All's Well that Ends Well

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

so-so

There were a couple of things that bothered me: Helen's forcing Bertram to marry her (though the gender reversal is interesting) and that she wants him as a husband despite his being such an ass.

I did, however, enjoy reading this alongside Mona Awad's novel All's Well.

#MarvellousMarch #BookSpinBingo
@Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks

Ruthiella Well done! I only read the Wikipedia entry for the play when I read All‘s Well! 🙊 (edited) 3y

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 3y

kwmg40 @Ruthiella This isn't among Shakespeare's best, so reading the Wikipedia entry is not a bad option! 😄 3y

kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65 Thanks for the encouragement! 3y

35 likes5 comments

jenniferw88

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

#lover #FearlessFebruary

53 likes

Graywacke

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Boccaccio‘s Decameron - Day 3, story 9. Sound familiar? #shakespearereadalong.

LitStephanie Yes, and even more romantic in a condensed form. 🤢 3y

Graywacke @LitStephanie 😂😂 3y

Lcsmcat There‘s nothing new under the sun, as my mother used to say without crediting the original author. 😂 3y

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batsy @LitStephanie 😭 3y

LitStephanie @Lcsmcat LOL! 3y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat the editor notes there is a 5th century Sanskrit version. 3y

38 likes6 comments

mdemanatee

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Anybody else at the part of the year where you‘re staring at just a fraction of your remaining more immediate feeling TBR like 😬😬😬

marleed Ah, yes ;) 3y

10 likes1 comment

LitStephanie

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

pick

A virtuous, admired young woman sets her sights on a womanizing guy way above her station. She earns a special dispensation from the king to marry him, but it's a forced marriage for him. She works some tricks to snare him, but he's a slimeball who is never going to treat her well or really love her. There is a lot of humor in this play, but also a timeless, serious question: why do playboy POS's attract smart, great, loyal women? Continued below.

LitStephanie There is a lot to think about here. Is Shakespeare showing the unhappiness that results from the social disruption of marrying above your station? A woman doggedly pursuing an unwilling man is kind of a gender role reversal--is the point that forced marriages, regardless of who is being forced, are problematic? Or is this truly a story of how having someone good really love you no matter what leads to redemption? #shakespearereadalong 4y

13 likes1 comment

Graywacke

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

so-so

Here‘s to the happy couple…🤔 Shakespeare‘s heroin scores an unwilling, promiscuous, maybe syphilic, but upperclass husband and tricks him into impregnating her. Very romantic. An oddball, discomforting comedy. Appreciate #shakespearereadalong and @merelybookish for helping me get through this.

GingerAntics I think it would have been easy to give up on this one without the group. 4y

Graywacke @GingerAntics I‘m glad we got through. (the group has carried me through a lot.) 4y

Lcsmcat What a perfect description! 😂🤣😂 4y

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GingerAntics These two look miserable. This is the perfect image of what it would have been like to read this along. Our group is awesome!!! 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat right…when you boil it down… 4y

Graywacke @GingerAntics I‘m really charmed/disturbed by this image in light of the play. I keep coming back to it and it keeps making sense. (Comes from RSC performance images) ❤️ our group. 4y

GingerAntics @Graywacke there is a strange quality about this image that is simultaneously charming and really disturbing. Knowing the play now, if does make sense. I wonder what this image would look like, what we would see, if we didn‘t know the play? 4y

GingerAntics I‘m still trying to figure out why on Earth she would get pregnant by him. 4y

TheBookHippie This is a whole story in a picture!!! 4y

TheBookHippie @GingerAntics 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 4y

LitStephanie I kind of like that it is "problematic." Who doesn't know a lovely woman who puts up with a cheating jerk? I think it shows something about human nature. It makes me think of other plays, like Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, where women desperately loved men who didn't love them back, but with no magic or surprise twin to smooth things over. 4y

Graywacke @GingerAntics have to question her judgment. 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie i know! Right… 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie It seems both the humor and pain of heartbreak, for one, are here. I‘m so curious what the Bard was thinking when he wrote these plays. Was he really challenging his audiences, or did he just figure this might sell? 4y

GingerAntics @Graywacke right? Should either of them really be a parent? I suppose with their social status, however, any children they have would be raised primarily by nannies. 4y

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batsy

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

The title is intriguing, because I don't think it ends well for most characters (or the reader!). In fact, I wanted to whisk Helena away into a different reality altogether where her standards for a husband become vastly different. Like others have said, I wonder if Shakes was being particularly cynical & ironic with this play. Maybe all that glitters isn't gold & what you want & fooled yourself into thinking is good is utter crap? Much to ponder.

batsy @merelybookish #ShakespeareReadAlong 4y

MayJasper Much to ponder. 4y

merelybookish Great review! This one is a real puzzler! Maybe Shakespeare was tired to pretending marriage is a happy ending? 4y

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batsy @merelybookish Thank you! And I definitely got the impression that Shakespeare was tired of *something*, here 😅 4y

