The four men decide to court their woman. The King and his lords arrive at the Princess´ pavilion dressed as Muscovites. The women heed Boyet´s prior warnings and decide to switch favours, so the men will mistake them for each other. After the men leave and reappear as themselves, the women reseal their prank. They all watch the show of the Nine Worthies performed by Don Armando, Sir Nathaniel and Holofernes. A messenger arrives to tell the Princess that her father has died and she prepares to return to France. The women tell their suitors to seek them again in a year and the play ends with their departure As the women are about to depart, Armando enetrs and asks the King if they can perform the song that would have been sung at the conclusion of their play. He gives permission and the cast of the play re enters to perform a song of winter and spring.