Love's Labour's Lost: A Guide to the PlayLove's Labour's Lost has had a puzzling history. Until the 1950s it was generally considered one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, and it was one of his most vilified until the 20th century. Perhaps more than any other Shakespearean play, it explores the power and limitations of language, and this blatant concern for language led many early critics to believe that it was the work of a playwright just learning his art. Because of its linguistic density, it is one of Shakespeare's most demanding plays, and this difficulty helps account for its initial unpopularity. But modern critics have begun to study the play in earnest and it is now one of Shakespeare's most popular works. This reference is a thorough introduction to the play's origins and legacy. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 67
... words in English , and that when the English attempt to use the words of others , which ideally they should be able to incorporate into the " pattern of that native Language , " what really happens , often , is that speakers attempting ...
... words like " remuneration " or " guerdon " become actual coins with a specific exchange value . The upper - class ... words sought out of strange languages ... to powder their books with inkehorne terms " ( quoted in Elam 265 ) ...
... words of Costard , who says to Moth , " I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word , for thou art not so ... words , is a prime example of how the ability to use language distinguishes the upper class from the lower class . But ...
Contents
Textual History | 1 |
Contexts and Sources | 29 |
Dramatic Structure | 55 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown