SCENE-BY-SCENE ANALYSIS
ACT 1 SCENE 1
Lines 1-184: The King of Navarre reminds his friends Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine of their plans to make his court into "a little academe, / Still and contemplative in living art." He promises that this will ensure that they are renowned long after they are dead, giving them "fame, that all hunt after in their lives," establishing the theme of learning and introducing the hunting imagery that runs throughout (usually associated with love, but symbolizing the pursuit of any desire, be it romantic, sexual, or academic). It also establishes the theme of "reputation," something many of the characters are either concerned with or judged by. The king reminds his friends that they have agreed to live in the court for three years and to abide by an oath that he asks them to sign. Longaville and Dumaine do so, but Berowne questions the severity of the conditions: they are "not to see a woman" in that time, "to touch no food" for "one day in a week" and to sleep only "three hours in the night." Berowne's speech raises the motif of time and the recurrent images of light and dark as he complains that he has been used to sleep a lot more than this, sometimes making "a dark night too of half the day." His arguments show his quick wit and ability to reason, but the king claims that he is "like an envious sneaping frost," destroying their plans before they are underway, and suggests that he leaves. Berowne says that he has "sworn" to be part of the king's plans and so will stay, highlighting the importance of honor. Berowne reads the declaration by the king that "no woman shall come within a mile" of the court and that no man shall talk with a woman during the three years or otherwise "endure such public shame as the rest of the court shall possibly devise." He points out that the king himself must break this "article," as the "French king's daughter" is due to arrive in Navarre to talk with the king on behalf of her "decrepit, sick and bedrid father." The king confesses that he had forgotten this and declares that the princess must be allowed "on mere necessity." Berowne finally signs the oath and asks if there is to be no "quick recreation" while they study. The king reminds him of the visiting Spaniard, Armado, whose flamboyance and fanciful language make him a figure of fun. Berowne comments that he is a man of "fire-new words, fashion's own knight," one of many references to words and speech that highlight the play's obsession with language. They agree that Armado and "Costard the swain" shall be their "sport."
Lines 185-303: Dull brings in Costard and delivers a letter to the king from Armado. Comedy is created through Dull and Costard's incorrect use of language, which contrasts with Berowne's verbal dexterity. The king and his friends are pleased at the prospect of a ridiculous letter from Armado, and Costard explains that the "contempts" (contents) concern him. With several comic interruptions from Costard, the king reads the letter aloud, revealing Armado's pompous and long-winded style. This includes a pedantry over detail and the overuse of synonyms, such as "viewest, beholdest, surveyest or seest," typical of the play's self-consciously overwritten style. Armado reports that he saw Costard in the king's park, where he "sorted and consorted" with Jaquenetta, thereby breaking the king's recently declared law. He has sent Costard for punishment. The king declares that Costard will "fast a week with bran and water" and tells Berowne to deliver him back to Armado, who shall be Costard's "keeper."
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Armado confesses to his page, Moth, that he loves Jaquenetta. Their exchange is full of verbal ambiguities that illustrate Moth's superior wit. In addition to his intricate wordplay, Moth's asides also generate humor as he reveals his low opinion of his master and his scorn that Armado is in love with "a light wench." Dull brings in Costard and Jaquenetta and explains that Armado is in charge of Costard and that Jaquenetta is to serve at the lodge. Armado tells Jaquenetta that he loves her, but she responds with contempt and leaves. Armado tells Moth to take Costard away. Alone, he considers his feelings and decides to "turn sonnet," declaring: "Devise, wit: write, pen, for I am for whole volumes in folio." This draws attention to the conventions of romantic love, which are explored throughout the play, and highlights the written word as an aspect of language.
