Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well Discussion and Summary

I discuss another of Shakespeare's problem dealing with gender roles and one very determined woman.
Thanks to Mike McCubbin for his kind participation in the filming.
See below for links to other Shakespeare discussions:
Twelfth Night: January 2-8 • Shakespeare's Twelfth ... ​
Henry VI Part 1: January 10-16 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Henry VI Part 2: January 18-25 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Henry VI Part 3: January 27-February 2 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Comedy of Errors: February 4-8 • Shakespeare's Comedy o... ​
Taming of the Shrew: February 10-15 • Shakespeare's Taming o... ​
Titus Andronicus: February 17-22 • Shakespeare's Titus An... ​
Romeo and Juliet: February 24-March 2 • Shakespeare's Romeo & ... ​
• Shakespeare's Romeo & ... ​
Richard III: March 4-12 • Shakespeare's Richard ...
Julius Caesar: March 14-19 • Shakespeare's Julius C... ​
Two Gentlemen of Verona: March 21-25 • Shakespeare's Two Gent... ​
King John: March 27-April 1 • Shakespeare's King Joh... ​
Richard II: April 3-9 • Shakespeare's Richard ... ​
Venus and Adonis: April 13-17 • Shakespeare's "Venus a... ​
Hamlet: April 19-28 • Shakespeare's Hamlet: ... ​
The Rape of Lucrece: April 30-May 4 • Shakespeare's "Lucrece... ​
Sonnets 1-80: May 6-8 • Shakespeare's Sonnets ​
Bonus Episode! Sir Thomas More: • Shakespeare's Sir Thom... ​
Othello: May 11-18 • Shakespeare's Othello-... ​
Sonnets 81-154: May 20-22 • Shakespeare's Sonnets ​
Love’s Labour’s Lost: May 26-June 2 • Shakespeare's Love's L... ​
Pericles: June 4-9 • Shakespeare's Pericles... ​
Cymbeline: June 11-18 • Shakespeare's Cymbelin... ​
King Lear: June 22-30 • Shakespeare's King Lea... ​
A Lover’s Complaint: July 2 • Shakespeare's "A Lover... ​
The Passionate Pilgrim: July 3 • Shakespeare's The Pass... ​
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: July 6-10 • Shakespeare's A Midsum... ​
The Merchant of Venice: July 12-16 • Shakespeare's Merchant... ​
Bonus Episode! Love's Labour's Won: • Shakespeare's Love's L... ​
Much Ado About Nothing: July 20-26 • Shakespeare's Much Ado... ​
As You Like It: July 28-August 3 • Shakespeare's As You L... ​
Macbeth: August 5-10 • Shakespeare's MacBeth-... ​
Troilus and Cressida: August 12-20 • Shakespeare's Troilus ... ​
Antony and Cleopatra: August 22-29 • Shakespeare's Antony a...
Coriolanus: August 31-September 10 • Shakespeare's Coriolan...
All’s Well That Ends Well: September 12-19 • Shakespeare's All's We...
Measure for Measure: September 21-27 • Shakespeare's Measure ...
Henry IV Part 1: September 29-October 5 • Shakespeare's Henry IV...
The Merry Wives of Windsor: October 7-13
Henry IV Part 2: October 15-22
Henry V: October 24-31
Henry VIII: November 2-9
Edward III: November 11-17
Timon of Athens: November 19-24
The Winter’s Tale: December 1-7 • Shakespeare's The Wint...
• Shakespeare's The Wint...
The Tempest: December 9-14 • Shakespeare's The Temp... ​
The Two Noble Kinsmen: December 16-23
The Phoenix and Turtle: December 27 • Shakespeare's "The Pho...
Cardenio: • Shakespeare's Cardenio...

[@themoderndandy713]

I'm just starting to get into Shakespeare, and I appreciated this commentary! When reading, I definitely was confused about the exchange between Lafew and the other nobles. I did not pick up on the idea that he's old and unable to hear. I find that Helena is definitely a problematic character, especially with a modern lens. I actually empathize with Bertram in his rejection of Helena. Look at it like this: If someone whom you knew but had no attraction to saved the life of your state's governor, and then that governor said, "In exchange for this, I'll let you marry anyone you want!" and you were forced into an arranged marriage, would you react any differently than Bertram? "It's great that my friend helped you, but why should that mean I marry someone I don't love?" Bertram is indeed being wrongly punished by Helena's scheming! My favorite character in this play was definitely Parolles. Why? I feel like I'd be just as much of a coward as he is were I in a war! I found him more on the likable side of roguish than the villainous side, and even Lafew seems to agree by the end. His speech after being exposed was a favorite part of mine. "Sure, I may be exposed, humiliated, and my reputation ruined, but I'm alive, and I still like myself for who I am!" The morality in this play is interesting-Helena is a character we can root for but is certainly no saint, Bertram is a petulant child but hardly a full-blown villain, and Parolles, with all his faults, has a certain optimism and spirit about him that we can't help but appreciate. (Or maybe just me.)

