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INSIDE THE GUIDE
SETTING THE STAGE
A Note to Teachers and Parents
preparing for the play
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About the Playwright . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended Reading. . . . . . . . . .
Pre-Show Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . .
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ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Dear Educators and Parents,
We are thrilled to have you join our Young Company's production of ALL'S WELL
THAT ENDS WELL, a one-sided romance based on a tale from Boccaccio's
"The Decameron."
FOR TEACHERS
Curriculum connections
before or after the play
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. . . . . . 6
Shakespeare's Common Tongue. . . . 7
The Characters in
All's Well That Ends Well. . . . . . . . . . 8
Enclosed in this Enrichment Guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help
you discover connections within the play through the curricula. It is our hope that you
will use the experience of attending the theater and seeing ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS
WELL with your students as a teaching tool. As educators, you know best the needs
and abilities of your students. Use this guide to best serve your children – pick and
choose, or adapt any of these suggestions for discussions or activities.
Enjoy the show!
Marriage Customs Throughout
the Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Clowning Around. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rhyming Couplets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Living Pictures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Julia Magnasco
Education Director
(414) 267-2971
Julia@firststage.org
What Happens Next? . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Women and Shakespeare. . . . . . . . 14
CURTAIN CALL
Post-Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Who Said It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Who Said it? (ANSWERS) . . . . . . . . 16
First Stage Policies
• The use of recording equipment and cameras are not permitted during
the performance.
• Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted during the performance.
• Electronic devices are not permitted in the theater space.
• Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem,
please escort him or her out of the theater space.
• In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on
and the stage manager will come on stage to inform the audience of the
problem. Remain in your seats, visually locate the nearest exit and wait for
the stage manager to guide your group from the theater.
Seating for people with special needs: If you have special seating needs for
any student(s) and did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets,
please call our Assistant Patron Services Manager at (414) 267-2962. Our
knowledge of your needs will enable us to serve you better upon your arrival to
the theater.
Setting the Stage Synopsis
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL was most likely written
between 1603 and 1604.
pretending they can only speak through an interpreter.
Parolles gives away military secrets in exchange for his life.
In doing so, he falls out of Bertram’s favor. Bertram goes
to Diana that night, gives her his ring, and lies with Helena.
News comes from the Duke of Florence’s court that
Helena has died on her pilgrimage. Hearing this, Bertram
decides to return to Rousillon. Meanwhile, Helena, Diana,
and her mother set off to find the King. They discover he is
on his way to Rousillon and head there themselves.
We begin in Rousillon, where a Countess and her son
Bertram live. Bertram has become a ward of the state, and
thus the King of France since his father, the count, has
died. He leaves for Paris to join the court of the King. The
Countess also has a ward; the young orphan Helena, who
was the daughter of a famous physician. She is hopelessly
in love with Bertram, but feels they can never be together
because of her low social status and his higher rank. The
King of France however, has fallen ill, and no doctor can
seem to cure him. Helena decides to go to the King and
use her father’s remaining medicines to make him well.
The Countess, now knowing of her love of Bertram, supports Helena in her endeavor.
The Countess has also heard of Helena’s death, and
that Bertram and the King of France are on their way to
her household. A trustworthy lord, Lafew, proposes that
Bertram marry his daughter, and the Countess agrees.
Parolles arrives at Roussilon before the rest of the men and
tries to persuade Lafew into taking him into his service.
Despite Lafew’s misgivings about the man, he agrees.
The King has sent all of his young lords and soldiers
to fight in the Florentine War, except Bertram, who he
requested stay with him in Paris. Helena arrives and
declares she can cure the King. He agrees to let her try:
if she fails, she will be sentenced to death, and if she succeeds, Helena will be able to choose her husband from
any man in the realm. Helena does in fact cure the king,
and chooses Bertram as her husband. He is appalled at
the match, despite the King’s endorsement, and makes
plans to flee to the wars as soon as he can. His friend
Parolles, a shifty fellow, joins him. Once Bertram decides
to leave, Parolles finds Helena and tell her she is to return
to Rousillon.
