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Delve deep into the landscapes of France and Italy with Shakespeare's captivating play, "All's Well That Ends Well." Drawing inspiration from a narrative in Boccaccio's "The Decameron," this drama unfolds the intricacies of unrequited love, fierce determination, and the extremes one might venture for the heart's yearnings.
Helen, the orphaned daughter of a renowned physician, finds herself under the guardianship of the mourning Countess of Rossillion. Her heart beats passionately for the Countess's son, Bertram, driving her to the splendors and machinations of the royal court. Within this setting of political maneuvering and societal norms, Helen astonishes all by miraculously healing the sickly French king with her inherited medical skills.
However, the journey of love is seldom linear, more so when feelings remain unreturned. As Helen relentlessly seeks Bertram's love, their tale unfolds with a mix of wit, sorrow, and profound insights.
This edition offers a dual experience: Shakespeare's original script paired with its modern translation, providing a bridge over centuries of linguistic evolution. Immerse yourself in this timeless love story, where the allure of the past is juxtaposed with contemporary clarity, ensuring that, in love and in tales, all's well that ends well.
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EXCERPT FROM ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL IN PLAIN AND SIMPLE ENGLISH
SCENE I. Rousillon. The COUNT'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.
In sending away my son, it is as if I buried my husband again.
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.
And in going away, madam, I weep for my father's death
over again: but I must obey his Majesty's command,
for he is now my guardian and I am forever under his rule.
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.
You shall find the king like a husband, madam; you
sir will find him like a father: he is always so good
that he will of course be good to you; you
deserve it and would provoke goodness if it was lacking,
so you will not lack it where there is so much available.
COUNTESS
What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?
What hope is there of his Majesty getting better?
LAFEU
He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose
practises he hath persecuted time with hope, and
finds no other advantage in the process but only the
losing of hope by time.
He has given up on his doctors, madam; he had
hoped to get more time through them, and now
he thinks that the only thing they can give him
is that he will lose hope over 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.
This young lady had a father–oh how sad
it is to say ‘had’!–whose skill was almost as great
as his honesty; if it had been he could have made
mankind immortal, and death would have had
time on his hands through lack of work. I wish he were alive,
for the King's sake! I think he would have
killed off the King's disease.
LAFEU
How called you the man you speak of, madam?
What was the name of this 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.
He was famous in his profession, Sir, and
he had every right to be: 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 lived still, if knowledge
could be set up against mortality.
He was indeed a great man, madam: just recently
the King spoke of him admiringly and sadly: he
had the skills to still be alive, if knowledge
could triumph over death.
BERTRAM
What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?
What is the nature of the King's illness, my good lord?
LAFEU
A fistula, my lord.
He has a fistula, my Lord.
BERTRAM
I heard not of it before.
I have never heard of that.
LAFEU
I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman
the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?
I wish nobody had. Was this young lady
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.
His only child, my lord, and left in my care.
I have high hopes for her due to
the education she has received; she has inherited
a good character which improves her gifts; when
an unclean mind has good qualities, praise
goes along with pity; they are virtues
but they are corrupted; in her they are better for her
innocence; she inherits her honesty and has worked for her goodness.
LAFEU
Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.
Your praise has made her cry, madam.
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 have it.
Tears give the best salt for a girl to flavour her praise with.
She can never remember her father
without her great sorrow draining all the colour from her cheeks.
Stop this, Helena; come on, stop it, you don't want people to think
that your sorrow isn't genuine.
HELENA
I do affect a sorrow indeed, but I have it too.
I am making a show of mourning, but it is genuine.
LAFEU
Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead,
excessive grief the enemy to the living.
The dead have a right to expect a little mourning,
but excessive grief damages the living.
COUNTESS
If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess
makes it soon mortal.
If those who are alive fight against the grief,
it will soon die.
BERTRAM
Madam, I desire your holy wishes.
Madam, I want your blessing.
