Love’s Labour’s Lost Act 3 – "As swift as lead, sir. . .Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?"

Love’s Labour’s Lost  Act 3 – "As swift as lead, sir. . .Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?"
I imagine Shakespeare worked closely with the actors of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men to develop his scripts in this period, particularly with his comedies. With the joining of companies in 1594 after the plague, Shakespeare probably had the unique opportunity of having 4 or 5 boy actors to play his strong female characters and 2 comic virtuosos or clowns for ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’. The abundance of comic prowess is used by Shakespeare in Act 3 of this play.

Moth, the page, has a brief rude and witty comic repartee with Armado, his Spanish master. This interlude includes references to prostitutes but also includes comic bantering and clever witticism by Moth around revolving around wordplay and metaphors. This is evident when he says he can deliver a message:
"As swift as lead, sir. . . Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?"

Armado eventually is able to get Moth to return with the clown Costard, so that Costard can deliver an important letter for Armado. Although Costard has broken his shin, his wit seems to be intact. Armado, Costard and Moth have a long discussion and word play on the nature of riddles and morality. In the end, Armado promises to set Costard free, on the condition that he delivers a letter to Jaquenetta whom Armado loves. Despite loving Jaquenetta himself, Costard is able to momentarily put aside his own love for Jaquenetta when Armado gives him ‘renumeration':
"Renumeration? Oh, that’s the Latin word for three farthings… Why, it is a fairer name than French crown."

Berowne enters and seeing Costard, he solicits him to deliver a love letter to Rosaline. After some confusion about when he wants the letter delivered, Costard and Berowne come to an agreement and Costard is given the letter and a shilling which Costard mistakenly and literally calls a gardon:
“O sweet gardon! Better than renumeration – elevenpence farthing better."
Berowne is left alone to “…love, sigh, sue, groan…” as he awaits a response to his letter of affection.

Love's Labour's Lost Act 2 – “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye, not uttered by base sale of chapmen’s tongues.”

Love's Labour's Lost Act 2 – “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye, not uttered by base sale of chapmen’s tongues.”
I start to realise how much Shakespeare has grown and blossomed as a dramatist by 1594. The language of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ flows, the characters are so whole and he is able to have character and action grow subtly together on stage. Nowhere is this obvious than in the short but dramatically seamless Act 2 of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’.

Enter the Princess of France and her female entourage of Rosaline, Maria and Katherine. There is no coincidence that they number the same as the King or Duke of Navarre’s (depending on the edition) academy. Her attendant Boyet, goes to tell the King of her arrival since she has heard of the vows and pronouncement that "no woman may approach his silent court". Of course, with no men around, the ladies share their assessments of the men who have joined the academy and taken the King’s Vow. Maria shows admiration for Lord Longaville when she describes him. Katherine knows Dumaine, while Rosaline describes Berowne as “… a merrier man, within the limit of becoming mirth…”
When Boyet returns, the Princess is told that the King will see her but that he will keep his vows and thus desires her not to come to the palace. Boyet relates that the King will "lodge you in the field". The Princess does not have time to catch her breath when the King arrives. The Princess is greeted by him with “Fair Princess, welcome to the court of Navarre…”

To this she forthrightly retorts that:
“’Fair’ I give thee back again, and ‘welcome’ I have not yet.”

 

The Princess then gets down to business and previous agreements made with his father and the King of France concerning a hundred thousand crowns and who gets Aquitaine are raised. Deciding to take time over this important (but narratively insignificant issue, the King departs but promises he will return the next day with his decision. Then the interesting part of the scene is quickly revealed as Boyet is hassled by each of the King’s fellow academy members for the name of the three Princess’ entourage they are enamoured with.

 

The scene ends with Boyet revealing to the Princess that he truly thinks the King is “infected” with love and “… His heart… with your print impressed.”

Love’s Labour’s Lost – Act 1 “… it were labour lost to speake of Loue."

Love’s Labour’s Lost – Act 1 “… it were labour lost to speake of Loue."