ACT 2 SCENE 1
Lines 1-91: The Princess of France arrives outside the court with her train. Lord Boyet encourages her to "summon up" her "dearest spirits," as she will need them in dealing with the King of Navarre. Status and honor are emphasized as he talks of the princess as "precious in the world's esteem" and reminds her that she is dealing with "Matchless Navarre," reinforcing the issue of reputation that was established in Act 1. The ambiguity of the term "matchless" also evokes the king's unmarried state and establishes expectations for the development of the romantic plotline. Boyet's speech introduces a recurrent motif concerned with wealth and value ("precious," "inheritor," "owe," "dowry," and "dear"), reminding us that there is always a financial as well as romantic aspect to a potential match. Having heard of the king's vow that "No woman may approach his silent court," the princess sends Boyet to tell the king that she is waiting. While Boyet is away, the princess asks her attending ladies if they know any of the king's "vow-fellows." Reflecting the careful structuring of the romantic plotline, each of the ladies knows one of the lords: Maria speaks of Longaville, "a man of sovereign parts," Katherine describes Dumaine, "a well-accomplished youth," and Rosaline praises Berowne's wit and his "sweet and voluble" "discourse." The princess declares that they must all be in love. Boyet returns to report that the king intends to "lodge" the princess "in the field," "Like one that comes here to besiege his court," an example of the military imagery that is often used as a metaphor for courtship.
Lines 92-182: The king welcomes the princess. Their verbal sparring establishes her as his intellectual equal. She gives him a letter from her father and, while he reads it, Berowne and Rosaline also engage in a brief battle of wits. The letter concerns the disputed loan of "a hundred thousand crowns" and the rights to the province of Aquitaine. The princess claims that she can produce the documentation that proves her father "faithfully" paid Navarre, but Boyet tells them that the packet containing the papers will not arrive until the next day. The king ceremoniously welcomes the princess to wait in lodging that will be provided for her outside of the court. He leaves, taking Longaville and Dumaine with him.
Lines 183-273: Berowne and Rosaline flirt briefly before he follows the others. Dumaine returns and asks Boyet who Katherine is. After he has left, Longaville also comes back and asks "what is she in the white?" and Boyet identifies Maria. Finally, Berowne returns and asks Boyet for Rosaline's name, and inquires if she is "wedded." Once the French party is alone, Maria and Boyet banter and the princess suggests that instead of "jangling" with one another, they should engage in a "civil war of wits" with "Navarre and his bookmen." In a speech that typifies the play's inquiry into sight and observation, Boyet expresses the opinion that the king is in love with the princess, claiming that "all eyes saw his eyes enchanted with gazes." The ladies all tease Boyet, calling him a "love-monger" and "Cupid's grandfather."
ACT 3 SCENE 1
Lines 1-128: Sustaining his role of "lover," Armado asks Moth to sing for him (music, like poetry, is one of the conventional expressions of romantic love). Armado's "romance" however, is comically undermined by Jaquenetta's previous contempt and the fact that she is, as Moth continually points out, of low status and questionable virtue. Moth demonstrates his intellectual superiority over his master, who cannot follow his quick wit and whose own attempts to appear learned are made ridiculous by comparison, as Moth insults him as an "ass" and Jaquenetta as a "hackney." Moth fetches Costard and, after a confusing conversation, Armado gives Costard some money and sets him free on the condition that he delivers a letter to Jaquenetta. Armado and Moth leave.
Lines 129-188: Berowne finds Costard and pays him to deliver a letter to Rosaline. Costard agrees and sets off to deliver both letters. Alone, Berowne muses on how he used to be scornful of love, but now finds himself attracted to Rosaline. His speech simultaneously acknowledges and challenges the conventions of roman
tic love. In keeping with tradition, it is a highly stylized poetic declaration, but this is undermined by a generic self-consciousness as Berowne refers to "Don Cupid, / Regent of love-rhymes" and acknowledges various traditional images of love poetry. The subversion of conventional romance is emphasized by Berowne's apparent reluctance to be in love and his less than enthusiastic description of Rosaline, whose eyes are like "two pitch-balls stuck in her face." Eventually, however, he resigns himself to traditional loverlike behavior, declaring that he will "love, write, sigh, pray, sue and groan."
