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All's Well That Ends Well
William Shakespeare
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All's Well That Ends Well
William Shakespeare
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About This Book
Desperately in love with Bertram, the son of a Spanish countess, Helena schemes with the virginal Diana to fulfill Bertram's stipulations and win his love. As Bertram's infidelity and Helena's deceits are revealed, the estranged lovers reunite, but the audience is left to wonder if, in love, the end justifies the means.
Known as "The Bard of Avon, " William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare's works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare's innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech.
HarperPerennialClassics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
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LiteraturaSubtopic
Arte dramático shakespearianoACT TWO
SCENE I. Paris. The King’s palace.
Flourish of cornets. Enter the KING with divers young Lords taking leave for the Florentine war; BERTRAM and PAROLLES; Attendants.
KING Farewell, young lords; these warlike principles
Do not throw from you. And you, my lords, farewell;
Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all,
The gift doth stretch itself as ’tis receiv’d,
And is enough for both.
[5]
[5] LORD ’Tis our hope, sir,
After well-ent’red soldiers, to return
And find your Grace in health.
KING No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart
Will not confess he owes the malady
[10]
That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords;
Whether I live or die, be you the sons
Of worthy Frenchmen; let higher Italy –
Those bated that inherit but the fall
Of the last monarchy – see that you come
[15]
Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when
The bravest questant shrinks, find what you seek,
That fame may cry you loud. I say farewell.
2 LORD Health, at your bidding, serve your Majesty!
KING Those girls of Italy, take heed of them;
[20]
They say our French lack language to deny,
If they demand; beware of being captives
Before you serve.
BOTH Our hearts receive your warnings.
KING Farewell. [To Attendants] Come hither to me. [ The King retires attended.
1 LORD O my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us!
PAROLLES ’Tis not his fault, the spark.
2 LORD O, ’tis brave wars!
PAROLLES Most admirable! I have seen those wars.
BERTRAM I am commanded here and kept a coil with
‘Too young’ and ‘The next year’ and ’Tis too early’.
PAROLLES An thy mind stand to ’t, boy, steal away bravely.
[30]
BERTRAM I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock,
Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry,
Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn
But one to dance with. By heaven, I’ll steal away.
1 LORD There’s honour in the theft.
PAROLLES Commit it, Count.
[35]
[35] LORD I am your accessary; and so farewell.
BERTRAM I grow to you, and our parting is a tortur’d body.
1 LORD Farewell, Captain.
[38]
[38] LORD Sweet Monsieur Parolles!
PAROLLES Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good metals: you shall find in the regiment of the
Spinii one Captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword entrench’d it. Say to him I live; and observe his reports for me.
[45]
[45] LORD We shall, noble Captain.
PAROLLES Mars dote on you for his novices!
[Exeunt Lords] What will ye do?
Re-nter the KING.
BERTRAM Stay; the King!
[55]
PAROLLES Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrain’d yourself within the list of too cold an adieu. Be more expressive to them; for they wear themselves in the cap of the time; there do muster true gait; eat, speak, and move, under the influence of the most receiv’d star; and though the devil lead the measure, such are to be followed. After them, and take a more dilated farewell.
BERTRAM And I will do so.
PAROLLES Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword-men,
[Exeunt Bertram and Parolles.
Enter LAFEU.
LAFEU [Kneeling] Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.
[60]
KING I’ll fee thee to stand up.
LAFEU Then here’s a man stands that has brought his pardon.
I would you had kneel’d, my lord, to ask me mercy;
And that at my bidding you could so stand up.
KING I would I had; so I had broke thy pate,
And ask’d thee mercy for’t.
[65]
LAFEU Good faith, across!
But, my good lord, ’tis thus: will you be cur’d
Of your infirmity?
KING No.
LAFEU O, will you eat
No grapes, my royal fox? Yes, but you will
[70]
My noble grapes, an if my royal fox
Could reach them: I have seen a medicine
That’s able to breathe life into a stone,
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary
With spritely fire and motion; whose simple touch
[75]
Is powerful to araise King Pepin, nay,
To give great Charlemain a pen in’s hand
And write to her a love-line.
KING What her is this?
LAFEU Why, Doctor She! My lord, there’s one arriv’d,
If you will see her. Now, by my faith and honour,
[80]
If seriously I may convey my thoughts
In this my light deliverance, I have spoke
With one that in her sex, her years, profession,
Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz’d me more
Than I dare blame my weakness. Will you see her,
[85]
For that is her demand, and know her business?
That done, laugh well at me.
KING Now, good Lafeu,
Bring in the admiration, that we with thee
May spend our wonder too, or take off thine
By wond’ring how thou took’st it.
LAFEU Nay, I’ll fit you,
[90]
And not be all day neither.
[Exit Lafeu.
KING Thus he his special nothing ever prologues.
Re-nter LAFEU with HELENA.
LAFEU Nay, come your ways.
KING This haste hath wings indeed.
LAFEU Nay, come your ways;
This is his Majesty; say your mind to him.
[95]
A traitor you do look like; but such traitors
His Majesty seldom fears. I am Cressid’s uncle,
That dare leave two together. Fare you well.
[Exit.
KING Now, fair one, does your business follow us?
HELENA Ay, my good lord.
[100]
Gerard de Narbon was my father,
In what he did profess, well found.
KING I knew him.
HELENA The rather will I spare my praises towards him;
Knowing him is enough. On’s bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
[105]
Which, as the dearest issue of his practice,
And of his old experience th’ only darling,
He bade me store up as a triple eye,
Safer than mine own two, more dear, I have so
And, hearing your high Majesty is touch’d
[110]
With that malignant cause wherein the honour
Of my dear father’s gift stands chief in power,
I come to ten...