Love's Labour's Lost Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

Read the full text of Love's Labour's Lost Act 1 Scene 2 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Armado is walking in the park with his servant, Moth. (Yes, his name is Moth.) Moth likes to give his master a lot of lip. Now he's making fun of Armado for moping about love.
  • In a round of banter, we find out that Moth is young, small and witty. Moth needles Armado till he gets angry and changes the subject. Like the young lords, he has promised to study three years with the King—and hence swear off women. Now's he's in love, and in trouble.
  • Armado asks Moth to comfort him with examples of other great men who have been in love. Moth comes up with Hercules and Sampson, and a lot of nonsense about Delilah looking like an ogre.
  • When Armado describes his love as white and red, Moth quips that lust usually comes in those colors. And they can't be trusted in a woman—they might be makeup.
  • Armado confesses that his crush is Jaquenetta. Moth is amused and in asides (lines delivered the audience and unheard by the other characters) makes fun of them both.
  • Armado requests that Moth sing, but Moth says wait a minute as he points out that someone is arriving on scene.
  • It's Dull, Costard, and Jaquenetta. Dull is delivering Costard to Armado's custody. He'll take Jaquenetta to the park to be a dairymaid—but not before Armado tells her he loves her. She's not that into it.
  • Dull and Jaquenetta exit.
  • Armado turns his attention to Costard, directing Moth to lock him up. They exit.
  • Left alone, Armado speechifies about his love. He's going to give up his weapons and write.