All’s well that ends well

“All’s Well That Ends Well” is what is referred to as a problem comedy. The term would not be one that Shakespeare himself would have been familiar with since originally his plays were published as Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories. Indeed, the term is a very new term coined for nineteenth century playwrights like George Bernard Shaw and Henrik Ibsen who claimed their plays tackled difficult social problems. Applying this term to Shakespeare’s plays works quite well today however.

 Almost every one of Shakespeare’s work has an undertone addressing the social life of those around him. His women are often strong characters who break the mold how women who should be, even within the confines of the rules governing woman’s behavior, they manage to manipulate their environment. His men are often confused by their role, facing dilemma of how they should proceed and who they should be. They are the ones with the wool pulled over their eyes, often by women. Shakespeare peasants often aim for greatness and his kings fall low.  Shakespeare uses clichés and common story telling devices to hide an undercurrent of social role questioning.

In “All’s Well That Ends Well” we are introduced to Helen. Helen is a bewildering contrast of perfect feminine meekness and an aggressive control. Helen loves Bertram but Bertram will have nothing to do with her. The entire play centers one her forcing him to do as she wants in the only ways she can as a woman of the time.

Helen herself would like to think she is the perfect women. Ultimately she thinks she wants to be married to Bertram; she wants him to be her lord. “I dare not say I take you; but I give /Me and my service, ever whilst I live,/ Into your guiding power. This is the man.”

To do this however, she must take things into her own hands. “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, /Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky /Gives us free scope, only doth backward pull /Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull. /What power is it which mounts my love so high,” She must try to balance looking like saintly subjective women while expertly manipulating those around her, from the king to a lower class widow and her daughter.

Helen however doesn’t wish to admit to this side of herself and every time her aggressive nature takes over she says something meek and self debasing to counter it but despite this the audience is left wondering how such a obviously smart, and we are told beautiful and graceful, woman could go to all the trouble for such an idiot as Bertram. The audience keeps hoping that Helen will give in and show her true nature, or at very least give up and become the “perfect woman” for someone who would appreciate it.

Once again Shakespeare uses comedy and conflict to hide “All’s Well that Ends Well” cleverly uses a woman who desperately wants to “be as a woman should be”, married and subjected to her husband, and uses it as an excuse to make her own decisions and take control of her life.