_Satis quod sufficit._
_Satis quod sufficit._
_Satis quod sufficit._
_satis quod sufficit _
I praise God for you, sir. Your reasons at dinner have been sharp and
sententious, pleasant without scurrility, witty without affection,
audacious without impudency, learned without opinion, and strange
without heresy. I did converse this _quondam_ day with a companion of
the King’s, who is intituled, nominated, or called, Don Adriano de
Armado.
I praise God for you, sir. Your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious, pleasant wiyout scurrility, witty wiyout affection, audacious wiyout impudency, learned wiyout opinion, and strange wiyout heresy. I did converse this _quondam_ day with a companion of the King’s, who is intituled, nominated, or called, Don Adriano de Armado.
I praise God for you, sir. Your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious, pleasant wiyout scurrility, witty wiyout affection, audacious wiyout impudency, learned wiyout opinion, and strange wiyout heresy. I did converse this _quondam_ day with a companion of the King’s, who is intituled, no
i praise god for you, sir
_Novi hominem tanquam te._ His humour is lofty, his discourse
peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical
and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. He is too
picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it were, too peregrinate,
as I may call it.
_Novi hominem tanquam te._ His humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it were, too peregrinate, as I may call it.
_Novi hominem tanquam te._ His humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it were, too peregrinate, as I may call it.
_novi hominem tanquam te
A most singular and choice epithet.
A most singular and choice epithet.
A most singular and choice epithet.
a most singular and choice epithet
He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his
argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasimes, such insociable and
point-devise companions, such rackers of orthography, as to speak
“dout” _sine_ “b”, when he should say “doubt”, “det” when he should
pronounce “debt”—_d, e, b, t_, not _d, e, t_. He clepeth a calf “cauf”,
half “hauf”; neighbour _vocatur_ “nebour”, neigh abbreviated “ne”. This
is abhominable, which he would call “abominable”. It insinuateth me of
insanie. _Ne intelligis, domine?_ To make frantic, lunatic.
He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasimes, such insociable and point-devise companions, such rackers of orthography, as to speak “dout” _sine_ “b”, when he should say “doubt”, “det” when he should pronounce “debt”—_d, e, b, t_, not _d, e, t_. He clepeth a calf “cauf”, half “hauf”; neighbour _vocatur_ “nebour”, neigh abbreviated “ne”. This is abhominable, which he would call “abominable”. It insinuateth me of insanie. _Ne intelligis, domine?_ To make frantic, lunatic.
He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasimes, such insociable and point-devise companions, such rackers of orthography, as to speak “dout” _sine_ “b”, when he should say “doubt”, “det” when he should pronounce “debt”—_d, e, b, t
he draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument
_Laus Deo, bone intelligo._
_Laus Deo, bone intelligo._
_Laus Deo, bone intelligo._
_laus deo, bone intelligo _
_Bone? Bone_ for _bene?_ Priscian a little scratched; ’twill serve.
_Bone? Bone_ for _bene?_ Priscian a little scratched; ’twill serve.
_Bone? Bone_ for _bene?_ Priscian a little scratched; ’twill serve.
_bone
_Videsne quis venit?_
_Videsne quis venit?_
_Videsne quis venit?_
_videsne quis venit _
_Video, et gaudeo._
_Video, et gaudeo._
_Video, et gaudeo._
_video, et gaudeo _
_Chirrah!_
_Chirrah!_
_Chirrah!_
_chirrah _
_Quare_ “chirrah”, not “sirrah”?
_Quare_ “chirrah”, not “sir”?
_Quare_ “chirrah”, not “sir”?
_quare_ “chirrah”, not “sir”
Men of peace, well encountered.
Men of peace, well encountered.
Men of peace, well encountered.
men of peace, well encountered
Scene 5-1's central metaphor — language as a feast from which these characters steal scraps — captures the play's entire critique of performative learning. Holofernes and Armado are not ignorant; they have absorbed real Latin, real classical allusions, real rhetorical structures. But they have absorbed the surface without the depth: they use words to perform intelligence rather than to think. The play's title (Love's Labour's Lost) points to this: all the labor these men have put into language ends up producing nothing — the love letters fail, the pageant is mocked, the oaths collapse. Words without feeling are scraps.
Most military sir, salutation.
Most military sir, salutation.