It had been a good start to 1594 with the re-opening of the theatres in spring. The formation of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men using many of the actors from the Lord Strange’s Men  was a turning point for Shakespeare. This company, under the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain Henry Carey, First Baron Hunsdon, meant that the future looked bright for a young playwright like Shakespeare. In fact, Shakespeare had been appointed the official House Playwright of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men early in the year, so he now got a healthy cut of the profits of any of their performances of his plays at the Rose Theatre.

It had been quite a year for theatre. His own ‘The Comedy of Errors’ had been a success and would get some runs in the provinces and maybe a late autumn or winter performance at one of the barrister’s societies or clubs, perhaps even at the ever popular Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. That would bring in some extra cash. But for Shakespeare, the highlights also probably included two performances he saw early in the season. In April, the combined companies of the Queen Elizabeth’s Men and the Sussex Men put on a curious play called ‘The moste famous Chronicle historye of King Leire of England and his Three Daughters’. Shakespeare thought the story had promise and with more time, he thought he could himself rejig this story later. The other play that blew him away was a revival production at the Rose Theatre by the same company of Marlowe’s ‘The Jew of Malta’.

Shakespeare knew that Marlowe was the master. His stories were new and innovative and Shakespeare knew that he had to at some point write his own original stories rather than re-hashing and improving the stories of others. But the climate for a large tragedy or a histrionic piece didn’t seem quite right to him so soon after the plague. Besides, light comedies seemed all the rage in London at the close of summer. Henslowe would probably pay five to ten pounds up front for another comedy before the end of the season. He also knew he could whip up a comedy in a little over a week and with a week of rehearsal slipped in around other performances, he could have extra money in his pocket in three weeks. More if it moved into the company’s repertoire. So his mind started to dwell on a comedy; a love story based around the words from a poem by John Florio called ‘His Firste Fruites’ written in 1578. Shakespeare had probably read it in a collection of poems he had picked up cheap in the marketplace (along with other collections sold cheap by families of victims of the plague). The lines of the poem that stuck in his head and on his bookshelf were:

"We neede not speak so much of loue,

al books are ful of lou,

with so many authours,

that it were labour lost to speake of Loue."

Shakespeare’s ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ begins with the Duke of Navarre and his three lords’ quest to devote their lives, for three years, to their academy and their pursuit of learning. They believe this will bring them fame amongst others.

"Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,

Live regist'red upon our brazen tombs"

And so for three years, they will swear to devote their lives to their academy and their pursuit of learning. Their oath involves fasting, forsaking some sleep and staying away from women. While the lords Longaville and Dumaine want to take the oath without question, Lord Berowne sees the oath as containing,

“… barren tasks, too hard to keep,

Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep…"

Berowne foresees that even the Duke himself may have trouble fulfilling the oath since the French Duke’s daughter is about to seek an audience with him.  But in the end, all agree to the oaths of the academy.

Constable Dull enters with a letter and a fool. The letter is from Don Armado. The fool is the aptly named Costard and as the Duke discovers from the letter, Costard has tried to court Jaquenetta and Don Armado has thereby sent Costard to the Duke to be disciplined. Thos of low birth can't court ladies. Costard’s puns and pedantic definitions do him no good. He tries to avoid punishment by maintaining that Jaquenetta is not a wench but a damsel, not a damsel but a virgin, and finally not a virgin but a maid. This all does him no good and he is sentenced to fast on bran and water for a week but the Duke can't cope with Costard's word play so he sends him back to Don Armado.

We then find out that Don Armado is upset with Costard primarily because he himself has great love and desire for Jaquenetta. Confusion ensues when Costard and Jaquenetta arrive back and Don Armado is informed that the Duke himself has sent Costard and Jaquenetta back. As Constable Dull says:

“Sir, the duke's pleasure is, that you keep Costard

safe: and you must suffer him to take no delight

nor no penance; but a' must fast three days a week.

For this damsel, I must keep her at the park: she

is allowed for the day-woman.”

Armado declares his love for Jaquenetta but she promptly leaves, not impressed by these overtures. Moth is then imprisoned with Costard for dubious reasons. Probably he will suffer more from Costard's puns and word plays than from imprisonment itself. Armado laments that the oath will keep him from wooing his love Jaquenetta and he decides that writing sonnets (and plenty of them) is the only way to curb his desire and love itself.

“Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme,

for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit;

write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.”

The Comedy of Errors – Act 5 "I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth.”