Finally, everyone has arrived at Rousillon and are mourning
Helena’s death. The King also agrees to the match with
Lafew’s daughter, but notices a ring on Bertram’s finger.
The King says that he personally gave that ring to Helena
(who had given it to Diana to give to Bertram). Bertram
cannot explain where he got the ring, but luckily Diana
and her mother appear to explain things. Diana produces
Bertram’s family ring and Helena appears, pregnant with
Bertram’s child. Thus having gotten a ring and a child by
him, she fulfills Bertram’s conditions. He agrees to be a
loving and loyal husband, and everyone rejoices.
Helena returns home and receives a letter from Bertram
informing her that he will never be her true husband
unless she can get his antique family ring from his finger and become pregnant with his child; both things he
is certain will never come to pass. The Countess, who
approves of the match, tries to comfort Helena, but the
young bride decides to embark on a religious pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, Bertram has been made a general in the Duke
of Florence’s army.
On her way to the shrine of St. James, Helena encounters a young girl and her mother, a widow. She discovers
that her husband has been trying to seduce the young
girl, Diana, despite her virgin pleas. Helena, with the help
of Diana and her mother, come up with a plan to trick
Bertram: he will give Diana his family ring as a token of his
love, and when he comes into her room that night, it will
be Helena he makes love to in the bed, and not Diana.
Meanwhile, other lords have been trying to convince
Bertram of Parolles’s deceptive and manipulative nature.
They pretend to be enemy soldiers and capture him,
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About the Playwright: William Shakespeare
Taken directly from http://www.firststage.org/Documents/First%20Stage%20PDFs/Enrichment%20Guides/Hamlet-EG-2015.pdf
William Shakespeare was born six years into the reign of
England’s illustrious Queen Elizabeth I. The child of John
Shakespeare, a glover (glovemaker) and a sometime-holder
of public office in the city of Stratford-upon-Avon, and his
wife Mary Arden Shakespeare, William was baptized on April
26, 1564 at Holy Trinity Church. (Scholars assign his birthdate
as April 23 given the tradition at the time of baptizing a child
a few days after birth.) As the son of an elected city official,
William was able to attend grammar school and might have
been a student at King Edward VI’s New School. He might
have been able to attend university after this early education
but for his father’s business, which began to suffer financially
and prevented William’s continued study. William married
Anne Hathaway in 1582, and the couple welcomed a daughter,
Susanna, six months later. Twins Judith and Hamnet arrived
in 1585. Shortly thereafter, Shakespeare departed for London
to earn a living through the stage. Sometime before 1592, he
began writing plays and working as a player (actor). Making
a lawful living as a player, not to mention working in an outdoor playhouse (theatre) instead of having to travel to town inn
yards and guildhalls, was still a relatively new phenomenon in
England, so Shakespeare was essentially a rifter: a talent in
the right place at the right time, just when the extent of his talents were ripe to be employed. Between 1592-1594, he turned
out over 150 sonnets and longer poems while the playhouses
were closed due to plague. When playhouses reopened in
1594, Shakespeare’s prolific playwriting career accelerated. As a sharer or partner with the company of the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men, Shakespeare wrote, acted, and shared in the company’s expenses and profits. He averaged writing about two plays a year during his London career. His and his fellows’ business thrived. The company was soon
profitable enough that Shakespeare was able to purchase New Place, Stratford’s second-largest house, by 1597, and
to apply for a coat of arms. He earned the admiration of Queen Elizabeth and the jealousy of university-educated
poets. When James VI of Scotland, Elizabeth’s cousin, became King James I of England upon her death in 1603,
he decided to assume the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and renamed the company the King’s Men.
Shakespeare retired to Stratford-uponAvon in 1611 though there is evidence that he traveled back to London for business. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church, where he had been baptized.
He was 52 years old.
Pre-Show questions
1. Helena fears she will never marry Bertram because of his higher social status. Discuss status as it relates to marriage, work, privilege, etc.
2. Helena devotes herself to pursuing Bertram, even though he doesn’t seem to love her back. What sacrifices do
we make for love? How would you feel if you were in Helena’s position? What about Bertram?
3. ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL is often compared to fairy tales or folktales. What are the elements of these
types of stories? What are the similarities or connections to the play? Discuss before seeing the play and continue the discussion afterwards, seeing if you can find any more connections off the page.
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Recommended Reading
Resources for Students and Teachers Dissecting the Text
Cohen, Robert. Acting In Shakespeare. Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountain View, California, 1991.
Colaianni, Louis. Shakespeare’s Names: A New Pronouncing Dictionary. New York: Drama Publishers, an
imprint of Quite Specific Media Group Ltd., 1999.
Crystal, David and Crystal, Ben. Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary & Language Companion. New York:
Penguin Group, 2002.
Edelstein, Barry. Thinking Shakespeare. New York: Spark Publishing, 2007.
Partridge, Eric. Shakespeare’s Bawdy. London: Routledge, 2000.
Schmidt, Alexander. Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1971.
Resources for Teachers and In-Depth Study
Frye, Northrop. Northrop Frye on Shakespeare. New Haven, 1986.
Garber, Marjorie. Shakespeare After All. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004.
Gibson, Rex, ed. Cambridge School Shakespeare. (Available in the United States through Cambridge
University Press, 40 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10011. Telephone: 212-924-3900.)
Goddard, Harold C. The Meaning of Shakespeare. Chicago, 1951.
Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. New York, 2004.
O’Brien, Peggy, Shakespeare Set Free. New York, 1993. (Play-specific aids have been published.)
Robinson, Randal. Unlocking Shakespeare’s Language: Help for the Teacher and Student. Urbana, IL: NCTE
and ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, 1989.
Tillyard, E.M.W. The Elizabethan World Picture. New York
Online Resources
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html
Teaching Shakespeare (from information to lesson plans submitted by educators):
The Folger Shakespeare Library http://folger.edu
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (site of the newly reconstructed Globe in London)
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/
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Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Taken directly from: http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html
Shakespeare's company erected the storied Globe Theatre circa 1599 in London's
Bankside district. It was one of four major theatres in the area, along with the Swan, the
Rose, and the Hope. The open-air, polygonal amphitheater rose three stories high with a
diameter of approximately 100 feet, holding a seating capacity of up to 3,000 spectators.
The rectangular stage platform on which the plays were performed was nearly 43 feet
wide and 28 feet deep. This staging area probably housed trap doors in its flooring and
primitive rigging overhead for various stage effects.
The story of the original Globe's construction might be worthy of a Shakespearean play
of its own. The Lord Chamberlain's Men had been performing in the Theatre, built by
James Burbage (the father of Richard Burbage) in 1576. In 1597, although the company
technically owned the Theatre, their lease on the land on which it stood expired. Their
landlord, Giles Allen, desired to tear the Theatre down. This led the company to purchase property at Blackfriars in Upper Frater Hall, which they bought for £600 and set
about converting for theatrical use.
Unfortunately, their aristocratic neighbors complained to the Privy Council about the plans
for Blackfriars. Cuthbert Burbage tried to renegotiate the Theatre lease with Giles Allen in
autumn of 1598; Allen vowed to put the wood and timber of the building "to better use."
Richard and Cuthbert learned of his plans and set in motion a plot of their own. It seems that the company's lease had contained
a provision allowing them to dismantle the building themselves.
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Globe_Theater.html
In late December of 1598, Allen left London for the countryside. The Burbage brothers, their chief carpenter, and a party of
workmen assembled at the Theatre on the night of December 28. The men stripped the Theatre down to its foundation, moved
the materials across the Thames to Bankside, and proceeded to use them in constructing the Globe.
The endeavor was not without controversy. A furious Giles Allen later sued Peter Street, the Burbage's carpenter, for £800 in
damages. The courts found in favor of the Lord Chamberlain's Men and ordered Allen to desist from any further legal wrangling.
The Globe would play host to some of Shakespeare's greatest works over the next decade. In an ironic epilogue, the troupe
won the right in 1609 to produce plays at Blackfriars, and subsequently split time between there and the Globe.
In 1613, the original Globe Theatre burned to the ground
when a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII
ignited the thatched roof of the gallery. The company completed a new Globe on the foundations of its predecessor
before Shakespeare's death. It continued operating until
1642, when the Puritans closed it down (and all the other
theatres, as well as any place, for that matter, where people might be entertained). Puritans razed the building two
years later in 1644 to build tenements upon the premises.
