William Shakespeare Least Popular Plays: Love´s Labour´s Lost

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Recommended: Critical analysis of love's labour's lost

“Love’s Labour’s Lost” has never been one of Shakespeare’s most accredited plays. It is nothing like Romeo and Juliet, which has been told in numerous different ways and many different adaptations. Actually, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” has only two movie adaptations, which includes Kenneth Branagh’s version that was released in 2000. Branagh shows a completely different take on Shakespeare’s original text. In fact, he cut the original text down to 25 percent and filled in the gaps with 1930’s musical numbers. Shakespeare wrote “Love’s Labour’s Lost” in the mid 1590’s to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth. However, Kenneth Branagh’s setting of his version is in Europe during the 1930s. Nevertheless, in both versions the main basis of the story remains the same and so do the names of the characters. And yet, they are told completely differently.
“Love’s Labour’s Lost” is one of Shakespeare’s least popular plays. It was not actually acted out for more than 200 years after Shakespeare’s death and it was the only one that was not staged in the 18th century. Shakespeare is best known for using his highly descriptive words so that the plays can be told without big elaborate scenes and dramatic music. His word usage tells the story all on its own. And “Love’s Labours Lost” is no different with its poetic and highly elaborate use of language. This ultimately makes the play very difficult to act out on stage and be understood by the viewers.
However, Kenneth Branagh’s version of “Love’s Labours Lost” is a romantic Hollywood musical. He used “25% of Shakespeare's original text in his movie” (Carson) and filled in the parts that he omitted with music from 1930’s musicals, which includes songs from the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Irving Ber...

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...ur's Lost?" Guardian News and Media, 27 Mar. 2000. http://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/mar/27/classics.artsfeatures
Kenrick, John B. "Love's Labour's Lost (2000)." A Review. 25 Mar. 2000. http://www.musicals101.com/labours.htm
Love's Labour's Lost. By Kenneth Charles Branagh and William Shakespeare. Perf. Nathan. Lane and Adrian. Lester. Pathé Picture & Intermedia Films; Shakespeare Film Company, 2000. DVD.
Scott A. O. “Film Review: What Say You, My Lords? You’d Rather Charleston.” Love’s Labour’s Lost. 9 June 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9900E0DD103FF93AA35755C0A9669C8B63
Shakespeare, William. “Love’s Labour’s Lost” D.C. Health & Company, 1917. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com/books
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Love's Labour's Lost.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/labours/characters.html

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