Boyet

Play

Love's Labour's Lost

Summary

Boyet is the Princess of France's witty, older attendant lord — a seasoned courtier who serves as her advisor, interpreter, and confidant. He is fluent in the language of compliment and quickly perceives the King's attraction to the Princess. He tips off the ladies about the lords' Muscovite disguise, enabling them to reverse the masquerade, and his own wit draws pointed criticism from Berowne, who calls him an ape of fashion. He is the play's most experienced practitioner of courtly artifice.

Notable Quotations

"All his behaviours did make their retire / To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire." *(2.1)*

Cross-references

• Love's Labour's Lost — the play
• Comedies
• character_princess_lll — his mistress
• character_berowne — who criticises his courtly affectation
• character_rosaline_lll — fellow member of the French party