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Class notes on All's Well That Ends Well
created by Annie Besant | 21/01/2010 @ 03:38 AM | 55 views
Notes on Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well
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Author Background
The most important playwright of the English Renaissance, William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England.
In 1582, he married an older woman, Anne Hathaway, and had three children with her.
Around 1590 he left his family behind and traveled to London to work as an actor and playwright.
His career bridged the reigns of Elizabeth I (ruled 1558-1603) and James I (ruled 1603-1625); he was a favorite of both monarchs.
Shakespeare is the author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets that bear his name.
The date of composition for All's Well That Ends Well is unclear.
The earliest copy of the play appears in the Folio of 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death.
It is commonly placed between 1601 and 1606, grouping it with Troilus and Cressida and Measure for Measure in what are typically referred to as Shakespeare's problem comedies.
These three plays share a dark, bitter wit and an unpleasant view of human relation.
Though originally the play was classified as a comedy, the play is now considered by some critics to be one of his problem plays, so named because they cannot be neatly classified as tragedy or comedy.
Characters
King of France
Duke of Florence
Bertram, Count of Rousillon
Countess of Rousillon, Mother to Bertram
Lavatch, a Clown in her household
Helena, a Gentlewoman protected by the Countess
Lafeu, an old Lord
Parolles, a follower of Bertram
An Old Widow of Florence, surnamed Capilet
Diana, Daughter to the Widow
Steward to the Countess of Rousillon
Violenta and Mariana, Neighbours and Friends to the Widow
A Page
Soldiers, Servants, Gentlemen & Courtiers
Synopsis
Act I, Scenes i-iii
Helena, the daughter of a famous doctor, has been the ward of the Countess of Rousillon, a wise and kindly old noblewoman, since her father's death.
The Countess' husband has also recently died, and her son Count Bertram,with whom Helene is hopelessly in love, is sent to serve the King of France, his liege lord. (The King is dying).
Bertram arrives at the King's court, where the cautious monarch has decided to stay out of a war involving Austria and the Duke of Florence--but any French noblemen who wish to involve themselves in the conflict are free to fight.
In Rousillon, the Countess' Steward informs her that he overheard Helena declaring her love for Bertram; the noblewoman sends for her ward immediately.
Helena admits to loving the Countess' son, and then immediately declares her plan to go to the King's palace and offer her services as a doctor, using the medical knowledge that her father taught her.
The Countess, while expressing her doubts that the King and the royal doctors will accept the help of a young woman, gives her blessing, and sends Helena on her way.
Act II, Scenes i-iii
Helena meets with the King and tells him she has a cure.
If it succeeds, however, she asks permission to choose whomever she desires as a husband.
The King agrees to the bargain, and promises to try the medicine immediately.
Helena's medicinal knowledge proves fruitful, and she saves the King's life.
Overjoyed, the King assembles five young noblemen for Helena to choose from, but she passes over them all and selects Bertram.
Bertram declares that she is too far beneath him for the marriage to work.
The King says that inner worth is more important that noble birth, and threatens to throw him out of royal favor.
Bertram unhappily agrees, and the couple is married.
When Bertram returns, he tells his friend tells Parolles that he will never consummate the wedding.
Bertram runs away to take part in the war.
Act II, Scenes iv-v
Parolles informs Helena that Bertram is going away, so their marriage must remain unconsummated.
Bertram wants her to make ready to return home, and then come say goodbye to him.
Elsewhere, Lafew warns Bertram that Parolles is not a great soldier, but Bertram ignores him.
Helena comes to her husband, and begs a kiss from him before he goes, but Bertram refuses, and rides off, accompanied only by Parolles.
Act III, Scenes i-iv
Helena returns to Rousillon, where the Countess reads a letter from her son that declares he will stay away from home rather than endure his marriage.
Helena's letter from Bertram declares that when she wears his ring (which he never takes off) and bears his child (impossible, since he has not slept with her), he will live as her husband - "When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body that I am father to, then call me husband."
—(III.ii.55–58)
—(III.ii.55–58)
Brokenhearted, Helena resolves to leave Rousillon, and seek refuge elsewhere.
The countess finds Helena gone and orders letters sent immediately to Bertram, in the hopes that he will hurry home.
Act III, Scenes v-vii
Helena has gone to Florence, where she overhears a conversation between an old Widow, her daughter Diana, and their neighbor, Mariana and finds out that Bertram has been hoping to get Diana in his bed.
Helena advises Diana to maintain her chastity. She is invited to stay with the Widow.
In the Duke's camp, the First Lord and Second Lord Dumaine tell Bertram that Parolles is a boastful coward with no military experience and no loyalty.
They devise a plan to send Parolles to retrieve his regiment's drum, which was lost on the field of battle (a military disgrace).
They plan to get disguised as enemy soldiers, capture, blindfold, and interrogate him. Parolles is sent to the field according to plan.
Helena reveals her identity to the Widow, and uses a purse of gold to buy her help in a scheme that, Helena hopes, will fulfill her husband's conditions for their marriage.
She asks Diana to obtain the ring that Helena needs from Bertram, as a token of his love; and invite him to her bedchamber. .
In the darkness, Helena and Diana plan to switch places, so that Bertram will have sex with his wife.
Act IV, scene i-iii
Parolles is planning on how to make it seem like he retrieved the drum when the "enemy" attacks and captures him.
Meanwhile, Diana agrees to sleep with Bertram but demands that he give her his ring as a token of his love.
Diana in return gives him "her" ring. But the ring actually belongs to Helena who was given it by the King.
At the camp, the Lords discuss Bertram's behavior, his mother's letter and the rumor that Helena is dead.
Bertram returns to camp after enjoying his night with Diana (Helena).
The Lords take him to the blindfolded Parolle, who, thinking he's in enemy hands, reveals the Army's secrets and gives an unflattering description of Bertram.
Act IV, scene iv-v
Helena, now that she has accomplished what she set out to do, invites the Widow and Diana to accompany her to Marseilles .
Bertram, believing his wife to be dead, plans to return to Marseilles where the King's court is stationed.
Meanwhile, in Rousillon, the Countess laments her daughter-in-law's death to Lafew, who proposes that Bertram be betrothed to his daughter.
Act V, scene i-iii
In Marseilles, Helena finds that the King has removed his court to Rousillon. She goes there.
Meanwhile, the King prepares to announce Bertram's new engagement to Lafew's daughter. But he notices the ring that he gave Helena on Bertram's finger.
When Bertram doesn't know how it got there, the King threatens to throw him in jail.
However, Diana is ushered in, and with her mother beside her, tells the story of how Bertram seduced her.
Parolles, now a beggar, called as a witness, confirms it.
Diana admits that she gave the ring to Bertram, but refuses to say how she came to have it.
The King turns his anger on Diana.
Helena enters and explains the entire story to the King.
She tells her husband that his conditions have been met--she has his ring, and is pregnant with his child.
A repentant Bertram promises to be a faithful husband to her and "love her dearly, ever, ever dearly". (V.iii.354)
THE END
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