The Globe would remain a ghost for the next 352 years.
The foundations of the Globe were rediscovered in 1989,
rekindling interest in a fitful attempt to erect a modern version of the amphitheater. Led by the vision of the late Sam
Wanamaker, workers began construction in 1993 on the
new theatre near the site of the original. The latest Globe
Theatre was completed in 1996; Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the theatre on June 12, 1997 with a production of Henry V. The Globe is as faithful a reproduction as possible to
the Elizabethan model, seating 1,500 people between the galleries and the "groundlings." In its initial 1997 season, the theatre
attracted 210,000 patrons.
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SHAKESPEARE'S COMMON TONGUE
Taken with permission from The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, All’s Well That Ends Well Study Guide: http://www.shakespearenj.org/SeasonsPast/2010/show4/AWTEW%20study%20guide.pdf
Terms and Phrases Found In ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
ACT I
fistula – abscess
manners – morals
capable of – receptive to
setting down before you – laying siege to you
approved – proven
sick for breathing –hungry for exercise
curious – careful
exception – disapproval
plausive – commendable
snuff – the charred portion of a lamp wick which causes
it to sputter rather than burning evenly
barnes – children (from the Scottish bairns)
quoth ‘a – says he
many-colored Iris – the Greek goddess of the rainbow
(here used to metaphorically describe a teardrop)
fondness – foolishness
clew – a ball of string
ACT III
surfeit on their ease – grow ill from excessive leisure
stomach – appetite
woman me – make me cry
Saint Jaques’ pilgrim – a pilgrim to the shrine of St.
James (at Compostela, Spain)
despiteful Juno – in Greek and Roman myth, the goddess Juno persecuted Hercules by sending him on
twelve dangerous quests
honesty – chastity
palmers – pilgrims (so called because medieval pilgrims to
Palestine brought back a palm leaf folded into a cross as a
symbol of their devotion)
fetch off his drum – to lose a drum in battle was a military disgrace
John Drum’s entertainment – i.e., a beating
hic jacet – Latin for “here lies” (the standard beginning of
an epitaph)
took this lark for a bunting – underestimated (a lark
being a much larger bird than a bunting)
ACT II
after well-enter’d soldiers – after gaining experience
owes – owns
questant – seeker
kept a coil – bothered, annoyed
received – fashionable
Cressid’s uncle – in the tale of Troilus and Cressida,
Cressida’s uncles, Pandarus, served as their go-between
appliance – service, treatment
credit – reputation
set up your rest – stake everything (a term from gambling)
square our guess by shows – decide based on appearances
Galen... Paracelsus – famous physicians
facinerious – villainous
ames-ace – in dice, two ones (or “snake eyes”); i.e. the
lowest possible roll, a bad circumstance
kicky-wicky – woman (but with an obscene implication)
capriccio – caprice, whim
well – in Shakespeare’s time, “well-off” was a euphemism for having passed away
took this lark for a bunting – underestimated (a lark
being a much larger bird than a bunting)
ACT IV
linsey-woolsey – nonsense (literally, a coarse linenwoolen fabric)
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The Characters in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Taken with permission from Yale Repertory Theatre, Across the Boards: Will Power! Alls Well That Ends Well Study Guide: http://www.yalerep.org/about_rep/willpower/alls_well_study_guide.pdf
advisor to
HELENA
daughter of famed physician
Gerard de Narbon;
adopted by the Countess;
in love with Bertram
gets help from
LORD LAFEW
[luh FYOO]
trusted advisor to the King
KING OF FRANCE
ruler of France; dying of an
incurable disease
goes to heal
LOVES
on
up
s
te
do
DIANA
young, chaste Florentine girl;
the object of Bertram’s wooing
DUKE OF FLORENCE
Commander of Florentine Army
THE DUMAINE BROTHERS
[dyoo MANE]
lords in service of the King
T
MARIANA
[MAR ee AH nah]
Florentine friend of the Widow
C
goes to serv
r e
BERTRAM
young Count of Rossillion;
son of the Countess;
Helena’s brother by adoption
PAROLLES
[puh ROLL eez]
companion of Bertram; a
rascal; his name means
“words”
WIDOW CAPILET
)ORUHQWLQH'LDQD¶VPRWKHU
LAVATCH
[luh VAHTCH]
clown of the Countess
mother of
friend of
friend of
adoptive mother of
COUNTESS OF ROSSILLION
[ruh SILL yun]
widowed mother of Bertram;
foster mother to Helena;
friend of the King of France
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FRENCH LORDS
SOLIDIE
Marriage Customs Throughout the Ages
Adapted from grief practices: http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/hamlet/guide.cfm
Initiate a discussion about marriage in
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL; Helena
takes a very unconventional route finding
her husband, and they are considered
married when the King has them hold
hands in his presence. In this project,
students will give oral reports on marriage
customs throughout history.
