In Love's Labour's Lost, sex and sexual attraction sparks self-discovery. If the characters hadn't been attracted to each other, they wouldn't have renounced their absurd, life-denying vows. If they hadn't renounced their vows, they wouldn't have been free to pursue love. If a character couldn't pursue love, he or she wouldn't experience the mind-bending, cataclysmic change of worldview that comes with it.
Of course there's the satirical side of sex, too—the side that leaves a country wench pregnant and engaged to a zany character.
Questions About Sex
- How does sexual attraction transition into commitment in the play?
- What does the confusion of identity in the masque scene say about the seriousness of the men's love?
- Why do the noblewomen so easily withhold their favors?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
With men and women separated from each other, the word becomes the most important erotic currency in the play.