December 11 & 18, 2015E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

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."

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!

Julia MagnascoEducation Director(414) 267-2971Julia@firststage.org

SETTING THE STAGEpreparing for the play

Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3About the Playwright . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . 5Pre-Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

FOR TEACHERSCurriculum connectionsbefore or after the play

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre . . . . . 6

Shakespeare's Common Tongue . . . 7

The Characters in All's Well That Ends Well . . . . . . . . . 8

Marriage Customs Throughout the Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Clowning Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Rhyming Couplets . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Living Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

What Happens Next? . . . . . . . . . . 13

Women and Shakespeare . . . . . . . 14

CURTAIN CALL

Post-Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . 15Who Said It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Who 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.

INSIDE THE GUIDE A Note to Teachers and Parents

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ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL was most likely written between 1603 and 1604.

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, sup-ports Helena in her endeavor.

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 suc-ceeds, 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.

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 fin-ger 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 encoun-ters 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,

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.

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.

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.

Setting the Stage Synopsis

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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 out-door 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 tal-ents 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 writ-ing 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 busi-ness. 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.

Taken directly from http://www.firststage.org/Documents/First%20Stage%20PDFs/Enrichment%20Guides/Hamlet-EG-2015.pdf

About the Playwright: William Shakespeare

Pre-Show questions 1. Helena fears she will never marry Bertram because of his higher social status. Discuss status as it relates to mar-

riage, 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 con-tinue the discussion afterwards, seeing if you can find any more connections off the page.

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Resources for Students and Teachers Dissecting the TextCohen, 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 ResourcesThe 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/

Recommended Reading

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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 pur-chase 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.

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 com-pleted 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 peo-ple 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 ver-sion 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 offi-cially 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.

Taken directly from: http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Globe_Theater.html

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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

SHAKESPEARE'S COMMON TONGUE

Terms and Phrases Found In ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELLACT I

fistula – abscessmanners – morals

capable of – receptive tosetting down before you – laying siege to you

approved – provensick for breathing –hungry for exercise

curious – carefulexception – disapprovalplausive – 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 – foolishnessclew – a ball of string

ACT IIafter well-enter’d soldiers – after gaining experience

owes – ownsquestant – seeker

kept a coil – bothered, annoyedreceived – fashionable

Cressid’s uncle – in the tale of Troilus and Cressida, Cressida’s uncles, Pandarus, served as their go-between

appliance – service, treatmentcredit – reputation

set up your rest – stake everything (a term from gam-bling)

square our guess by shows – decide based on appearancesGalen... Paracelsus – famous physicians

facinerious – villainousames-ace – in dice, two ones (or “snake eyes”); i.e. the

lowest possible roll, a bad circumstancekicky-wicky – woman (but with an obscene implication)

capriccio – caprice, whimwell – in Shakespeare’s time, “well-off” was a euphe-

mism for having passed awaytook this lark for a bunting – underestimated (a lark

being a much larger bird than a bunting)

ACT IIIsurfeit on their ease – grow ill from excessive leisure

stomach – appetitewoman 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 god-dess Juno persecuted Hercules by sending him on

twelve dangerous questshonesty – 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 mili-

tary disgraceJohn 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 IVlinsey-woolsey – nonsense (literally, a coarse linen-

woolen fabric)

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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

The Characters in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

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KING OF FRANCE

ruler of France; dying of an

incurable disease

COUNTESS OF ROSSILLION

[ruh SILL yun]

widowed mother of Bertram;

foster mother to Helena;

friend of the King of France

LORD LAFEW

[luh FYOO]

trusted advisor to the King

BERTRAM

young Count of Rossillion;

son of the Countess;

Helena’s brother by adoption

HELENA

daughter of famed physician

Gerard de Narbon;

adopted by the Countess;

in love with Bertram

PAROLLES

[puh ROLL eez]

companion of Bertram; a

rascal; his name means

“words”WIDOW CAPILET

DIANA

young, chaste Florentine girl;

the object of Bertram’s wooing

frie

nd

of

dotes upon

LAVATCH[luh VAHTCH]

clown of the Countess

THE DUMAINE BROTHERS[dyoo MANE]

lords in service of the King

DUKE OF FLORENCECommander of Florentine Army

MARIANA[MAR ee AH nah]

Florentine friend of the Widow

FRENCH LORDS

SOLIDIE

mother of

frie

nd

of

goes to servrr egoes to heal

LOVES

advisor to

T C

ge

tsh

elp

fro

m

adoptive mother of

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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.

Adapted from grief practices: http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/hamlet/guide.cfm

Marriage Customs Throughout the Ages

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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?

Information taken directly from: http://www.houseofideas.com/mscornelius/resources/hamlet/shakespeares_clowns_and_fools__introduction_277211-.pdfhttp://blog.roundabouttheatre.org/2014/07/02/shakespearean-clowns/http://whatsitallaboutshakespeare.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-does-it-take-to-be-shakespearean.html

Clowning Around

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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.

ACTIVITYWith 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.

EXTENSIONTake 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!

Taken directly from: http://www.firststage.org/Documents/First%20Stage%20PDFs/Enrichment%20Guides/Hamlet-EG-2015.pdf

Rhyming Couplets

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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.

Taken directly from: http://americanplayers.org/assets/documents/Alls_Well_Study_Guide.pdf

Living Pictures

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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.

Adapted from http://shakespearenj.org/SeasonsPast/2010/show4/AWTEW%20study%20guide.pdf

What Happens Next?

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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.

Information taken directly from: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/interactive/2012/dec/10/shakespeare-women-interactive

Women and Shakespeare

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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.

Who said it?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS 1. Deception occurs many times in the play. How does this deception move the plot? Is it justified? How do the char-

acters 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 genera-tion. 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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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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAROLLES

16. Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KING

Who said it? (Answers)