1. Brainstorm a list of questions about
marriage, for example: what are the
customs leading up to a ceremony?
Do these vary from culture to culture?
What are the components of a marriage
ceremony, as we know it in America
today? Ask the class to name cultures
or time periods that they would like to
learn more about.
2. Divide the class into small groups and
assign each a different culture or time
period. Encourage the students to find
artistic or visual expressions of love and
marriage (ex: where did the ring symbol
come from?)
3. After they finish their research, have each group present to the rest of the class.
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Clowning Around
Information taken directly from: http://www.houseofideas.com/mscornelius/resources/hamlet/shakespeares_clowns_and_fools__introduction_277211-.pdf
http://blog.roundabouttheatre.org/2014/07/02/shakespearean-clowns/
http://whatsitallaboutshakespeare.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-does-it-take-to-be-shakespearean.html
Clowns, or fools, appear in 22 of Shakespeare’s close to 40 known works. They are the characters that
tend to break the rules; speaking to the audience, providing commentary to onstage action, and living
outside of the rigid social hierarchy that existed in Shakespeare’s time.
Clowns and fools are not a Shakespearean creation however; they are a dramatic archetype, which has
been used throughout the history of theatre. Shakespeare’s clowns evolved out of the character “Vice,”
a comedic tempter in Medieval festivals and morality plays, and from the European tradition of wealthy
households employing court jesters who entertained their employers with verbal wit, song, tricks, and
wisdom.
The title ‘fool’ or ‘clown’ is misleading in our modern perception; we tend to think of someone with that
title an idiot. In Shakespeare’s time, a fool was just another name for a comedian. In fact, the fool is
often quite perceptive and witty.
Although a key part of the fool’s role is to provide laughter, they have always carried important social
and political messages. Taking many forms, Shakespearean fools may be generally divided into two
categories: the clown, a general term that was originally intended to designate a rustic or otherwise
uneducated individual whose dramatic purpose was to evoke laughter with his ignorance; and the
courtly fool or jester, in whom wit and pointed satire accompany low comedy.
You could say that Shakespeare’s fools and
clowns have a simplistic view of the world, but
that is not to say they are simple-minded. They
just have a way of cutting through all the crap and
getting right to the heart of a subject. That is what
makes them so invaluable to a playwright.
Discuss the fool in ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS
WELL, if familiar enough with the play. What
function does he seem to serve? Does his
language differ from the other characters?
Who would this character most appeal to in
Shakespeare’s audience?
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Rhyming Couplets
Taken directly from: http://www.firststage.org/Documents/First%20Stage%20PDFs/Enrichment%20Guides/Hamlet-EG-2015.pdf
As with modern spoken word poets, page poets, and hip hop artists, Shakespeare used the device of
rhyme to achieve something very particular for his audience’s ears. Lines of verse in Shakespeare may
rhyme for any number of reasons, from pure style to indicating the end of a scene. In some cases,
characters whose verse lines rhyme with another’s immediately before are either in great sympathy, “on
the same page,” with the other or are trying to win a game of wits.
ACTIVITY
With partners in class, practice Shakespeare’s verse line formula by making up one line as follows. Called
iambic pentameter, a verse pattern of five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables, this
meter closely imitates the human heartbeat and is in addition very similar to the natural rhythms of English
speakers. (It’s actually quite helpful for actors trying to memorize lines!)
