Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

All's Well That Ends Well
All's Well That Ends Well
All's Well That Ends Well
Ebook153 pages1 hour

All's Well That Ends Well

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 2, 1929
Author

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.

Read more from William Shakespeare

Related to All's Well That Ends Well

Related ebooks

Related articles

Reviews for All's Well That Ends Well

Rating: 3.4770992366412212 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

262 ratings11 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very good everyman edition, although it still struggles with the issues that this play raises (not that I have the answers either!)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of Shakespeare's "problem plays". It is contrived and a little confusing at times. I however loved the play. I think it is funny and clever despite it's problems.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Sometimes designated as a problem play, because it handles social issues with conflicting points of view, this comedy ends with the typical marriage and reconciliation, but the resolution feels far from happy. The story concerns Helena and Bertram as the main couple, with a host of other characters that are much more interesting than Bertram. Bertram is a Count, and his mother took in Helena, the daughter of a famous doctor, after her parents died. The play opens with Bertram heading to court to serve under the king, and Helena grieving because she secretly loves him and can't stand to see him leave. Helena is a complex character. Her love for Bertram is almost incomprehensible, but she is unquestionably clever. She knows the king is dying from an illness no one has been able to cure. She also believes that her father knew the solution, and she concocts a plan. She meets with the king, who is unwilling to trust a woman, and they make a bargain: if she heals him, he will grant her the chance to choose her own husband; if she fails, he will kill her. Helena does heal the king, and when her request is granted, she chooses Bertram as her husband. Unfortunately, Bertram the evil has no interest in his mother's ward, and prefers running off to war over heading to the marriage bed. Even though the reader already loves Helena, Bertram's anger at a forced marriage is sympathetic, perhaps, if it weren't for his cowardly way of handling it. But Bertram's later actions quickly reveal a shallow and dark nature. With evil influence Parrolles by his side, he whores around France and takes pleasure in seducing virgins, drinking and carousing when not involved in battles. Bertram's only redeeming virtue is that he actually is a good solider. Despite his abandonment, and cruel and cowardly letter that accuses Helena with words he wouldn't use in person, Helena is still in love with Bertram. In fact, she feels responsible for his going off to war, and decides that she should take a pilgrimage and leave the country, so that he can feel free to return home.Her voyage coincidentally takes her to the same place where Bertram's troop is stationed - although as Helena's cunning is more and more apparent, coincidentally may not be accurate. She meets the young lady that Bertram is currently trying to seduce, and tells Diana and her mother her story of woe. They agree to assist her in an unorthodox plan, where Helena hides in Diana's darkened room and sleeps with her husband while he thinks she is someone else. That sounds like the course to disaster, but everything technically works out in the end, when Helena reveals herself and Bertram declares that he now will love her forever and ever. Not only that, but Parrolles faces retribution for his evil actions, is taken on as a fool, and Diana is promised the king's aid.The plot is clever, with a fast pace and compelling side characters. There are two deceptions pulled off to great effect - both Bertram's and Parrolles are revealed through trickery - and the dialogue shines with Shakespeare's wit. Bertram ruins this play for me, though, casting it far down on the list of comedies I would like to read or see staged. He is a arrogant and self-loving cad; at the end, the others exonerate him as being influenced by Parrolles, but I don't see any evidence of that in the play. Rather, he chose Parrolles as a match to his own dark nature.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Witty, clever but difficult to understand the meaning of some discussion due to the use of obsolete or obscure wording. Mildly recommended for the historical value of a classical author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An unsatisfying romantic comedy about a scorned and abandoned wife's efforts to reclaim her husband. To compare this to Shakespeare's romantic comedies is like comparing a Katherine Heigl romcom to one of the great 1930s screwball films.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This title of this comedy refers to the marriage that ensues as a result of its climactic rape so uh yeah this is another one that is up there with Taming Of The Shrew in failing to satisfy modern sensibilities.Also it just me or is Parolles not only fairly okay but even one of the most morally sound characters in this mess? His letter to Diana sounds like he's giving her decent honest advice.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5

