| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 外國語文學系 === 84 === Love's Labor's Lost has been dismissed as a failure of
Shakespeare's early stage career. I follow the play's
structure and treat the play as a model of masculine desire.
The title, Love's Labor's Lost, not only summarizes the plot,
but also roughly accords with decease, desire, and deferral,
fundamental to masculine desire. The play starts with the four
noblemen's vow of abstinance. They pursue knowledge in order to
gain immortal fame to conquer death. The men are united around
the construction of a shared enemy--women. However, later, the
four men simultaneously fall in love with women. They revise
the contract and view women as truth embodied. This process
explains that death creats lack, which generates desire.
Knowledge, fame, and love are interchangeable objects for
desire. When men look into women's eyes and think they see the
truth, they actually see only themselves. Love's Labor's Lost
is the only Shakespeare's comedy not ending in marriage. In
the end, the men again vow to take penance. Desire is again
spurred by deferral. Love, labor, and loss forms a cycle.
|
|---|
