Shakespeare ABC part 5 All's Well that Ends Well

All's Well that Ends Well, like Troilus & Cressida and Measure for Measure has been defined as a 'problem play.' This term, first used by F.S. Boas in 1896 is a WS play that doesn't fit into one of the usual categories: historical, comedy or tragedy. It was probably written in 1602-03 and may have been a rewrite of Love's Labour's Won. Its first earliest recorded performance was in 1741. 

However, despite its problematic nature, the Romantic poet, S.T.Coleridge said that Helena was, "the loveliest character" that WS created and George Bernard Shaw wrote that Helena's role was "the most beautiful old woman's part ever." More recently, Judi Dench played this role superbly in 2003. 

The reason that this play is termed 'problematical' is due to its ending. Here, Helena, after various ups and downs returns to the French court and the wars are finished. She reveals what has happened to her and confronts Bertram with the ring that has been the centre of the plot. She announces she is carrying his child and, according to the 'rules of drama,' she marries him and so this play has been defined as a comedy in the past. 

However, the audience is left with the feeling that she is not completely happy about this, hence the end is problematical.
It is certainly not the happy marriage situation that finalises other comedies such as Much Ado About Nothing. Perhaps the ending is similar in a way to that of The Taming of the Shrew when we are nor completely convinced by Katherina's long speech at the end which starts:  Fie! Fie! unknit that threatening unkind brow... that she truly loves Petruchio and believes in being the submissive and dutiful wife.

In contrast with Helena, her husband-to-be, Bertram has nearly always been considered unattractive. Dr. Samuel Johnson described him thus: "I cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram; a man noble without generosity, and young without truth." In A Short Guide to Shakespeare's Plays, John Goodwin writes, "But in Bertram's defence, it can be argued that that to have a wife thrust upon one to settle a King's medical bill might be thought burdensome."

In contrast to Bertram, the other important male role in the play is his companion, Parolles - 'a snipt taffeta fellow,' 'a red tail'd bumble-bee,' 'a damnable both-sides rogue' whose soul 'is in his clothes.' He is a terrible boaster who is all talk and yet terrified when confronted with a dangerous situation. Of Bertram, Goodwin writes that even though he has been made to look a fool , he 'finds some honesty and declares himself 'simply the thing I am.' So all is almost well.' It has been said that the title should finish with a question mark.'

Two of the most memorable quotes from this play are:
"A young man married is a man that's marred." (II.iii)  
and
"Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear." (V.iii)
                                           
                                         &&&&&&&

Next time I will deal with ARDEN: WS's family, the Forest of and the Arden editions of Shakespeare.