William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well is a play by William Shakespeare it is listed among the comedies. The play is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays"; a play that poses complex ethical dilemmas that require more than typically simple solutions. There is no evidence that All's Well That Ends Well was popular in Shakespeare's own lifetime in part due to its unorthodox mixture of fairy tale logic, gender role reversals and cynical realism. Helena's love for the seemingly unlovable Bertram is difficult to explain on the page, but in performance it can be made acceptable by casting an actor of obvious physical attraction or by playing him as a naive and innocent figure not yet ready for love although, as both Helena and the audience can see, capable of emotional growth. This latter interpretation also assists at the point in the final scene in which Bertram suddenly switches from hatred to love in just one line. This is considered a particular problem for actors trained to admire psychological realism. However, some alternative readings emphasise the "if" in his equivocal promise: "If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly." Here, there has been no change of heart at all.