TheBookHippie Utter crap 😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 4y

batsy @TheBookHippie 😆😆 4y

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erzascarletbookgasm

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

I don‘t know what Shakespeare wanted us to take away from this. It‘s supposed to be a light-hearted read, a fairy tale. But there‘re much to frown upon too. Certainly I don‘t agree that a smart girl like Helena is so keen in pursuing the useless Bertram. An interesting play… and since Helena got what she wanted, ‘all‘s well‘ in the end, I guess. 💁‍♀️
#shakespearereadalong

merelybookish

batsy Yes, feel like I need to have a talk with Helena! 4y

merelybookish Agreed! Things end far from "well" with this one! 4y

68 likes2 comments

Melismatic

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

Not my favorite from the Bard - but definitely a thinker. Literally everyone in this receives the opposite of a “happy end” (except I suppose the King?) — maybe that‘s the irony intended? All‘s well that ends well, so force/fake a happy ending to make yourself believe all‘s well? Hmm.

#ShakespeareReadAlong @Graywacke @merelybookish @GingerAntics

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yea, this was a tough one. 4y

Graywacke Yeah, strange one. 4y

24 likes2 comments

LitStephanie

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Act 5. Bertram the liar continues to lie, claiming he is sorry about not appreciating Helena, that really the reason he didn't was that he secretly loved Maudlin (because he has been offered an advantageous marriage to her), and to top it all off says the ring he got from his one-night stand lady (for so he thinks it was) was thrown to him by some lovelorn woman who refused its return when he said he was married. I hate this guy.

LitStephanie #shakespearereadalong 4y

9 likes1 comment

merelybookish

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

Welp, as suspected, that did not end "well." Maybe the title is meant to be ironic? Bertram is horrible right up to the bitter end. Parolles comes off better then he does! I enjoyed the dragging B. was getting from the king. And then Helena appears and saves him. B. changed his tune and will now "love her dearly" ? Ugh. So #shakespearereadalong, what was the Bard trying to do? It feels like he was trying to do something...but it failed?

merelybookish The female agency and the changes to the folk tale suggest to me Shakespeare was trying something here. And I can't imagine he would have thought any audience would believe Bertram is redeemed at the end. Is he just constrained by the convention or is he questioning the notion of a happy ending? 🤷 4y

merelybookish Also liked the line "Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon." Of course, I would weep because Helena is stuck married to a douchebag. ? 4y

merelybookish And thanks to everyone who read and participated and dunked on Bertram! I appreciate you and your comments! This is a problem play but it was fun to discuss! 4y

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merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo @Melismatic @Daisey @Cuilin @jewright @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @LitStephanie @SamAnne @rabbitprincess @saresmoore @Liz_M @catebutler @Gezemice @Wife @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @wanderinglynn @kathedron @Mtroiano @MrsMalaprop @mhillis @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This 4y

Lcsmcat There were lots of great lines and word-play in this play. And I enjoyed Parolles getting his comeuppance. But I‘m not sure what Will was trying to do with this one. 4y

TheBookHippie DoucheCanoe comes to mind for B. In another time H could go on and be quite the force but here she has to stay with this because after all A MAN IS THE END ALL BE ALL 🤮🤢😡WHOM does this end well for?! Is this why it‘s problematic ? There is no fairytale ending because this is no fairytale. Marriage is not the end all be all? What is he saying ?! Ugh. I‘m still wrestling with it all. 😂😝 4y

Graywacke Weird. A comedy that leaves us very uncomfortable. 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie “douchecanoe” 🙂 This doesn‘t leave us feeling well. Did Helena think all was well? (Is that a question of her sanity and delusional capability?) 4y

Graywacke The essays in my Signet afterward talk about a performance that assumed Bertram was a (n unflattering) commentary on James I. 🙂 And the countess becomes a stand-in for Elizabeth I. So nostalgia for E and disillusionment for J. Not sure it makes sense, but it seems like a cool idea. 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I like that idea. 4y

Graywacke I‘m thinking about this one a lot. If we see Bertram as bad. Then which is worse, being Bertram or being a good person but pursuing marriage to him? Or are these equal in some way. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I think Diana Capulet is the hero of this one! She saw though Bertram immediately, helped Helena (if you really want him, I‘ll help you out), and even when the King was being incredibly dense at the end, she held out even when threatened with jailing! Go Diana! I need her energy with the other Capulet‘s in their play. Faithful and smart until the end! 4y

batsy I'm not sure what Will was doing with this one! I just finished and might have to let this "marinate" for awhile because I just don't get the "all's well" unless I believe he was being extremely cynical! Though I fully understand why it's seen as a problem play or a dark play. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Graywacke Well I think when she pursued marriage with him, she thought he was great…until she learned otherwise (as he absconded and slept around) it was already too late, he was her husband, so she was sort of stuck. So…all‘s well as in the marriage finally is legal and affirmed by both in the end, long run. But yes, Helena would have been smarter to go back to the king and petition for a divorce, at this time they had the Anglican Church of ⤵️ 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️England, so he was the head of the church and could have done that. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @merelybookish I‘m reading Wordslut right now, so I have to disagree with douchbag…there needs to be a male equivalent insult here…. Penis slime🤷‍♀️🤣 sadly there is no linguistic male equivalent, and in Bertram‘s case that might just me a literal description after his shenanigans. 4y

