Original: I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread.
Modern: I’m in love with the very ground, which is low, where her shoe, which is lower, guided by her foot, which is lowest, walks upon.

Original: I shall be forsworn, which is a great argument of falsehood, if I love.
Modern: I’ll be breaking my oath, which is a clear sign of dishonesty, if I fall in love.

Original: And how can that be true love which is falsely attempted?
Modern: And how can it be real love when it starts with a lie?

Original: Love is a familiar; Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love.
Modern: Love is like a demon’s assistant; Love is a devil: there’s no worse evil spirit than Love.

Original: Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an excellent strength; yet was Solomon so seduced, and he had a very good wit.
Modern: Even Samson was tempted by love, and he had incredible strength; even Solomon was seduced, and he had great wisdom.

Original: Cupid’s butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules’ club; and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard’s rapier.
Modern: Cupid’s blunt arrow is more powerful than Hercules’ club; and therefore no match for even a Spanish swordsman’s blade.

Original: The first and second cause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not:
Modern: The proper reasons for dueling won’t help me; he doesn’t respect the thrust, he doesn’t care about the duel:

Original: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is to subdue men.
Modern: his only insult is being called a boy; but his triumph is conquering men.

Original: Adieu, valour! rust rapier! be still, drum!
Modern: Goodbye, courage! Let my sword rust! Be quiet, war drum!

Original: for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth.
Modern: because your master is in love; yes, he’s fallen in love.

Original: Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet.
Modern: Help me, some improvising god of poetry, because I know I’m about to start writing love sonnets.

Original: Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.
Modern: Come up with ideas, brain; start writing, pen; because I’m ready to write entire books of love poetry.

In Act I, Scene ii of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” Armado, a Spanish braggart, encounters Moth, his witty page, and discusses his secret love for Jaquenetta, a country wench. Armado reveals that he has been commanded by the King to fast, but finds himself tormented by love, which he describes as melancholy. Moth engages in wordplay and clever banter with his master, often getting the better of him through puns and quick wit. Armado then dictates a love letter to Jaquenetta, praising her beauty in flowery, affected language while Moth provides sardonic commentary.

The scene concludes with the arrival of Jaquenetta herself, accompanied by Costard, a simple countryman, and Dull, a constable. Dull presents a letter from the King explaining that Costard has been caught with Jaquenetta, violating the King’s edict against men consorting with women during their period of study. Armado is tasked with ensuring Costard serves his punishment of fasting and studying for a week. After the others depart, Armado contemplates his own violation of the King’s oath through his infatuation with Jaquenetta, recognizing the irony of his situation as he is meant to oversee Costard’s punishment for a similar transgression.

“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.