The Comedy of Errors – Act 5  "I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth.”

Insults in the streets, the drawing of swords, fleeing and seeking sanctuary in a church and the reunion of twins and their father – ‘The Comedy of Errors’ ends with all the clichés of a commedia dell arte performance. Act 5 starts with the goldsmith Angelo and the Second Merchant musing over why Antipholus (the one of Ephesus) keeps claiming never to have received the gold chain Angelo made for him. They fortuitously see Dromio and Antipholus (the pair from Syracuse although they think are the pair from Ephesus) and of course Antipholus actually has the disputed gold chain around his neck.  Insults are exchanged:

“Antonio: Signior Antipholus, I wonder much

That you would put me to this shame and trouble…”

“Antipholus: Thou art a villain to impeach me thus;

I’ll prove mine honour and mine honesty

Against thee presently, if thou darest stand…”

Of course, swords are drawn and then Adriana, Luciana and the Courtesan enter, declaring Antipholus and Dromio to be mad. Antipholus and Dromio exit and seek sanctuary in a conveniently located priory.

The Abbess Aemelia emerges from the priory demanding to know what the clamor is all about. She will prove to be the deus ex machina who will resolve everything but not just yet. Abbess Aemelia hears from Adriana about the madness of her husband. Of course, in true commedia style, the pious and reasonable Abbess Aemelia (who would never cut it as a modern day marriage counselor) blames this madness on Adrianna’s jealousy.

“The venom clamours of a jealous woman

Poisons more deadly than a mad dog’s tooth.”

Abbess Aemelia claims that she will counsel and cure Antipholus herself and “…bring him to his wits again.”

Adriana does not want to accept the Abbess’ solution and wants to appeal directly to Duke Solinus (remember him from Act 1) himself. Being 5 o’clock in the evening, the Duke leads Egeon to his death by execution. Adriana approaches Duke Solinus and appeals to him to get her husband from the Abbess Aemelia and let her husband come back with her to their house. The Duke decides he will determine this matter before he puts Egeon to his death.

Then news arrives that Antipholus and Dromio (of Ephesus) have escaped from Adriana's house. Adriana claims this can’t be true because she just saw her husband run into the abbey. Suddenly Antipholus (of Ephesus) comes in wanting the Duke to give him justice for his wife locking him out of the house and then locking him up. Accusations fly about and the Duke calls on the Abbess to try to work out the truth and a solution.

Egeon, sees Antipholus of Ephesus and claims he is the son he brought up in Syracruse. Antipholus of Ephesus claims he has lived in Ephesus for nearly all his life. Enter The Abbess with Antipholus and Dromio (of Syracuse), to sort out, or rather further complicate, the issue. We find out that The Abbess is Egeon’s wife, Emilia and that Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracruse are identical twins as are the Dromios. General joy erupts. One of the Dromio's exclaims:

"I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth.”

Rings are returned, gold chains paid for, the Duke no longer wants payment for Egeon’s life and everyone withdraws to the Abbey for a party and presumably some wine.

Shakespeare returns in ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’…

The Comedy of Errors - Act 4 “Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman, and I, to blame, have held him here too long.”

The Comedy of Errors - Act 4 “Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman, and I, to blame, have held him here too long.”

Simple plots can be twisted and complicated until they prove convolutedly comical. In Act 4, we see the confusions set in place in Acts 1 and 2, and the conversations and interactions of Act 3, bear fruit. The goldsmith Angelo owes money to the Second Merchant and is threatened with arrest and Angelo claims he will make payment when Antipholus pays him for the gold chain he made for Antipholus to give to his wife. Angelo sees Antipholus who has just sent Dromio off to buy rope so that he can thrash his wife for locking him out of the house and depriving him of a meal. Angelo asks for payment on the chain (which he gave to the other Antipholus). Antipholus claims he never received the chain. Angelo threatens to jail Antipholus. Then Dromio (not the one who just went offstage but Dromio of Syracuse) returns with a full list of which ships are leaving from the harbor. Antipholus cuts him short and asks Dromio to go to Adriana to fetch his purse so that he can avoid jail.

