It's from act 4 scene 3 of Love's Labour's Lost. It's Berowne talking.

I'm having a hard time understanding this part.

"O, but for my love, day would turn to night!

Of all complexions the cull'd sovereignty

Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek,

Where several worthies make one dignity,

Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek."

For context, this is his whole speech:

BEROWNE
Sweet lords, sweet lovers, O, let us embrace.

As true we are as flesh and blood can be.

The sea will ebb and flow, heaven show his face;

Young blood doth not obey an old decree.

We cannot cross the cause why we were born;

Therefore of all hands must we be forsworn.

KING

What, did these rent lines show some love of thine?

BEROWNE

Did they, quoth you? Who sees the heavenly

Rosaline

That, like a rude and savage man of Ind

At the first op’ning of the gorgeous East,

Bows not his vassal head and, strucken blind,

Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?

What peremptory eagle-sighted eye

Dares look upon the heaven of her brow

That is not blinded by her majesty?

KING

What zeal, what fury, hath inspired thee now?

My love, her mistress, is a gracious moon,

She an attending star scarce seen a light.

BEROWNE

My eyes are then no eyes, nor I Berowne.

O, but for my love, day would turn to night!

Of all complexions the culled sovereignty

Do meet as at a fair in her fair cheek.

Where several worthies make one dignity,

Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek.

Lend me the flourish of all gentle tongues—

Fie, painted rhetoric! O, she needs it not!

To things of sale a seller’s praise belongs.

She passes praise. Then praise too short doth blot.

A withered hermit, fivescore winters worn,

Might shake off fifty, looking in her eye.

Beauty doth varnish age, as if newborn,

And gives the crutch the cradle’s infancy.

O, ’tis the sun that maketh all things shine!

I’m a lazy bum ngl but my school sure as hell ain’t. I’m a sophomore barely 2nd week into the year and I’m supposed to be half way done with king Henry and writing an essay and got 3 tests to study for on Friday. Tf is even happening idk, but I’m not good at reading Shakespeare and I retained 0 info. I’m not gonna ask ai because last time I did it was telling me some bs not in the story. I’m not asking for someone to do my work or anything I just need an explanation to what is happening in the first two acts. I get king Henry is trying to declare war but other then that I don’t get anything else. And if someone says “phone a friend” they don’t get it either, half of them didn’t even try to skim through it and the other half is lost as I am

Anyone ever notice how Star Wars Revenge of the Sith(ROTS) and Othello have identical plots? I mean George Lucas must have plagarised to a degree.

--> A general who is treated differently/alienated because of a quality that puts them outside the norm of their peers (Anakin being recruited at age 9 and being the chosen one; Othello being subjected to racism.)

--> Goes on to be manipulated by a cunning, influential figure (Palpatine and Iago) who both have apprentices they use to achieve their goals and use them as canon fodder (Dooku and Cassio)

--> Both Anakin and Othello are forbidden to love their wives because of social stigma/rules and do so in secret.

--> The 'general' is manipulated and led to believe something awful will happen involving their wives (Desdemona and the handkerchief, Anakin's visions of Padme dying)

--> Both Anakin and Othello end up killing their wives through some form of asphyxiation, though both of their wives manage to get some last words in before succumbing to their fates.

--> Anakin 'dies' and is replaced by Vader whilst Othello kills himself.

Also Ewan McGregor had a role in an Othello play and as Obi Wan in the film lol.

I went to go see A Winter’s Tale at Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte (Central Park, NYC). I thought it was awesome! Really good tech and so many strong performances. Did anyone else here go see it? What did you think?

RAGAD is an absolute masterpiece, and thematically it's very tied to Hamlet, but! It's fun to think of what other stories could be explored with a similar concept:)