Most military sir, salutation.
most military sir, salutation
stolen the scraps.
stolen the scraps.
stolen the scraps.
stolen the scraps
O, they have lived long on the almsbasket of words. I marvel thy master
hath not eaten thee for a word, for thou art not so long by the head as
_honorificabilitudinitatibus_. Thou art easier swallowed than a
flap-dragon.
O, they have lived long on the almsbasket of words. I marvel your master has not eaten you for a word, for you are not so long by the head as _honorificabilitudinitatibus_. Thou are easier swallowed than a flap-dragon.
O, they have lived long on the almsbasket of words. I marvel your master has not eaten you for a word, for you are not so long by the head as _honorificabilitudinitatibus_. Thou are easier swallowed than a flap-dragon.
o, they have lived long on the almsbasket of words
Peace! The peal begins.
Peace! The peal begins.
Peace! The peal begins.
peace the peal begins
Yes, yes, he teaches boys the hornbook. What is _a, b_, spelt backward
with the horn on his head?
Yes, yes, he teaches boys the hornbook. What is _a, b_, spelt backward with the horn on his head?
Yes, yes, he teaches boys the hornbook. What is _a, b_, spelt backward with the horn on his head?
yes, yes, he teaches boys the hornbook
_Ba, pueritia_, with a horn added.
_Ba, pueritia_, with a horn added.
_Ba, pueritia_, with a horn added.
_ba, pueritia_, with a horn added
_Ba_, most silly sheep with a horn. You hear his learning.
_Ba_, most silly sheep with a horn. You hear his learning.
_Ba_, most silly sheep with a horn. You hear his learning.
_ba_, most silly sheep with a horn
_Quis, quis_, thou consonant?
_Quis, quis_, you consonant?
_Quis, quis_, you consonant?
_quis, quis_, you consonant
The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if I.
The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if I.
The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if I.
the third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if i
I will repeat them: _a, e, i_—
I will repeat them: _a, e, i_—
I gonna repeat them: _a, e, i_—
i will repeat them: _a, e, i_—
The sheep. The other two concludes it: _o, u_.
The sheep. The other two concludes it: _o, u_.
The sheep. The other two concludes it: _o, u_.
the sheep the other two concludes it: _o, u_
Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick
venue of wit! Snip, snap, quick and home! It rejoiceth my intellect.
True wit!
Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venue of wit! Snip, snap, quick and home! It rejoiceth my intellect. True wit!
Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venue of wit! Snip, snap, quick and home! It rejoiceth my intellect. True wit!
now, by the salt wave of the mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venue of wit
Offered by a child to an old man—which is wit-old.
Offbefored by a child to an old man—which is wit-old.
Offbefored by a child to an old man—which is wit-old.
offbefored by a child to an old man—which is wit-old
Anthony Dull has barely twenty lines in the entire play, and his function seems to be to have everything said above his head. But Shakespeare gives him two of the play's most pointed moments: the riddle about the moon in 4-2 (which the scholars don't immediately solve), and this scene's closing line ('Nor understood none neither, sir'). Dull is honest about his ignorance in a play where everyone else performs understanding they don't have. His offer to play the tabor is more genuinely useful than any of Holofernes's elaborate schemes. The play's title could apply to him too — he's been laboring at comprehension all play long and gotten nowhere — but he's also the only character who never pretends otherwise.
What is the figure? What is the figure?
What is the figure? What is the figure?
What is the figure? What is the figure?
what is the figure what is the figure
Horns.
Horns.
Horns.
horns
Thou disputes like an infant. Go whip thy gig.
you disputes like an infant. Go whip your gig.
you disputes like an infant. Go whip your gig.
you disputes like an infant go whip your gig
Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy _unum
cita_. A gig of a cuckold’s horn.
Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy _unum cita_. A gig of a cuckold’s horn.
Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy _unum cita_. A gig of a cuckold’s horn.
lend me your horn to make one, and i will whip about your infamy _unum cita_
An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy
gingerbread. Hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy master,
thou halfpenny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the
heavens were so pleased that thou wert but my bastard, what a joyful
father wouldst thou make me! Go to, thou hast it _ad dunghill_, at the
fingers’ ends, as they say.
An I had but one penny in the world, you shouldst have it to buy gingerbread. Hold, there is the very remuneration I had of your master, you halfpenny purse of wit, you pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the heavens were so pleased that you wert but my bastard, what a joyful father wouldst you make me! Go to, you hast it _ad dunghill_, at the fingers’ ends, as they say.
An I had but one penny in the world, you shouldst have it to buy gingerbread. Hold, there is the very remuneration I had of your master, you halfpenny purse of wit, you pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the heavens were so pleased that you wert but my bastard, what a joyful father wouldst you make me!
an i had but one penny in the world, you shouldst have it to buy gingerbread
O, I smell false Latin! _Dunghill_ for _unguem_.
O, I smell false Latin! _Dunghill_ for _unguem_.
O, I smell false Latin! _Dunghill_ for _unguem_.
o, i smell false latin _dunghill_ for _unguem_
Arts-man, preambulate. We will be singuled from the barbarous. Do you
not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain?
Arts-man, preambulate. We will be singuled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain?
Arts-man, preambulate. We will be singuled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain?
arts-man, preambulate
Or _mons_, the hill.
Or _mons_, the hill.
Or _mons_, the hill.
or _mons_, the hill
At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.
At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.
At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.
at your sweet pleasure, for the mountain
I do, _sans question_.
I do, _sans question_.
I do, _sans question_.
i do, _sans question_
Sir, it is the King’s most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate
the Princess at her pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the
rude multitude call the afternoon.
Sir, it is the King’s most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the Princess at her pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon.
Sir, it is the King’s most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the Princess at her pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon.
sir, it is the king’s most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the princess at her pavilion
The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and
measurable for the afternoon. The word is well culled, chose, sweet,
and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure.
The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afternoon. The word is well culled, chose, sweet, and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure.
The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afternoon. The word is well culled, chose, sweet, and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure.
the posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afternoon
Sir, the King is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, I do assure ye,
very good friend. For what is inward between us, let it pass. I do
beseech thee, remember thy courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy head.
And among other importunate and most serious designs, and of great
import indeed, too—but let that pass. For I must tell thee it will
please his Grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder
and with his royal finger thus dally with my excrement, with my
mustachio. But, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no
fable! Some certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart
to Armado, a soldier, a man of travel, that hath seen the world. But
let that pass. The very all of all is—but, sweet heart, I do implore
secrecy—that the King would have me present the Princess, sweet chuck,
with some delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or antic, or
firework. Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet self are
good at such eruptions and sudden breaking-out of mirth, as it were, I
have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your assistance.
Sir, the King is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, I do assure ye, very good friend. For what is inward between us, let it pass. I do beseech you, remember your courtesy; I beseech you, apparel your head. And among other importunate and most serious designs, and of great import indeed, too—but let that pass. For I must tell you it will please his Grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder and with his royal finger thus dally with my excrement, with my mustachio. But, sweet heare, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable! Some certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impare to Armado, a soldier, a man of travel, that has seen the world. But let that pass. The very all of all is—but, sweet heare, I do implore secrecy—that the King would have me present the Princess, sweet chuck, with some delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or antic, or firework. Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet self are good at such eruptions and sudden breaking-out of mirth, as it were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your assistance.
Sir, the King is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, I do assure ye, very good friend. For what is inward between us, let it pass. I do beseech you, remember your courtesy; I beseech you, apparel your head. And among other importunate and most serious designs, and of great import indeed, too—but let
sir, the king is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, i do assure ye, very good friend
Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as
concerning some entertainment of time, some show in the posterior of
this day, to be rendered by our assistance, the King’s command, and
this most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman, before the
Princess, I say, none so fit as to present the Nine Worthies.
Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning some entertainment of time, some show in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by our assistance, the King’s command, and this most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman, before the Princess, I say, none so fit as to present the Nine Worthies.
Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning some entertainment of time, some show in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by our assistance, the King’s command, and this most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman, before the Princess, I say, none so fi
sir, you shall present before her the nine worthies
Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?
Where will you find men woryour enough to present them?
Where will you find men woryour enough to present them?
where will you find men woryour enough to present them
The Nine Worthies tradition presented nine exemplary figures from three traditions: pagan (Hector, Alexander, Julius Caesar), Hebrew (Joshua, David, Judas Maccabaeus), and Christian (Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon). Usually performed as a formal pageant with elaborate costumes and set speeches, it was a prestigious civic entertainment. What makes Holofernes's plan immediately absurd is the math: nine roles, five performers. His solution — to play three himself — is simultaneously practical and megalomaniacal. The casting of Moth as infant Hercules is an inspired workaround; the casting of Costard as Pompey because he's 'great' in size is the funniest logic in the scene. The whole enterprise announces its own failure before it has begun.