ACT 4 SCENE 1
The princess and her attendants are out hunting. She demonstrates her wit as she discusses the struggle for power between the genders, an idea that becomes the focus of much of the action from here onward. The hunting/courtship metaphor is sustained, as is the theme of reputation as the princess acknowledges that she only hunts for the "fame" and "praise" that she will receive for killing the "poor deer." They are interrupted by Costard, who gives the princess a letter, telling her that it is "from Monsieur Berowne to one Lady Rosaline." Unable to read, however, he gives her the letter from Armado to Jaquenetta instead. Boyet discovers the mistake and the princess tells Boyet to read the letter aloud. Armado's ridiculous style causes everyone much amusement. The princess leaves with most of her attendants. Boyet and Rosaline engage in a brief exchange of bawdy wit and Rosaline leaves, saying that Boyet cannot "hit" her (either in wit, or sexually) and Boyet acknowledges this but says that "another can," meaning Berowne. Maria then banters with Boyet and Costard in an exchange that contains some barely concealed innuendo, although Costard does not appear to understand all that passes, adding to the humor.
ACT 4 SCENE 2
Dull, Holofernes, and Nathaniel discuss the hunt. The conversation illustrates two extremes of learning/understanding, as Dull fails to understand most of what is said and Holofernes and Nathaniel show off their knowledge and education. All characters generate humor, as Dull's misunderstanding creates confusion and the others' pedantic nature makes them ridiculous (and perhaps demonstrates the outcome of a life devoted to learning with no actual "living," such as the one proposed by the king). Costard and Jaquenetta interrupt and Jaquenetta asks them to read the letter that Costard has just delivered to her, believing it to be from Armado. Costard has, of course, confused the letters and Nathaniel consequently reads out Berowne's letter to Rosaline, which is a love sonnet. Holofernes analyses the technical merit of the poem and ignores its sentiment, again showing the distance between education and experience. When they realize that the letter is from Berowne to Rosaline, Nathaniel sends Jaquenetta to take it to the king.
ACT 4 SCENE 3
Lines 1-197: The hunting/courtship parallel is emphasized as Berowne observes that the king is "hunting the deer" while he himself is "coursing." He expresses his reluctance to be in love but acknowledges that he is and that love has "taught" him "to rhyme and to be melancholy," an instance of learning through experience, rather than through books. The king enters, holding a paper, and Berowne hides to watch him. Sighing, the king reads a sonnet that he has written to the princess. As he finishes, he sees Longaville arrive and hides to watch him read aloud a sonnet that he has written to Maria. The comedy generated by the circumstances, with Berowne watching the king watching Longaville, is added to as Dumaine arrives and Longaville hides to watch him read a sonnet to Katherine. The comedy is heightened by their asides, particularly Berowne's cynical observations on the effects of love. Berowne's comment that he alone sees everyone else, "Like a demigod" watching over "wretched fools' secrets" creates awareness of observation/spectatorship as the theater audience becomes vicariously involved in the process of concealment, observation, and reaction. Once Dumaine has read his sonnet, Longaville comes forward and tells him that he overheard and would "blush" to be "taken napping" in this way. At this point, the king comes forward and tells Longaville not to "chide" Dumaine, as he has overheard him declare his love for Maria. He berates them for breaking their oaths and claims that Berowne will "scorn" and "triumph" at them both, adding that he is glad that Berowne does not "know so much" of him. Berowne steps out at this point to "whip hypocrisy" and reveals that he has seen all three of them declare their love. He claims that he has been "betrayed" by them all and that he is "honest" and has kept the oath. Jaquenetta and Costard enter, bringing Berowne's letter to Rosaline to give to the king.
