Manly Men?

Love's Labours Lost is fraught with rhetoric as we have discussed at length in class. What I think is interesting not only in this play, but also in most of Shakespeare's works is that there are so many references to other stories that were, and still, are popular. It is just another way that Shakespeare uses the world around him to drive a point home. Here are a few that I noticed in Biron's confrontation to his friends in Act Four referencing famous characters.

To see great Hercules whipping a gig,

(Hercules was a Greek legendary demigod with extraordinary strength. Whipping a gig is another way of of saying to spin a top.)




And profound Solomon to tune a jig,

(Solomon is a Biblical king known for his great wisdom given to him by god. To tune a jig simply participate in a dance or music.)



And Nestor play at push-pins with the boys,

(Nestor is another character of Greek mythology. He was an Argonaut who fought centaurs and hunted the Calydonian Boar. Push-pin was a game geared toward very young children.)





And critic Timon laugh at idle toys!

(Timon was an Athenian philosopher. And, well, idle toys are just that, toys that aren't moving and are in essence, for babies.)



What Biron is trying to say is that the love of the women these noblemen have, is turning them into children. However Biron is hypocritical because the same thing is happening to him!