All's Well That Ends Well (19 page)

Points to Lafew

[
Exit Widow
]

Enter Helen and Widow

Shows letter

To Parolles

To Diana

Flourish

Exeunt

F = First Folio text of 1623, the only authority for the play

F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SD = stage direction

SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker's name)

List of parts
= Ed

Lines 1–74:
The widowed Countess of Rossillion is saying goodbye to her son, Bertram, who has been summoned by the King of France, his legal guardian. Lafew reports that the virtuous King is very ill and has given up his doctors' attempts to cure him of a painful fistula. The Countess laments that Helen's father, the renowned physician, Gerard de Narbon, is dead, believing that his skill would have cured the King. She is full of praise for Helen, who was entrusted to the Countess' care after her father's death. Helen is weeping. The Countess offers her son advice on how to behave at court, wishes him well and leaves. Bertram asks Helen to comfort and look after his mother and then departs with Lafew.

Lines 75–215:
Now alone, Helen confides that her tears are not for her father but for the departure of Bertram whom she loves. She says she cannot live without him but she might as well “love a bright particular star” and think to marry that as Bertram since “he is so above me.” She's tormented by her love for one who is her social superior. Despite her pain, she enjoyed seeing him all the time and drawing a picture of him in her heart. Now she has only these “relics” to remember him by. She sees Bertram's friend Parolles and says that even though she knows he's a coward and a liar she likes him for Bertram's sake. He asks her if she's thinking about “virginity” and they conduct a bawdy exchange about its merits with Helen defending it and Parolles believing it overrated. She turns the conversation obliquely to Bertram and her wishes. Parolles is called away and Helen accuses him of cowardice. He advises her to get a husband. Once he's gone, Helen argues in a soliloquy that an individual's fate lies in their own hands. She has a plan relating to the King and is determined to carry it through.

The King reports that Florence and Siena are at war but are equally matched. France is not going to aid the Florentines but French knights will be allowed to fight on either side if they choose. Bertram, Lafew, and Parolles arrive. The King welcomes them, praising Bertram's late father who was an old friend and regretting his own ill health, asking how long ago Bertram's father's doctor (Helen's late father) died, believing that he might have cured him.

Lines 1–111:
The Countess and Reynaldo the Steward are about to discuss Helen when the Countess notices the Clown Lavatch. He explains that he wants to get married; his reasons are desires of the flesh, repentance, and to make “friends.” He goes on to offer a paradoxical justification for adultery and the Countess says she'll speak to him later. She tells him to ask Helen to come to her and Lavatch sings a song about Helen of Troy. The Countess complains about his corruption of the song and abuse of women and sends him again for Helen. When Lavatch is gone, Reynaldo explains how he recently overheard Helen saying that she loves Bertram and feels bitter that the social distance between them means they can never marry. The Countess says she is not surprised and thanks Reynaldo for his “honest care” as he leaves.

Lines 112–252:
As Helen enters, the Countess exclaims in an aside, “Even so it was with me when I was young” and she goes on to register her sympathy for Helen. She calls herself Helen's “mother” but Helen rejects the idea. When asked her reason, she's confused, saying she can't be Bertram's sister, she's too humble, and he mustn't be her brother. The Countess says that Helen could be her daughter-in-law then. Helen's reaction assures her that she has discovered the secret of her love for Bertram. Helen is reluctant to confess but the Countess is determined to learn the truth. Helen admits that she loves her son and begs the Countess' pardon but says she cannot help it—her love does Bertram no harm. The Countess then asks why she wants to go to Paris. Helen admits that she believes she can cure the
King, having inherited her father's skill. The Countess gives her blessing and offers her aid for the enterprise.

Lines 1–63:
The King is saying goodbye to the young lords going to fight in the Italian wars. He encourages them to fight bravely and be honorable and warns them against love. As the King goes aside to speak with the lords, Bertram complains that he isn't allowed to go—the King's told him he's “Too young” and he can go “the next year.” The other lords sympathize. Parolles recalls his previous experiences of war and, telling Bertram to be “more expressive” with his goodbyes to them, they go off.