Love's Labour's Lost (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays)

In this charming comedy of manners, one of Shakespeare's earliest efforts in the genre, a well-intentioned king vows to forego all fleshly delights, setting the stage for romantic hijinks. Ferdinand, the king of Navarre, insists that his court join him in a pledge to undertake a strict regimen of study and celibacy. The grudging compliance of three noblemen is sorely tested - as is the king's own resolve - with the arrival of a French princess and a trio of comedy attendants.
First performed in 1594, Love's Labour's Lost features such typical Shakespearean elements as lovers in disguise, a witty clown, and an abundance of sparkling repartee. The play's role as a formative work (the plot is thought to be entirely of Shakespeare's invention) makes it of particular interest to students and scholars, and its merry doings and high spirts recommend it to all.





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"First published in the 1930s, these works, published here in economical paperback editions . . . are still considered definitive."-Stages ?First published in the 1930s, these works, published here in economical paperback editions . . . are still considered definitive.?-Stages --This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. BOOK DESCRIPTION
John Dover Wilson's New Shakespeare, published between 1921 and 1966, became the classic Cambridge edition of Shakespeare's plays and poems until the 1980s. The series, long since out-of-print, is now reissued. Each work contains a lengthy and lively introduction, main text, and substantial notes and glossary. --This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William C. Carroll is Professor of English at Boston University. --This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. FROM AUDIOFILE
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with HENRY VIII and THE WINTER'S TALE.]--Two of these productions in the Arkangel series are good, and the third is truly exceptional. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST concerns ascetic and naive young men who renounce the company of women only to meet their perfect mates soon after. Alex Jennings and Emma Fielding are superior as the lovers Berowne and Rosaline. The satire of courtiers and fops is also handled well, though ongoing wordplay is something of an acquired taste. The only lapse is the intrusive sound effects in outdoor scenes (flies buzzing, birds chirping) . The fine production of HENRY VIII, about the king's effort to marry Anne Boleyn, infuses much more life into this stately, pageant-like play than one might expect from the text. Clive Brill, who directs the entire series, orchestrates a lifelike sound design that even includes the murmurs of agreement or dismay of listening characters. These undertones function like reaction shots in a movie. In HENRY VIII, they clarify the various court factions and intrigues. In THE WINTER'S TALE, Shakespeare's late romance about jealousy and time's restorative power, they add subtlety to an emotionally charged production. The voices in this recording are richly infused with personality, especially those of John Gielgud and Alex Jennings, who is a comic triumph as the rogue Autolycus. Gielgud performs the 32-line part of Time the Chorus, and his age-enfeebled voice resonates hauntingly. Clive Brill and his cast show why THE WINTER'S TALE has such an impressive stage history in as fine a recording of Shakespeare as you're likely to encounter. G.H. AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. BOOK DESCRIPTION
New Shakespeare, long since out-of-print, is now reissued. Each work contains a lengthy and lively introduction, main text, and substantial notes and glossary. --This text refers to an alternate kindleedition edition. Read more Continue reading Read less