    Bertram! You're such an idiot! It's a good thing your mother and your sweetheart are so wise and forbearing. By rights, you should be thrown to the dogs at the end of this play for acting like a total jackass, but since you're the hero, you get to be redeemed. And Helena still loves you, imagine that, even after you accidentally impregnated her while thinking you were sleeping with a French virgin!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found "All's Well that Ends Well" to be really uneven. Helena is in love with Bertram, who apparently hates her for no reason and treats her shabbily... apparently that's incredibly attractive. Of course, with the title the play has, you can guess it's all going to go swimmingly well for Helena even if she has to trick her way into it.Actually, Helena was a pretty interesting character as far as Shakespeare's women go. However, there seemed to be a lot of filler conversations (mostly by a clown in a bunch a dialog that perhaps just hasn't aged well.Overall, I just found this one kind of bland.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Helena, a physician's daughter, falls in love with a nobleman, Bertram. She cures the king with the stipulation that he will give her Bertram as her husband. They marry, but Bertram can't stand her and leaves before they even spend one night together. He gives her a brush off and says she isn't his real wife until she bears him a child... but he won't sleep with her. He then tries to court another woman. Helena is a witty and resourceful woman and comes up with a way to trick him into impregnating her. All's Well That Ends Well... I guess. So Helena wins over her husband, who doesn't like her, by tricking him. In my opinion Helena's love and efforts are completely wasted on a selfish jerk. Even Bertram's mother thinks that Helena is a wonderful wife for her son. I wish Helena would have wised up and picked a different guy from the get-go. The play has Shakespeare classic puns and double entendres, but it's not one of my favorites of his.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Well, it does end with Helena and Bertram married and living together, but he's a big jerk so I'm not sure why she wants him.Helena is the daughter of a gifted physician, recently deceased. Bertram is a Count, newly become ward of the King of France. She heals the king and asks for Bertram as her husband for her reward. He (Bertram) is disgusted by her low rank and runs off to fight a war in Italy. For some totally unknown reason, she thinks it's her fault and sets off on a pilgrimage. Which just happens to take her to Italy.I read the preface in this edition, which suggests that Shakespeare was adapting earlier stories, so the lame plot may not be entirely his fault.I also hated the "clown" parts in this which just weren't funny at all. Then there are all these completely extraneous scenes and dialogues that just slow the action down and make my eyes gloss over. In the theater, that would be the time to run to the restroom.There are a few good lines in here though. Most of them are at the beginning, so you could just stop there. Shakespeare seems to give the best lines to Helena and the King. He must have been playing favorites.Absolutely not his best. I know that seeing the play is always better, but it just couldn't save this play. Don't bother!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although I agree with critics who ask why would the heroine bother to win this unpleasant young man, I do enjoy it overall

Book preview

All's Well That Ends Well - William Shakespeare

This Etext file is presented by Project Gutenberg, in

cooperation with World Library, Inc., from their Library of the

Future and Shakespeare CDROMS. Project Gutenberg often releases

Etexts that are NOT placed in the Public Domain!!

*This Etext has certain copyright implications you should read!*

<

SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS

PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND

MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES

(1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT

DISTRIBUTED OR USED COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL

DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD

TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>>

*Project Gutenberg is proud to cooperate with The World Library* in the presentation of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare for your reading for education and entertainment. HOWEVER, THIS IS NEITHER SHAREWARE NOR PUBLIC DOMAIN. . .AND UNDER THE LIBRARY OF THE FUTURE CONDITIONS OF THIS PRESENTATION. . .NO CHARGES MAY BE MADE FOR *ANY* ACCESS TO THIS MATERIAL. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED!! TO GIVE IT AWAY TO ANYONE YOU LIKE, BUT NO CHARGES ARE ALLOWED!!

**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**

**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**

*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations*

Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and further information is included below. We need your donations.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well

December, 1997 [Etext #1125]

The Library of the Future Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Library of the Future is a TradeMark (TM) of World Library Inc.

******This file should be named 1ws3010.txt or 1ws3010.zip*****

Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, 1ws3011.txt

VERSIONS based on separate sources get new NUMBER, 2ws3010.txt

The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment and editing by those who wish to do so. To be sure you have an up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes in the first week of the next month.

Information about Project Gutenberg (one page)

We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The fifty hours is one conservative estimate for how long it we take to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value per text is nominally estimated at one dollar, then we produce 2 million dollars per hour this year we, will have to do four text files per month: thus upping our productivity from one million. The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext Files by the December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000=Trillion] This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, which is 10% of the expected number of computer users by the end of the year 2001.

We need your donations more than ever!

All donations should be made to Project Gutenberg/CMU, and are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law (CMU is Carnegie Mellon University).

Please mail to:

Project Gutenberg

P. O. Box 2782

Champaign, IL 61825

You can visit our web site at promo.net for complete information about Project Gutenberg.

When all other else fails try our Executive Director: dircompg@pobox.com or hart@pobox.com

******

**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor**

***** SMALL PRINT! for COMPLETE SHAKESPEARE *****

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY WITH PERMISSION.

Since unlike many other Project Gutenberg-tm etexts, this etext is copyright protected, and since the materials and methods you use will effect the Project's reputation, your right to copy and distribute it is limited by the copyright and other laws, and by the conditions of this Small Print! statement.

1. LICENSE

A) YOU MAY (AND ARE ENCOURAGED) TO DISTRIBUTE ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES OF THIS ETEXT, SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.

B) This license is subject to the conditions that you honor the refund and replacement provisions of this small print! statement; and that you distribute exact copies of this etext, including this Small Print statement. Such copies can be compressed or any proprietary form (including any form resulting from word processing or hypertext software), so long as *EITHER*:

(1) The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not* contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may be used to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR

(2) The etext is readily convertible by the reader at no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR

(3) You provide or agree to provide on request at no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in plain ASCII.

2. LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES

This etext may contain a Defect in the form of incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other infringement, a defective or damaged disk, computer virus, or codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. But for the Right of Replacement or Refund described below, the Project (and any other party you may receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees, and YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of receiv- ing it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that time to the person you received it from. If you received it on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement copy. If you received it electronically, such person may choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to receive it electronically.

THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU AS-IS. NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of consequen- tial damages, so the above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you may have other legal rights.

3. INDEMNITY: You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, officers, members and agents harmless from all lia- bility, cost and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: [A] distribution of this etext, [B] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, or [C] any Defect.

4. WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form. The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright licenses, and whatever else you can think of.

Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1