After finding out that the man she thinks is her husband has declared his love for her own sister Luciana, Adriana declares she both loves and curses her husband Antipolus: “My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse.” Dromio (of Syracuse) rushes in to report Antipholus has been arrested and needs some of his money. Luciana is sent back home to get the money and Dromio is ordered to hurry and go and save Adriana’s husband from the fate of prison. Dromio hesitates:

 “Time is a very bankrupt, and owes more than he's worth, to season.” Adriana urges haste.

 

Meanwhile, Antipholus of Syracuse is cruising the city and he is surprised how everyone greets him like a friend.

“There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me

As if I were their well-acquainted friend

And every one doth call me by my name.”

Enter Dromio of Syracuse with the gold that Adriana sent him to get from home to prevent Antipholus of Ephesus from being out in jail. Antipholus is confused and asks Dromio about which ships are leaving Ephesus. The Courtesan enters and asks for a ring that the other Antipholus borrowed. Both Antipholus and Dromio are confused. The Courtesan wants go to see Antipholus’ wife to sort out this business and get her ring back.

With Antipholus of Ephesus in police custody, Dromio enters with a rope end. Antipholus requests that Dromio gives him the money he was sent for to prevent Antipholus from going to jail. Dromio is perplexed and confused but, Antipholus is angry and tries to assault Dromio.

Enter Adriana, Luciana, the Courtesan, and Dr. Pinch, a school master and part time sorcerer (teacher’s colleges were much more exciting and diverse in the range of skills they taught back then). Knowing Antipholus to be mad, the women want to use the doctor to cure Antipholus with an exorcism (a medical practice sadly no longer covered by medical insurance). Antipholus beats the doctor, while Antipholus and Dromio argue over where Antipholus had dinner. Doctor Pinch declares both Antipholus and Dromio mad and that they must be “… bound and laid in some dark room.” Obviously some bizarre treatments for mental illness have not changed. They are led off. Adriana promises to pay all her husband’s debts and then hears about the gold chain which her husband still owes Angelo, the goldsmith for. Suddenly, the Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse swashbuckle in brandishing their swords. All the others flee thinking that Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus have escaped. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse see this as proof that the people of Ephesus are witches and that these witches are afraid of swords. Witchcraft seems as reasonable as a explanation as madness. So Act 4 ends as Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse declare they will leave the town on the next boat.

“ I will not stay tonight for all the town;

Therefore away to get our stuff aboard.”

The Comedy of Errors Act Three – “There is something in the wind, that we cannot get in.”

The Comedy of Errors Act Three – “There is something in the wind, that we cannot get in.”

Can Dromio be on stage at the same time as Dromio? Can Antipholus of Ephesus appear on stage 30 seconds after Antipholus of Syracuse? Antipholus of Ephesus is having a necklace made by the goldsmith Angelo for his wife. Dromio complains of how Antipholus treated him badly before but Antipholus doesn’t know what Dromio is talking about.

They then go off to Antipholus’ house, but the gate is locked and Dromio of Syracuse refuses to let them enter. Like his name, Dromio causes confusion. Adriana’s maid comes out to tell the men to go away and then Adriana comes out and does the same. Antipholus then demands his Dromio get something to break through the gate.

Inside the house, Luciana reprimands Antipholus on the way he treats his wife and puts her down.

“And let her read it in thy looks at board:

Shame hath a bastard fame, well managed;

Ill deeds are doubled with an evil word.”

Antipholus claims he has no wife but that he finds Luciana herself to be beautiful and makes advanced towards her.

“Thee will I love and with thee lead my life:

Thou hast no husband yet nor I no wife.”

Luciana is shocked so she goes to get Adriana.

Then, Dromio enters complaining that he is being followed by a woman. This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Antipholus then suggests that he and Dromio leave Ephesus that very night and he asks Dromio to find out what ships are leaving.

“Go hie thee presently, post to the road:

An if the wind blow any way from shore,

I will not harbour in this town to-night:

If any bark put forth, come to the mart,

Where I will walk till thou return to me.

If every one knows us and we know none,

'Tis time, I think, to trudge, pack and be gone.”

Angelo returns with the gold chain and gives it to Antipholus of Syracuse who doesn’t know what he will do with the chain now. He then decides to leave and rejoin Dromio so that they can escape from Ephesus which now seems like the maddest place on earth.