Here is an example: “We went to see a tragedy today.”
When speaking this line, we naturally stress every other syllable:
U /
U / U / U / U /
We WENT | to SEE | a TRA | geDY | toDAY.
Now that you’ve made up one line, you can make up another! Choose a topic—any school subject, any
school event, the field trip to ROMEO AND JULIET, another film, etc. One partner should make up the
first line. It can be a question or a statement about the topic and it should use Shakespeare’s meter—the
unit of the iamb (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed) multiplied five times to create a verse line
like the one above. The second partner should listen to the statement and try to respond with not only a
second line that makes sense and follows the meter, but one whose last word also rhymes with the last
word of the first line. Voila! Partners have created a rhyming couplet.
EXTENSION
Take the conversation farther. Can this series of verse lines be extended into a whole conversation?
Create some stichomythia by alternating several lines—with a series of one-liners, partners can really show
off their verbal wit!
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Living Pictures
Taken directly from: http://americanplayers.org/assets/documents/Alls_Well_Study_Guide.pdf
This exercise offers a way to clarify the relationships between characters in particular scenes by visually
demonstrating them.
1. After several readings of ACT II SCENE III through the King’s exit, discuss the content. Have the
class list major occurrences of the scene. The list might include: the conversation between Helena
and her suitors, Bertram‘s reaction to Helena’s proposal, the King‘s response to Bertram’s rejection,
the conversation between Lafew and Parolles, etc.
2.Pick two students to portray Lafew and Parolles. Let other students arrange them in poses that
portray how they feel about each other. Try several different poses. Next add students for the King
and Helena.
3. While the students hold their poses, have others read the scene out loud. If the class feels any part
of the picture doesn‘t reflect what is said, adjust the pose and read the lines again.
4. Pick four other students to play the three lords and Bertram. Pose them to show their different
opinions of Helena. Try different poses, including some in which they are interested in Helena, and
some where they are not. Some in which Bertram realizes she intends to choose him, and some in
which he is oblivious, etc.
5. When the class is satisfied with a pose for these characters, freeze the living picture while students
read the lines again. Poll the class to assure that they find the pose appropriate to the lines.
6. Ask students to set up living pictures of some of the other significant moments that occur in the play.
Encourage them to explain the reasons for particular choices in the poses.
7. List the plot and character
elements that are most
important for determining
poses that also work well with
the lines. Discuss the basic
relationships that exist among
Lafew, the King, Helena,
Bertram and Parolles.
8. Ask students to pick one
character and write a
description of his or her
relationships to the others.
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What Happens Next?
Adapted from http://shakespearenj.org/SeasonsPast/2010/show4/AWTEW%20study%20guide.pdf
Bertram and Helena end up together in the end, but then the action stops! What if their story continued?
Write a short story, play script, or plot summary of your proposed sequel to ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS
WELL, staying true to the characters as Shakespeare created them. How do things turn out for the lovers?
Do Helena and Diana stay friends? What about the King and the Countess? Does Parolles stay true to his
new master, Lafew? Where does the fool end up? Brainstorm some more questions to consider and send
the students on their writing way.
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Women and Shakespeare
Information taken directly from: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/interactive/2012/dec/10/shakespeare-women-interactive
Shakespeare wrote 38 plays (we think), with a total of 981 characters. Only 155 of those characters were
women; that’s 16%!
During the time that Shakespeare was writing, a single woman (Elizabeth) was ruling England, but society
was still extremely patriarchal. Women weren’t allowed to be actors, which meant that young boys played
all the female roles in his plays; from Juliet to Queen Margaret to Helena, the protagonist of ALL’S WELL
THAT ENDS WELL.
Despite the seeming lack of female roles in his plays, Shakespeare wrote extremely complex and
interesting women. Helena and the Countess are proactive, intelligent, and multifaceted women. Discuss
why this might be and what it might say about Shakespeare’s own opinion of women.
1. For this activity, have each student pick a famous woman from history or another character from a
Shakespeare play (Juliet, Gertrude, Beatrice, Portia, etc.).
