in All's Well That Ends Well — Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev. (?)
Metadata
Play
All's Well That Ends Well
Author
Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev. (?)
Year (catalogued)
1623
First performance
1603
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragicomedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Widdow. | Wid.
Words
431
Characters
2282
Typicality
0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11954.12
BritDrama no.
1461
Cluster
Cluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Nay come, For if they do approach the City, We shall lose all the sighed. I have told my neighbour How you have been solicited by a Gentleman His Companion. It is reported, That he has taken their greatest Commander, And that with his own hand he slew The Dukes brother: we have lost our labour, They are gone a contrary way hark, you may know by their Trumpets. I hope so: look here comes a pilgrim, I know she will lie at my house, thither they send one another, I'll question her. God save you pilgrim, whither are bound? At the S. Francis here beside the Port. I marry is't. Hark you, they come this way: If you will tarry holy Pilgrim But till the troops come by, I will conduct you where you shall be lodged, The rather for I think I know your hostess As ample as my self. If you shall please so Pilgrim. you came I think from France ? Here you shall see a Countryman of yours That has done worthy service. I write good creature, wheresoever she is, Her heart weighs sadly: this young maid might do her A shrewd turn if she pleased. He does indeed, And brokes with all that can in such a suit Corrupt the tender honour of a Maid: But she is armed for him, and keeps her guard In honestest defence. So, now they come: That is Anthonio the Dukes eldest son, That Escalus. Marry hang you. The troop is passed: Come pilgrim, I will bring you, Where you shall host: Of enjoined penitents There's four or five, to great S. Jaques bound, Already at my house. Though my estate be fallen, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with these businesses, And would not put my reputation now In any staining act. I should believe you, For you have showed me that which well approves you are great in fortune. Now I see the bottom of your purpose. I have yielded: Instruct my daughter how she shall persever, That time and place with this deceit so lawful May prove coherent. Every night he comes With Musics of all sorts, and songs composed To her unworthiness: It nothing steeds us To chide him from our eeues, for he persists As if his life lay on't. Gentle Madam, You never had a servant to whose trust Your business was more welcome. Lord how we lose our pains. I am her Mother sir, whose age and honour Both suffer under this complaint we bring, And both shall cease, without your remedy.
Plot summary
Plot — All's Well That Ends Well
When Béftrami’s father dies, he becomes a royal ward, and is summoned to court. H@léfhi loves him and is sad to see him go, but knows she can never have him because of the disparity in their rank. Phe@uDowager (@GuntEesS learns of her love and permits her to go to court and use her father’s medical knowledge, passed on to her on his deathbed, to cure the King of the fistula which afflicts him. ‘The Kimig has been advised to remain neutral in the war between Florence and Siena, but allows his lords to join on either side; Bertram, however, is deemed too young and required to stay at court. Helen wagers her life on the efficacy of her cure, and asks as her reward to be allowed her own choice of husband. She successfully heals the fistula and selects Bertram. He protests vehemently, but the King browbeats him into marriage. Rather than consummate the union, however, he runs away to the war and sends Helen word that he will only acknowledge her as his wife if she gets the ring from his finger and presents him with a child which he has lawfully begotten on her. She takes herself off, leaving word that she is going on a pilgrimage. Bertram acquits himself well in battle, but his companion Paroles allows the company’s drum to be captured by the Sienese. Passing through Florence, Helen encounters a widow whose daughter, Diama, is being solicited by Bertram for sex. She arranges for the widow to agree, on condition that Bertram gives up his ring; Helen then takes Diana’s place in bed, has sex with her husband, and exchanges rings with him. Meanwhile Paroles insists on trying to recover the lost drum, intending to return with no drum and a heroic story of insurmountable obstacles. He is ambushed by Florentine soldiers posing as the enemy, blindfolded, and put in fear of his life; under interrogation, he betrays the Florentine army’s military secrets and makes some uncomplimentary remarks about Bertram, only to find when the blindfold is removed that his captors are Florentines and that Bertram is present. With the war coming to an end, Bertram returns to France. Since Helen is presumed dead, he makes preparations to marry again, and sends his proposed fiancée his ring. The King identifies it as the ring he himself gave to Helen. Diana arrives, claiming the right to marry him after their supposed night together in Florence, and produces his own ring as proof. Bertram attempts to lie his way out of the situation, but is repeatedly caught out. Diana introduces Helen,…