The Comedy of Errors Act 2 – “Since that my beauty cannot please his eye, I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die."

The Comedy of Errors Act 2 – “Since that my beauty cannot please his eye, I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.”

The original staging of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ must have been interesting. The play is so dependent on quick appearances and disappearances and lightning scene changes that we must assume that with Shakespeare working with a company of 17 actors at this point, and 17 parts in ‘The Comedy of Errors’, then each actor probably only played one part this time. This would have been very different to ‘Henry VI Part 2’ which has over 50 parts and with the company maybe having expanded to 20 people at that point, most bit part players would have played 2 to 5 parts each. I have seen ‘The Comedy of Errors’ done with a set almost completely composed of doors but my guess is that a separate curtained area, a bit like a Roman comedy, was originally used at The Rose where it was probably performed.

In Act 2, the confusion of earlier scenes proliferates. Adriana is upset because Antipholus (her husband) has not returned home yet. Her sister, Luciana thinks he is out eating and enjoying himself somewhere, and she believes this is fine because Luciana believes, “A man is master of his own liberty…” But Adriana forthrightly questions, “Why should their liberty than ours be more?” Ironically, she then counsels her sister Luciana to marry so that Luciana will not be so subservient and thus have more power and willfulness.

Dromio (Antipholus’ and Adriana’s servant) enters and begins to tell Adriana of his strange conversation with Antipholus and his impression that Antipholus is mad:

“I mean not cuckold-mad;

But, sure, he is stark mad.

When I desired him to come home to dinner,

He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold:

''Tis dinner-time,' quoth I; 'My gold!' quoth he;

'Your meat doth burn,' quoth I; 'My gold!' quoth he:

'Will you come home?' quoth I; 'My gold!' quoth he.

'Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?'

'The pig,' quoth I, 'is burn'd;' 'My gold!' quoth he:

'My mistress, sir' quoth I; 'Hang up thy mistress!

I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress…

For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.”

Adriana is not impressed and she demands that he return with his master or she will beat him here as well. Dromio protests that he does not want to be “new beaten home” but Adriana beats him anyway out the door.

Then Adriana complains bitterly to Luciana that her husband has abandoned her and treated her badly and that he should return with Dromio.

“His company must do his minions grace,

Whilst I at home starve for a merry look.

Hath homely age the alluring beauty took

From my poor cheek? then he hath wasted it:

Are my discourses dull? barren my wit?

If voluble and sharp discourse be marr'd,

Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard:

Do their gay vestments his affections bait?

That's not my fault: he's master of my state:

What ruins are in me that can be found,

By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground

Of my defeatures. My decayed fair

A sunny look of his would soon repair

But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale

And feeds from home; poor I am but his stale.”

Finally, she convinces herself that he is seeing another woman because she is no longer beautiful and she decides,

“Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,

I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.”

Luciana ends the scene alone rhetorically declaring:

“How many fond fools serve mad jealousy!”

Antipholus (the one from Syracuse who is “… in Ephesus but two hours old…”) who has been waiting for Dromio of Syracuse berates him, when he arrives, based on the conversation he had with the other Dromio. Dromio of Syracuse thinks that Antipholus is joking until the harsh reality of a beating knocks him back to the confusion of reality which is further confused by a plethora of puns about baldness and hair loss. 

Then Adriana and Luciana enter and the waters become truly muddied. Adriana, of course, mistakes Antipholus of Syracuse for her husband, promptly complains of his infidelity and demands to know why he did not return with Dromio earlier. When Dromio rejects having ever met Adriana, Antipholus suspiciously does not believe Dromio since his previous conversation with Dromio (who was really Dromio of Ephesus) shows him to be a liar or a madman. Adriana knows an intimate dinner will solve everything and takes command of the situation:

“Come, come, no longer will I be a fool,

To put the finger in the eye and weep,

Whilst man and master laugh my woes to scorn.

Come, sir, to dinner. Dromio, keep the gate.

Husband, I'll dine above with you to-day

And shrive you of a thousand idle pranks.

Sirrah, if any ask you for your master,

Say he dines forth, and let no creature enter.

Come, sister. Dromio, play the porter well.”