[@varunsvs5861]

My sir, you are quite underrated... I'm glad to come across your channel

[@Nancenotes]

Thanks a lot! Glad you find it helpful!

[@ShakespearewithSarah]

I've loved this play since I saw it at the National Theatre when I was travelling many, many years ago. From what I remember, the ending was Helena and Bertram holding hands and looking very uncertain. I loved how it just sat in that discomfort and refused to turn it into an obvious happy ending. I think that's the key with this one, not shying away from the fact that people are complicated and relationships are messy!

[@Nancenotes]

Yes! Helena is so driven, but I want her to recognize that she’s managed to seal a pretty depressing deal here. I guess Bertram could get better now that he’s seen the hollowness of his previous vision, but they’re going to need some major counseling/therapy. (Who’s going to need more, them or Posthumous/Innogen?)

[@Nancenotes]

Also, how is your recovery going???

[@ShakespearewithSarah]

@@Nancenotes blurgh I would not want to be married to either of those men. Bertram is a selfish jerk but Posthumus has some deep-seated misogyny going on. My recovery is going ok. I'm 2.5 weeks in, so the pain has started to die down a bit thank goodness. Now it's mostly just focusing on how I can still live my life without being able to walk (much) or drive. It is quite inconvenient. Still, I feel grateful that it's only temporary! I'm trying to enjoy the opportunity to rest. Reading a lot. Send book recommendations my way! Though the quiet will probably cease next week once we hit school holidays. Eek!

[@Nancenotes]

Take good care of yourself! As for recommendations, have you read much James Shapiro? I read Contested Will and The Year of Lear last year, which were both fun for a Shakespeare enthusiast.

[@CamronLove]

I loved this play breakdown and would love to see more analysis

[@fantastichello7860]

You're doing a fun and great job❤

[@freydont]

Thanks, I"m seeing the play tomorrow night. Although I have acted in 20 of the plays, this one, which I had only read once 50 years ago, I know the least of in the canon. I feel prepared after watching your video.

[@gaileverett]

Thank you, very helpful reading. I've often found that it takes several readings or watchings of these plays to catch all the subtleties, and in this one I missed the emphasis on the Countess's hopes for Bertram's good behavior. Also, the way you stressed Helena trying and failing to be a passive wife, and continually "getting ideas" was something I hadn't put together yet. One thing you didn't mention, and doesn't seem to mentioned in the text until the last act, is that Bertram apparently is very young and probably impressionable. So maybe there is hope for him.

[@Nancenotes]

That’s very true, and thank God most of us grow out of our youthful stupidity. And now that he’s out of Paroles’s influence and has been properly humbled, he and Helena have a better chance than the relationships of Measure for Measure or Troilus and Cressida. Thanks for the comment!

[@MiaOrtega1111]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@IsabellaLembo]

thank you for this video!!

[@mercedessmithmusic]

This was great! So easy to follow. Thank you so much for this video, extremely helpful!

[@Nancenotes]

You’re welcome!

[@heartsalive3157]

Nice video. Thank you for the summary Tim!

[@keirysanchez8535]

I loved your enthusiasm

[@RobinSong-o2g]

A problem play is taking the format and stretching it to the limit. Ok, to clarify. That's like asking for 500 new customers, all Baptist, to buy fresh from one specific Kroger Deli, all four parts: Chinese, fried chicken, salads and sushi -- every day, for one whole year, right? No waste, no loss.

[@mrsjeffries7714]

Gotta say, something has gone wrong. The Chinese deli has been closed for a week or two now. The fried chicken is selling like hot cakes. The local Baptist have spoken.

[@keirysanchez8535]

Great video!

[@georgetimson8620]

Helena says "All's Well That Ends Well" exactly twice, once in Act IV and once in ACct V.

[@victorjimenez5903]

Tim Nance da 🐐 no 🧢

[@Noway-vj2rn]

What a prize in the end she had

[@Nancenotes]

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, I SAID. We’ll have a happy ever after if it makes us miserable for the rest of our lives!

[@RobinSong-o2g]

Well that was the question I was assigned: what's the meaning behind this guy lossing his "drum." You're saying it's a dispicably shameful act, alot like being forced to have children with your "sister."

[@jossbracero9158]