Love's Labour's Lost

Disguises and masks are a recurring motif, foregrounding the theme of Fantasy Versus Reality as the fantastical identity offered by the mask contrasts with the real person underneath. Similar to the use of letters, the use of disguises or masks was a common feature in Elizabethan theatre, including many of Shakespeare’s other plays.

Shakespeare uses disguises to explore the way the characters perform their roles. Dressed as Muscovites, the Lords feel able to approach the women despite their oath, and are bold enough to request private conversation and swear love, as the disguises offer the protection of anonymity. Rosaline easily takes to performing the role of the Princess, allowing her to demonstrate an assertiveness and capacity for leadership that is usually constrained by her social position. Through the rest of the play, the Princess dominates conversation in the men’s presence, whereas in this scene, Rosaline speaks freely and dictates the interaction. Shakespeare uses disguises to illustrate that the characters are defined by the social roles they are assigned, but have the capacity to behave differently given the opportunity, an idea he explores through the masculine disguises taken on by women in plays such as Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice.

This masked scene in 5.2 is the first time the Lords try to woo the ladies in person, with Shakespeare using the visual metaphor of the disguises to explore performance and deception within love. Every character is playing a person other than themselves: The ladies invite vows they know are meant for someone else, while the men swear love to them while wearing another identity and without seeing their faces, indicating a performative or abstract quality to their love. Shakespeare suggests the allure of the unknown or unavailable in this scene, as each character is keeping back a part of themselves, but the facade of the masks also highlights the surface quality of their interactions. This foreshadows the Princess’s statement later in 5.2 that she cannot rush into marriage with the King (5.2.865-66), choosing to set him a challenge instead to prove that his love goes beyond a superficial performance of romance.