Exploring Shakespeare – Love's Labour's Lost

This week we'll discuss one of Shakespeare's early comedies "Love's Labour's Lost".

No prior experience with Shakespeare is required, all that's needed is the desire to experience his plays and enjoy discussing them.

Add yourself to the Waitlist and I'll promote persons to the Going-list based on your history of participation, no-shows, and also to give newcomers a chance to participate.

The Stratford Festival; out of Ontario, Canada; is presenting Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" on YouTube, free, through Thursday, 25 June.

"Love's Labour's Lost" (LLL) is an early comedy dated to 1595-1596. It features four young men, the king of Navarre and three friends, who decide to better themselves and commit to three years of study, avoiding all contact with women. Just like many dieting and exercise plans it's a breeze; until the Princess of France arrives on a state visit with three of her friends...

We will each watch the play individually prior to the Meetup.

Please ensure that your Meetup settings are set to receive messages and e-mails from this group. I'll send out the Zoom link the afternoon prior to the event.

The play can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq1YvubSKdc
[Available thru Thursday, 25 June]

Wikipedia has a summary and useful information on the play here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love%27s_Labour%27s_Lost

The script of the play can be read here:
https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/loves-labors-lost

[SPOILER ALERT]
This play also gives rise to one of the perplexing questions about Shakespeare's work. LLL ends with the marriages put on hold for one year, presumably setting up for a sequel. There are two records of a play by contemporaries of Shakespeare to a play written by him called "Love Labours Wonne" and "Loves Labor Won" (LLW). Is LLW a lost play by Shakespeare, an error by those sources, or an alternate title for one of his existing plays? (Alternate titles for plays at this time were very common. Even the titles of Shakespeare's play's weren't standardized until many years later.) More info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love%27s_Labour%27s_Won