Original: Sir, the king is a noble gentleman, and my familiar,
Modern: Sir, the king is a noble gentleman, and he’s my close friend,

Original: I do assure ye, very good friend: for what is
Modern: I assure you, he’s a very good friend: as for what

Original: inward between us, let it pass. I do beseech thee,
Modern: happens privately between us, never mind that. I beg you,

Original: remember thy courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy
Modern: remember your manners; I beg you, put your hat back on

Original: head: and among other important and most serious
Modern: your head: and among other important and very serious

Original: designs, and of great import indeed, too, but let
Modern: plans, which are really very important too, but let

Original: that pass: for I must tell thee, it will please his
Modern: that go: because I must tell you, it pleases his

Original: grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor
Modern: majesty, I swear, sometimes to lean on my humble

Original: shoulder, and with his royal finger, thus, dally
Modern: shoulder, and with his royal finger, like this, to play

Original: with my excrement, with my mustachio; but, sweet
Modern: with my facial hair, with my mustache; but, sweet

Original: heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no
Modern: friend, never mind that. I swear, I’m telling no

Original: fable: some certain special honours it pleaseth his
Modern: lie: the king is pleased to give certain special honors to

Original: greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man of
Modern: Armado, a soldier, a man who has

Original: travel, that hath seen the world; but let that pass.
Modern: traveled, who has seen the world; but never mind that.

Original: The very all of all is,–but, sweet heart, I do
Modern: The main point is—but, my dear friend, I do

Original: implore secrecy,–that the king would have me
Modern: beg for secrecy—that the king wants me to

Original: present the princess, sweet chuck, with some
Modern: present to the princess, my dear fellow, some

Original: delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or
Modern: delightful entertainment, or show, or pageant, or

Original: antique, or firework. Now, understanding that the
Modern: old-fashioned performance, or fireworks. Now, knowing that the

Original: curate and your sweet self are good at such
Modern: priest and you yourself are good at such

Original: eruptions and sudden breaking out of mirth, as it
Modern: outbursts and sudden displays of fun, so to speak,

Original: were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to
Modern: I have told you about this, in order to

Original: crave your assistance.
Modern: ask for your help.

In Act 5, Scene 1 of Love’s Labour’s Lost, Holofernes the schoolmaster and Sir Nathaniel the curate engage in a conversation with Dull the constable, during which Holofernes demonstrates his pedantic nature by critiquing the pronunciation and Latin usage of Don Armado, the fantastical Spaniard. Moth, Armado’s page, and Costard the clown are also present. Armado arrives and greets Holofernes with elaborate and affected language, and the two engage in a mutual display of verbal excess and inflated rhetoric. Holofernes and Nathaniel are dismissive of Dull, who freely admits he cannot keep up with their learned conversation, while Moth and Costard exchange quiet, mocking asides at the expense of the more pompous characters around them.

The scene shifts when Armado asks Holofernes for his assistance in devising an entertainment for the King and his lords. Holofernes proposes presenting a pageant of the Nine Worthies, assigning roles to himself, Nathaniel, Armado, Moth, and Costard. Each character is matched to a historical or legendary figure from the traditional list of the Nine Worthies, with Holofernes taking on multiple roles himself due to the small size of their company. The group agrees to the plan and sets about organizing the presentation, which they intend to perform before the King of Navarre and the visiting Princess of France and her ladies, thus setting up the comic entertainment that will follow later in the act.

“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.