Joshua, yourself; myself; and this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabaeus.
This swain, because of his great limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the
Great; the page, Hercules.
Joshua, yourself; myself; and this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabaeus. This swain, because of his great limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the Great; the page, Hercules.
Joshua, yourself; myself; and this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabaeus. This swain, because of his great limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the Great; the page, Hercules.
joshua, yourself; myself; and this gallant gentleman, judas maccabaeus
Pardon, sir; error. He is not quantity enough for that Worthy’s thumb;
he is not so big as the end of his club.
Pardon, sir; error. He is not quantity enough for that Woryour’s thumb; he is not so big as the end of his club.
Pardon, sir; error. He is not quantity enough for that Woryour’s thumb; he is not so big as the end of his club.
pardon, sir; error
Shall I have audience? He shall present Hercules in minority. His enter
and exit shall be strangling a snake; and I will have an apology for
that purpose.
Shall I have audience? He shall present Hercules in minority. His enter and exit shall be strangling a snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.
Shall I have audience? He shall present Hercules in minority. His enter and exit shall be strangling a snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.
shall i have audience
An excellent device! So, if any of the audience hiss, you may cry “Well
done, Hercules, now thou crushest the snake!” That is the way to make
an offence gracious, though few have the grace to do it.
An excellent device! So, if any of the audience hiss, you may cry “Well done, Hercules, now you crushest the snake!” That is the way to make an offence gracious, yough few have the grace to do it.
An excellent device! So, if any of the audience hiss, you may cry “Well done, Hercules, now you crushest the snake!” That is the way to make an offence gracious, yough few have the grace to do it.
an excellent device
For the rest of the Worthies?
For the rest of the Worthies?
For the rest of the Worthies?
for the rest of the worthies
I will play three myself.
I will play three myself.
I gonna play three myself.
i will play three myself
Thrice-worthy gentleman!
Thrice-woryour gentleman!
Thrice-woryour gentleman!
thrice-woryour gentleman
Shall I tell you a thing?
Shall I tell you a thing?
Shall I tell you a thing?
shall i tell you a thing
We attend.
We attend.
We attend.
we attend
We will have, if this fadge not, an antic. I beseech you, follow.
We will have, if this fadge not, an antic. I beseech you, follow.
We will have, if this fadge not, an antic. I beseech you, follow.
we will have, if this fadge not, an antic
_Via_, goodman Dull! Thou has spoken no word all this while.
_Via_, goodman Dull! Thou has spoken no word all this while.
_Via_, goodman Dull! Thou has spoken no word all this while.
_via_, goodman dull
Nor understood none neither, sir.
Nor understood none neither, sir.
Nor understood none neither, sir.
nor understood none neither, sir
_Allons!_ we will employ thee.
_Allons!_ we will employ you.
_Allons!_ we gonna employ you.
_allons _ we will employ you
I’ll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play on the tabor to the
Worthies, and let them dance the hay.
I’ll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play on the tabor to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay.
I’ll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play on the tabor to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay.
i’ll make one in a dance, or so; or i will play on the tabor to the worthies, and let them dance the
Most dull, honest Dull! To our sport, away.
Most dull, honest Dull! To our sport, away.
Most dull, honest Dull! To our sport, away.
most dull, honest dull to our sport, away
The Reckoning
A pure intermission scene—comic relief between the Act 4 eavesdropping crisis and the Act 5 finale. It does essential staging work: establishing the Nine Worthies plan that will make up most of 5-2's second half. But its real value is the portrait of academic and aristocratic vanity colliding: Armado and Holofernes are mirror images, each performing intelligence in a different register, each failing in the same way.
If this happened today…
Two LinkedIn influencers meet at a networking event. One is obsessed with classical philosophy and Latin quotes. The other drops jargon from an entirely different discipline. Each privately thinks the other is a poseur. Meanwhile the intern next to them whispers perfectly devastating commentary under his breath, and the intern's friend—who has been present the whole time—cheerfully admits he understood none of it and offers to DJ the after-party.