Original: Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Modern: Let the fame that everyone chases during their lifetime

Original: Live register’d upon our brazen tombs
Modern: Be written on our bronze tombstones

Original: And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
Modern: And bring us honor even in the shame of dying;

Original: When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
Modern: When, despite greedy Time that devours everything,

Original: The endeavor of this present breath may buy
Modern: The effort we make right now might earn us

Original: That honour which shall bate his scythe’s keen edge
Modern: The kind of honor that will dull Death’s sharp blade

Original: And make us heirs of all eternity.
Modern: And make us inherit eternal life.

Original: Therefore, brave conquerors,.for so you are,
Modern: So, brave warriors, because that’s what you are,

Original: That war against your own affections
Modern: You who fight against your own desires

Original: And the huge army of the world’s desires,.
Modern: And the massive force of worldly temptations,

Original: Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:
Modern: Our recent decree will remain firmly in place:

Original: Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Modern: Our kingdom of Navarre will amaze the world;

Original: Our court shall be a little Academe,
Modern: Our court will be like a small university,

Original: Still and contemplative in living art.
Modern: Quiet and thoughtful in the practice of learning.

Original: You three, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,
Modern: You three men, Biron, Dumain, and Longaville,

Original: Have sworn for three years’ term to live with me
Modern: Have promised to spend three years living with me

Original: My fellow-scholars, and to keep those statutes
Modern: As my fellow students, and to follow those rules

Original: That are recorded in this schedule here:
Modern: That are written down in this document here:

Original: Your oaths are pass’d; and now subscribe your names,
Modern: You’ve already made your vows; now sign your names,

Original: That his own hand may strike his honour down
Modern: So that anyone who breaks these rules will destroy his own honor

Original: That violates the smallest branch herein:
Modern: By violating even the smallest part of this agreement:

Original: If you are arm’d to do as sworn to do,
Modern: If you’re prepared to do what you’ve promised to do,

Original: Subscribe to your deep oaths, and keep it too.
Modern: Sign this serious promise, and keep it as well.

In Act I, scene 1 of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” the King of Navarre opens the play by addressing his three courtiers—Berowne, Longaville, and Dumain—about his plan to transform his court into an academy of learning. The King proposes that all four men take a solemn oath to dedicate three years to scholarly pursuits, during which time they must fast one day each week, sleep only three hours per night, and most significantly, forswear the company of women entirely. The King believes this rigorous commitment to study will bring them fame and ensure their names live on in immortality, making them “the wonder of the world.”

Berowne immediately expresses skepticism about the oath, particularly the clause forbidding contact with women, arguing that such restrictions are unnatural and contrary to the very purpose of study, which should enhance one’s ability to engage with the world. Despite his reservations and attempts to reason with the King about the impracticality of the vow, Berowne eventually agrees to sign the oath along with Longaville and Dumain. However, the King then remembers that the Princess of France is scheduled to arrive on a diplomatic mission, creating an immediate problem since their vow prohibits entertaining women at court. Berowne points out this contradiction with satisfaction, noting that necessity will force them to break their oath, but the King insists they will find a way to honor both their vow and their diplomatic obligations.

“Love’s Labour’s Lost” opens with Ferdinand, the King of Navarre, and his three courtiers—Berowne, Longaville, and Dumain—taking a solemn oath to dedicate three years to scholarly pursuits while forswearing the company of women, fasting, and sleeping only three hours per night. Their noble intentions are immediately complicated by the arrival of the Princess of France and her three attending ladies—Rosaline, Maria, and Katharine—who come on a diplomatic mission regarding Aquitaine. Despite their vows, all four men quickly fall in love with the visiting ladies, though they initially attempt to hide their feelings from one another.

The romantic complications intensify when each man tries to secretly woo his chosen lady while believing himself to be the only oath-breaker. Comic relief is provided by a cast of eccentric characters including Don Armado, a bombastic Spanish knight who loves the country wench Jaquenetta; Costard, a simple clown; and the pedantic schoolmaster Holofernes. The ladies, aware of the men’s affections, decide to test their suitors’ sincerity by disguising themselves at a masque, leading to a delightful scene of mistaken identities where each man woos the wrong woman.

The play builds toward what seems like a conventional comic resolution with multiple betrothals, but Shakespeare subverts expectations in the final act. News arrives that the Princess’s father, the King of France, has died, casting a somber shadow over the festivities. The ladies impose a year-long trial on their suitors—the men must prove their love’s constancy through a period of good works and patient waiting. The play concludes unusually for a Shakespearean comedy, with promises of future union rather than immediate marriages, ending with the famous songs of Spring and Winter that celebrate the eternal cycle of seasons and human nature.