All's Well That Ends Well (31 page)

Preparation of
“All's Well That Ends Well
in Performance” was assisted by a generous grant from the CAPITAL Centre (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning) of the University of Warwick for research in the RSC archive at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The second half of the introduction, “The Critics Debate,” draws extensively on a longer survey prepared for us by Sarah Carter.

Thanks as always to our indefatigable and eagle-eyed copy editor Tracey Day and to Ray Addicott for overseeing the production process with rigor and calmness.

Picture research by Michelle Morton. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.

Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company's official archive. It is open to the public free of charge.

For more information see
www.shakespeare.org.uk
.

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List of parts

HELEN
perhaps named after Helen of Troy, reputedly the most beautiful woman in the world and the cause of a great war

LAFEW
some editions modernize to “
lafeu
” (
feu,
French for “fire”)

Act 1 Scene 1

1.1
Location: Rossillion (now Roussillon), ancient province in southern France, near the Pyrenees mountains

1
delivering
sending forth (plays on the sense of “giving birth”)

4
attend
obey, heed

5
in ward
under guardianship (as a minor who has inherited property)

5
subjection
obedience, servitude as a subject/legal obligation

6
of
in

6
husband
i.e. protector

7
generally
universally/to everyone

8
hold
maintain

8
virtue
benevolence

8
whose
i.e. the Countess and Bertram

8
stir … wanted
provoke it even in those who lacked generosity

9
where … abundance
i.e. in the king

11
amendment
recovery

13
practices
medical treatments

13
persecuted time
tormented his days/drawn out his suffering

17
passage
turn of phrase/transition/event/death

18
honesty
honor, integrity

20
Would
I wish

24
Narbon
Narbonne, southern French city near province of Roussillon

27
still
yet/for ever

30
fistula
ulcer

32
notorious
widely known/evident

35
overlooking
guardianship

35
hopes … good
i.e. high hopes for her

36
education
upbringing

36
dispositions
natural talents

37
unclean
naturally corrupted

38
virtuous qualities
fine learned accomplishments

38
go with pity
are mingled with regret

40
simpleness
unaffected simplicity (i.e. not mixed with vice)

40
derives
inherits

43
season
preserve/flavor

45
livelihood
animation

46
Go to
expression of dismissal (i.e. “come come”)

47
affect
assume/pretend to have

47
than to have
rather than genuinely feel one

49
of
due to

51
If … mortal
i.e. if resisted, overabundant grief quickly dies

53
holy
sacred/respected

54
How … that
? What does that mean? (some editors suppose the line is displaced and that it may be a response to Helen or the Countess, not Bertram)

56
manners
good conduct

56
shape
physical appearance

56
Thy
may thy

56
blood
nobility/parentage

57
empire
rule

58
birthright
inherited qualities

59
able
ready/powerful enough

60
power
ability, potential

60
keep … key
value your friend's life as dearly as your own

61
checked
rebuked

62
taxed
censured

62
What
whatever

62
more will
wishes to give you in addition

63
pluck
draw

65
unseasoned
inexperienced

67
want
lack

67
best
i.e. best advice

68
his love
my love for him

70
forged
created, imagined

71
comfortable
comforting, supportive

72
make much of
be attentive to

73
hold
maintain

73
credit
reputation/honor

76
these … him
i.e. the floods of tears she is shedding because of her unrequited love for Bertram do more honor to her father's memory than did the (fewer) tears wept at his death

79
favour
image, face (puns on the sense of “love token”)

80
undone
ruined

81
'Twere … That
it is the same as if

84
collateral
parallel but distant

85
sphere
orbit (heavenly bodies were thought to be surrounded by hollow spheres that produced beautiful music as they rotated)

87
hind
female deer (puns on sense of “servant”)

88
pretty
pleasing

90
hawking
sharp, keen

91
table
notebook, drawing tablet

91
capable
appreciative, sensitive

92
trick
distinguishing feature

92
favour
face

93
fancy
love/infatuation

94
relics
i.e. memory

94
Parolles
i.e. “words,” from French
paroles

95
his
i.e. Bertram's

97
great way
complete

97
solely
wholly

98
fixed
certain, established

98
fit
suitably

99
take place
take precedence/are accepted

99
steely
i.e. hard, uncompromising

100
Looks … wind
are left out in the cold/look pale, unappealing

100
Withal
therefore

100
full oft
very often

101
waiting on
attending, deferring to

101
superfluous
extravagant, overabundant

102
Save
God save

102
queen
may play on “quean” (i.e. prostitute)

107
stain
hint/taint

109
barricado
barricade

110
Keep
ensure he stays (plays on the sense of “build a fortified tower”)

112
Unfold
reveal

113
setting … you
besieging you (with sexual connotations)

114
undermine
overthrow/dig underneath to lay mines/burrow into sexually

114
blow you up
cause an explosion/make you pregnant

115
Bless
(may God) protect

116
policy
stratagem

118
be blown up
gain an erection/have an orgasm

119
Marry
by the Virgin Mary

119
blowing him down
inducing his orgasm, and subsequent loss of erection

120
breach
vagina/hole in defenses

120
city
i.e. virginity

120
politic
prudent/strategic

122
rational increase
logical profit-making/an increase in rational beings through reproduction