William Shakespeare

All’s Well That Ends Well

Warsaw 2019

Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I

SCENE 1. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

SCENE 2. Paris. A room in the King's palace.

SCENE 3. Rousillon. A Room in the Palace.

ACT II

SCENE 1. Paris. A room in the King's palace.

SCENE 2. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

SCENE 3. Paris. The KING'S palace.

SCENE 4. The same. Another room in the same.

SCENE 5. Another room in the same.

ACT III

SCENE 1. Florence. A room in the DUKE's palace.

SCENE 2. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

SCENE 3. Florence. Before the DUKE's palace.

SCENE 4. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

SCENE 5. Without the walls of Florence.

SCENE 6. Camp before Florence.

SCENE 7. Florence. A room in the WIDOW'S house.

ACT IV

SCENE 1. Without the Florentine camp.

SCENE 2. Florence. A room in the WIDOW'S house.

SCENE 3. The Florentine camp.

SCENE 4. Florence. A room in the Widow's house.

SCENE 5. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

ACT V

SCENE 1. Marseilles. A street.

SCENE 2. Rousillon. The inner court of the COUNTESS'S palace.

SCENE 3. The same. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

KING OF FRANCE.

THE DUKE OF FLORENCE.

BERTRAM, Count of Rousillon.

LAFEU, an old Lord.

PAROLLES, a follower of Bertram.

Several young French Lords, that serve with Bertram in the Florentine War.

Steward, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

Clown, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

A Page, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON, Mother to Bertram.

HELENA, a Gentlewoman protected by the Countess.

An old Widow of Florence.

DIANA, daughter to the Widow.

VIOLENTA, neighbour and friend to the Widow.

MARIANA, neighbour and friend to the Widow.

Lords attending on the KING; Officers; Soldiers, &c., French and Florentine.

SCENE: Partly in France, and partly in Tuscany.

ACT I

SCENE 1. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS’S palace

[Enter BERTRAM, the COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON, HELENA, and LAFEU, all in black.]

COUNTESS.

In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband.

BERTRAM.

And I in going, madam, weep o’er my father’s death anew;

but I must attend his majesty’s command, to whom I am now in

ward, evermore in subjection.

LAFEU.

You shall find of the king a husband, madam;–you, sir, a father:

he that so generally is at all times good, must of necessity hold

his virtue to you; whose worthiness would stir it up where it

wanted, rather than lack it where there is such abundance.

COUNTESS.

What hope is there of his majesty’s amendment?

LAFEU.

He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose practices he

hath persecuted time with hope; and finds no other advantage in

the process but only the losing of hope by time.

COUNTESS.

This young gentlewoman had a father–O, that ‘had!’ how

sad a passage ‘tis!–whose skill was almost as great as his

honesty; had it stretched so far, would have made nature

immortal, and death should have play for lack of work. Would, for

the king’s sake, he were living! I think it would be the death of

the king’s disease.

LAFEU.

How called you the man you speak of, madam?

COUNTESS.

He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was his great right

to be so–Gerard de Narbon.

LAFEU.

He was excellent indeed, madam; the king very lately spoke

of him admiringly and mourningly; he was skilful enough to have

liv’d still, if knowledge could be set up against mortality.

BERTRAM.

What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?

LAFEU.

A fistula, my lord.

BERTRAM.

I heard not of it before.

LAFEU.

I would it were not notorious.–Was this gentlewoman the

daughter of Gerard de Narbon?

COUNTESS.

His sole child, my lord, and bequeathed to my overlooking. I have

those hopes of her good that her education promises; her

dispositions she inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for

where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there

commendations go with pity,–they are virtues and traitors too:

in her they are the better for their simpleness; she derives her

honesty, and achieves her goodness.

LAFEU.

Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.

COUNTESS.

'Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise in. The

remembrance of her father never approaches her heart but the

tyranny of her sorrows takes all livelihood from her cheek. No

more of this, Helena,–go to, no more, lest it be rather thought

you affect a sorrow than to have.

HELENA.

I do affect a sorrow indeed; but I have it too.

LAFEU.

Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead; excessive grief

the enemy to the living.

COUNTESS.

If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it soon

mortal.

BERTRAM.

Madam, I desire your holy wishes.

LAFEU.

How understand we that?

COUNTESS.

Be thou blest, Bertram, and succeed thy father

In manners, as in shape! thy blood and virtue

Contend for empire in thee, and thy goodness

Share with thy birthright! Love all, trust a few,

Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy

Rather in power than use; and keep thy friend

Under thy own life’s key: be check’d for silence,

But never tax’d for speech. What heaven more will,

That thee may furnish and my prayers pluck down,

Fall on thy head! Farewell.–My lord,

'Tis an unseason’d courtier; good my lord,

Advise him.

LAFEU.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.