"How well he's read, to reason against reading!"
After hearing the oath, one of the King’s men, Biron, tries to argue that the oath is not a wise thing to do and that they should give it up. He tries to use his rhetoric to argue that it will not benefit them to give up women but the other men, instead of listening to him, mock him for thinking he is wiser than those who pursue knowledge through reading.
"Navarre shall be the wonder of the world; / Our court shall be a little academe, / Still and contemplative in living art."
As King Ferdinand reveals to his lords his plan to dispel with all women and sensual pleasures in favor of knowledge and intellectual pursuit, he fantasizes about how this decision will affect the reputation of Navarre. He imagines that his court will be an academy unto itself, "still and contemplative," suggesting that he wishes to elevate the status of his political reputation through this oath.
"O, these are barren tasks, too hard to keep, / Not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep."
Upon hearing the King's plan for abstinence, Biron expresses his doubts over whether the men can truly uphold such an oath. He refers to the oath as full of "barren tasks," emphasizing that he sees them as empty and meaningless due to the fact that they will be difficult to achieve. Biron's commentary foreshadows the eventual oath-breaking that occurs among all four men when the Princess of France arrives.
"Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possible devise."
As King Ferdinand and his lords craft the particulars of their oath, they approach the promise as more of a contract, adding stipulations that will keep all four men responsible. Here, Ferdinand announces that the abstinence challenge will last three years, and that the punishment for breaking the contract will be public shame. This quotation emphasizes the importance of reputation among those at court.
"Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, / Live register'd upon our brazen tombs."
The reason that the King wants to acquire knowledge is revealed towards the beginning of the play when he discusses the oath with his noblemen. He tells them that he desires more knowledge so that he can gain more fame and be remembered forever for what he had done. He wants to have his accomplishments written on his tomb for everyone to see and to serve as a memorial tool for those who will come after him.
"Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise wit, write pen, for I am whole volumes in folio."
Don Amado delivers a lengthy speech about his love for Jaquenetta. Here, he asks aloud for help in expressing his feelings in what he is sure will be the sonnet form – the common poetic form for courtly love poetry. Shakespeare turns Don Armado into a parody character because of his over-the-top and formal expressions of love for a "base wench." Don Armado is meant to satirize the once mighty Spanish Armada, which failed to invade England in 1588.
"[Y]ou’ll prove perjured, if you make me stay.’"
The Princess understands from the beginning that the King will not be able to resist her. Because of this awareness, she warns him about the dangers of keeping her close and offers him the possibility to send her away. But the King refuses to do that, believing himself to be strong enough to resist her. He proves thus that he is a proud man who is controlled by his pride and desires.
"If my observation, which very seldom lies, / By the heart’s still rhetoric, disclosed wi’ th’ eyes, / Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected."
In this quotation, Boyet teases the Princess of France and King Ferdinand with the implication that something is wrong with Navarre. He calls Navarre "infected" before informing them that what has infected the country is "affection," or love. This is just one instance in the play in which love is portrayed as a dangerous and infectious plague.
"What? I love, I sue, I seek a wife? / . . . It is a plague / That Cupid will impose for my neglect / Of his almighty dreadful little might."
When Biron realizes that he is in love with Rosaline, his first reaction is shock, then disgust, and then anger. Here, he refers to love as a plague – as many other characters do – imposed on him by Cupid. Biron portrays Cupid as a mighty warrior who has made Biron succumb to his will, rather than the small and mischievous god of love and desire that he is traditionally thought to be.
"Our wooing doth not end like an old play. / Jack hath not Jill. These ladies’ courtesy / Might well have made our sport a comedy."
At the end of the play, Biron calls attention to the fact that the performance does not end like a traditionally comedy. Typically, comedies resolve with one or more marriages at the end, and Love's Labour's Lost appears to be heading in that direction based on the four matches that occur by the end of the play. However, the Princess of France decides that marriage proposals cannot be accepted until the men and women spend one year apart, further delaying the play's resolution. Biron notes here that "Jack hath not Jill," emphasizing the disruption of expectations for characters and audience members alike.