Lines 198-393: The king gives the letter to Berowne to read aloud, but Berowne, recognizing it, tears it up. Everyone is surprised, but when Dumaine gathers the pieces of the letter he recognizes Berowne's writing. Berowne is forced to admit that he is also a "fool" and asks that Costard and Jaquenetta leave so that he can tell his friends more. He confesses his love for Rosaline and the four men argue over which lady is the most beautiful. The king urges them to "leave this chat" and asks Berowne to construct an argument to "prove" that their love is "lawful" and that they have not broken their oaths. They urge him to find "Some salve for perjury" and Berowne makes a long speech that justifies their behavior. He argues that their oath was "Flat treason against the kingly state of youth" and claims that they would never have learned from their books what they have learned from "the prompting eyes / Of beauty's tutors." He argues that learning that solely occupies the brain is "barren" but that love learned through experience, "learned in a lady's eyes," stimulates the "power" of all the faculties. The king declares "soldiers, to the field!" reinforcing the earlier imagery paralleling love and battle, and they discuss how best to "woo these girls of France." Berowne suggests that they entertain them with "revels, dances, masks and merry hours" and they go to prepare.
ACT 5 SCENE 1
Holofernes and Nathaniel criticize Armado for his "verbosity," ironically analyzing every aspect of his speech in their long-winded way. Armado arrives, accompanied by Moth and Costard. Holofernes, Nathaniel, and Armado embark on a needlessly lengthy conversation, punctuated by Moth's witty interjections and asides as he observes that the three men have "been at a great feast of languages, and stolen the scraps." Armado announces that the king has charged him to produce some entertainment for the princess and that he has come to ask for their help. Holofernes suggests that they stage a pageant of "the Nine Worthies" and Armado agrees.
ACT 5 SCENE 2
Lines 1-161: The ladies compare the favors and messages that the men have sent, criticizing the verses for being too long and mocking the senders. Boyet arrives, laughing, and tells the ladies to "arm" themselves, as "Love doth approach disguised." He explains that he overheard the king and his companions planning to visit the ladies, disguised "Like Muscovites or Russians," to "parley, to court and dance." Believing that the men "do it but in mocking merriment," the princess decides to give back "mock for mock." She instructs her ladies to wear masks and to exchange favors, so that she will appear as Rosaline, and vice versa, and Katherine and Maria will be mistaken for each other. A trumpet announces the arrival of the men, who are disguised.
Lines 162-282: Moth delivers a greeting, interrupted by both Berowne and Boyet, and is ignored by the ladies. Rosaline, pretending to be the princess, instructs Boyet to ask what the "strangers" want. Rosaline thwarts all attempts at gallantry or courtship by the king, cleverly parrying all his flattery and refusing to dance. Eventually, however, she agrees to speak with him and they draw aside, although the king still thinks that he is speaking to the princess. Sustaining the careful structuring of the play, Berowne speaks with the princess (believing that she is Rosaline), Dumaine talks with Maria (thinking that she is Katherine), and Longaville talks to Katherine (thinking that she is Maria). The women continue to rebuff the men's advances until Rosaline declares, "Not one word more." Berowne observes that the men have been "dry-beaten with pure scoff" and they leave.
Lines 283-511: The ladies are pleased by the success of their plan and continue to mock their suitors. Boyet suggests that the men will come back "In their own shapes" and that, when they do, the ladies should pretend
not to have recognized them earlier and "complain to them what fools were here, / Disguised like Muscovites." The ladies retire and the king and his companions return, without their disguises. The king asks Boyet to fetch the ladies and when they arrive he tries to persuade the princess to return with him to his court. She refuses, saying that she does not wish to cause him to break his oath. When he argues that they have "lived in desolation" in the field, "Unseen" and "unvisited," she says that this is not so: they have just been visited by "a mess of Russians." Rosaline adds that the Russians were fools who did not speak "one happy word." When Rosaline asks Berowne which of the "vizards" he wore, the men realize that they have been recognized all along. Berowne declares that he will never again "woo in rhyme" or dress up his feelings in excessive language: "Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise," but instead his "wooing mind shall be expressed / In russet yeas and honest kersey noes." The king confesses to the princess that he was there in disguise but is confused when she asks Rosaline what he whispered in her ear, still believing that he had been speaking to the princess. The ladies reveal their "disguises" (the switched favors) and Berowne realizes that the men have been outdone and accuses Boyet the "carry-tale" of telling the ladies of their plan so that they could "dash it like a Christmas comedy."