LAFEU
How understand we that?
What does that mean?
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 cheque'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.
Bertram, may you have the blessing of copying your father's
manners as well as his shape! Your passion and your virtues
fight to rule over you, and your goodness
fights with your inheritance! Love everyone, only trust a few,
do no harm to any; be prepared for your enemy
but don't attack him, and defend your friends
with your life: don't be too quiet,
but don't talk too much.May whatever else heaven will allow,
and my prayers get for you,
fall upon your head! Farewell, my lord;
he is not used to courts; my good lord,
look after him.
Enter BERTRAM, the COUNTESS of Rousillon, HELENA, and LAFEU, all in black
COUNTESS
In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband.
In sending away my son, it is as if I buried my husband again.
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.
And in going away, madam, I weep for my father's death
over again: but I must obey his Majesty's command,
for he is now my guardian and I am forever under his rule.
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.
You shall find the king like a husband, madam; you
sir will find him like a father: he is always so good
that he will of course be good to you; you
deserve it and would provoke goodness if it was lacking,
so you will not lack it where there is so much available.
COUNTESS
What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?
What hope is there of his Majesty getting better?
LAFEU
He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose
practises he hath persecuted time with hope, and
finds no other advantage in the process but only the
losing of hope by time.
He has given up on his doctors, madam; he had
hoped to get more time through them, and now
he thinks that the only thing they can give him
is that he will lose hope over 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.
This young lady had a father–oh how sad
it is to say ‘had’!–whose skill was almost as great
as his honesty; if it had been he could have made
mankind immortal, and death would have had
time on his hands through lack of work. I wish he were alive,
for the King's sake! I think he would have
killed off the King's disease.
LAFEU
How called you the man you speak of, madam?
What was the name of this 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.
He was famous in his profession, Sir, and
he had every right to be: 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 lived still, if knowledge
could be set up against mortality.
He was indeed a great man, madam: just recently
the King spoke of him admiringly and sadly: he
had the skills to still be alive, if knowledge
could triumph over death.
BERTRAM
What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?
What is the nature of the King's illness, my good lord?
LAFEU
A fistula, my lord.
He has a fistula, my Lord.
BERTRAM
I heard not of it before.
I have never heard of that.
LAFEU
I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman
the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?
I wish nobody had. Was this young lady
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.
His only child, my lord, and left in my care.
I have high hopes for her due to
the education she has received; she has inherited
a good character which improves her gifts; when
an unclean mind has good qualities, praise
goes along with pity; they are virtues
but they are corrupted; in her they are better for her
innocence; she inherits her honesty and has worked for her goodness.
LAFEU
Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.
Your praise has made her cry, madam.
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 have it.
Tears give the best salt for a girl to flavour her praise with.
She can never remember her father
without her great sorrow draining all the colour from her cheeks.
Stop this, Helena; come on, stop it, you don't want people to think
that your sorrow isn't genuine.
HELENA
I do affect a sorrow indeed, but I have it too.
I am making a show of mourning, but it is genuine.
LAFEU
Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead,
excessive grief the enemy to the living.
The dead have a right to expect a little mourning,
but excessive grief damages the living.
COUNTESS
If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess
makes it soon mortal.
If those who are alive fight against the grief,
it will soon die.
BERTRAM
Madam, I desire your holy wishes.
Madam, I want your blessing.
LAFEU
How understand we that?
What does that mean?
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 cheque'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.
Bertram, may you have the blessing of copying your father's
manners as well as his shape! Your passion and your virtues
fight to rule over you, and your goodness
fights with your inheritance! Love everyone, only trust a few,
do no harm to any; be prepared for your enemy
but don't attack him, and defend your friends
with your life: don't be too quiet,
but don't talk too much.May whatever else heaven will allow,
and my prayers get for you,
fall upon your head! Farewell, my lord;
he is not used to courts; my good lord,
look after him.
Translation missing: en.general.search.loading