2. If they choose a woman from history, have them write a short research paper about their lives or
accomplishments, maybe even the
challenges they faced during their life.
3. If they choose a character from
another play, have them read the
play (or major scenes) and discuss
the characterization. How does the
character fit into the plot, how are their
actions motivation, what do they want,
how does this compare to Helena in All’s
Well That Ends Well, etc. This may be
the harder choice, but it would be very
interesting to do a comparison of the
different women Shakespeare created.
They are all interesting and important in
their own ways.
4. Submit the research paper. Have each
student share a few facts about their
chosen woman or reflect on what
they’ve learned in front of the class.
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Who said it?
1. I am undone: there is no living, none, if Bertram be away.
2. Welcome, count; my son’s no dearer.
3. My friends were poor, but honest; so’s my love.
4. I am commanded here, and keep a coil with ‘too young’ and ‘the next year’ and ‘tis too early.’
5. I will show myself highly fed and lowly taught: I know my business is but to the court.
6. Too be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in question, hoping to be wiser by your answer.
7. I cannot love her, not will strive to do’t.
8. To the wars, my boy, to the wars!
9. Come, night; end, day! For with the dark, poor thief, I’ll steal away.
10.No legacy is so rich as honesty.
11. What angel shall bless this unworthy husband?
12. But a drum! Is’t ‘but a drum?’ A drum so lost!
13.All’s well that ends well ye, though time seem so adverse and means unfit.
14. Damnable both-sides rogue!
15.My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched.
16.Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.
17. He knows I am no maid, and he’ll swear to’t; I’ll swear I am a maid and he knows not. Great king, I am no strumpet, by
my life; I am either maid, or else this old man’s wife.
18.So here’s my riddle: one that’s dead is quick: and now behold the meaning.
19.Will you be mine, now you are doubly won?
20.All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, the bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.
POST-SHOW QUESTIONS
1. Deception occurs many times in the play. How does this deception move the plot? Is it justified? How do the characters try to justify their actions through the course of the play? What ethical dilemmas are caused or solved?
2. Which character do you most admire after seeing the play? Which do you least admire? Why?
3. ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL is considered a comedy, though many scholars call it a “problem play.” What
might make it more of a “problem?” How is the ending of All’s Well different from another comedy, for example,
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM?
4. How do you feel about the ending of the play? Satisfied? Dissatisfied? Have any of the characters grown or changed?
5. Many times plays from Shakespeare’s time depict the older generation as repressive against the younger generation. How are the generational differences portrayed in this play? How do the Countess and the King help or fail
to the younger characters?
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Who said it? (Answers)
1. I am undone: there is no living, none, if Bertram be away.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HELENA
2. Welcome, count; my son’s no dearer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
KING
3. My friends were poor, but honest; so’s my love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HELENA
4. I am commanded here, and keep a coil with ‘too young’ and ‘the next year’ and ‘tis too early.’. . . . . . . . . BERTRAM
5. I will show myself highly fed and lowly taught: I know my business is but to the court..
. . . . . . . . . . . FOOL/CLOWN
6. Too be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in question, hoping to be wiser by your answer. . . . . . . . COUNTESS
7. I cannot love her, not will strive to do’t.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BERTRAM
8. To the wars, my boy, to the wars! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PAROLLES
9. Come, night; end, day! For with the dark, poor thief, I’ll steal away.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HELENA
10.No legacy is so rich as honesty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MARIANA
11. What angel shall bless this unworthy husband? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COUNTESS
12. But a drum! Is’t ‘but a drum?’ A drum so lost! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PAROLLES
13.All’s well that ends well ye, though time seem so adverse and means unfit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HELENA
14. Damnable both-sides rogue! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BERTRAM
15.My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.
PAROLLES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KING
17. He knows I am no maid, and he’ll swear to’t; I’ll swear I am a maid and he knows not. Great king, I am no strumpet, by
my life; I am either maid, or else this old man’s wife. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DIANA
18.So here’s my riddle: one that’s dead is quick: and now behold the meaning.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIANA
19.Will you be mind, no you are doubly won?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HELENA
20.All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, the bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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KING