Lcsmcat @Riveted_Reader_Melissa She could have gotten an annulment, because he was very public about not consummating the marriage. So she must have wanted to stay with him. But why??? 4y

Graywacke @Riveted_Reader_Melissa (except this was France. 🙂 ) Along the same line of thinking - Is the aspect her originally seeing him as great … a criticism of Helena? And… I should point out, i think both lines of questioning are problematic. It‘s sexist is some way to (ok, for _me_ to) judge Helena while letting Bertram off the hook as a given bad character. That‘s another problem the play brings up for me - the flaws in my “natural” questioning. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @Riveted_Reader_Melissa 🙂 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Graywacke Oh you‘re right! Sorry! You just mentioned the essay saying it was perhaps commentary on Elizabeth and James, so my brain was on England! French would have been Catholic, which means she would have to petition the Pope, etc…which would have made it a lot harder. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Graywacke Sorry about that 😉 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Graywacke The questioning is great. I just assumed Bertram was better behaved at home, under his mother‘s eye, that neither knew the true him yet, until he went off to court with his buddies and let his true self out. 4y

Graywacke Another thing I noted from the afterward. This play is in the morality play tradition (maybe it‘s obvious ??). One aspect is that in Act 1 where Helena and Parolles do their virginity game talk - it‘s also a representative of the good and bad influences on Bertram fighting it out. I hadn‘t thought of it that way. If we reframe this as about B, then the H-P stories have a alternate purpose. 4y

LitStephanie @graywacke, Shakespeare toying with writing a morality play is nothing I have heard of, sounds intriguing. 4y

LitStephanie This is a tough play to figure out. Bertram says he will love her dearly now, but if that were the case I would expect a long speech about his reformation (like Harry in H4), so I don't think WS wants us to think he will change. Helena's love for Bertram is truly unconditional. While that shows constancy and strength, maybe there is a darker theme of where unconditional love gets you. 4y

LitStephanie Also problematic is that Helen, like Malvolio and Maria in 12th Night, schemes to marry way above her station. The King indulges her, thus breaking a social norm that was strictly followed for economic/social stability. Helen gets a crap husband, Maudlin, a lord's daughter, gets disappointment, Bertram has his reputation married, and the King is too blind to see the problem here and grants Diana the same wish as Helen. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie that was entertaining when the king offers to repeat this with Diana. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie Bertram‘s statement future love of H is not even exactly told to her…it‘s directed towards the king. 🙂 4y

LitStephanie Oops, Bertram's reputation is marred not married. 4y

GingerAntics I did not get that ending. He‘s just forgiven because now he wants to be married to her? All‘s forgiven because he wants the kid? Seriously?! 4y

Melismatic All of the characters in this seem…odd. Even the King‘s sympathy for Helen in the beginning seemed somewhat farfetched. I agree Diana is the hero. By far. I wish we saw what Helen saw in B - that‘s really what this hinges on. Bc we don‘t, he just seems like scum and her plight seems even more depressing for wanting him. 4y

Melismatic @GingerAntics literally “all‘s well that ends well” - force a “happy” ending to maintain face? 4y

TheBookHippie Over here singing Smokey Robinson..I don't like you, but I love you
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
Oh, oh, oh, you treat me badly
I love you madly, you really got a hold on me
I don't want you, but I need you
Don't want to kiss you, but I need you
Oh, oh, oh, you do me wrong now
My love is strong now you really got a hold on me want to leave you, I don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend another day here
😂
4y

erzascarletbookgasm One character is a scoundrel, the other a determined desperate…but they end up in marriage..that ‘ends well‘? 🤷‍♀️ Lots to consider, I‘m still thinking if I like this play.. 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie 🙂 4y

Graywacke @erzascarletbookgasm i think that about covers it… 4y

Graywacke @Melismatic the odd and entirely accurate ways to summarize this play… 4y

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Daisey

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

I liked that the women in this play got to be the smarter and more cunning ones, but in the end the story just was not satisfying.

#ShakespeareReadalong #ArkAngelShakespeare #audiobook

Lcsmcat I agree. There was some fun word-play, but the story fell flat, especially in Act V. 4y

merelybookish 💯 4y

batsy Yes, I felt the same! @Lcsmcat True, it was disappointing that the language was fascinating but the story so weird/troubling/flat. 4y

Daisey @Lcsmcat @merelybookish @batsy Sometimes I feel like I‘m just missing something in Shakespeare, but in this case it‘s nice to know many of us feel the same. 4y

50 likes4 comments

GingerAntics

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

Helen gets the last laugh, but the ending is not only unsatisfying, but also wholly unbelievable. I enjoyed the strong female characters in this play, but the men were mostly ridiculous.
#Shakespeare #AllsWellThatEndsWell #shakespearereadalong

18 likes

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

so-so

Ugh…. Not a favorite, that‘s for sure. There was some great scheming and plotting and comeuppance to win the heart of an unworthy mate.

The ladies were excellent in this one, the men…not so much.

#ShakespeareReadAlong

Lcsmcat The riddles were the best part of Act V 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Lcsmcat Yes, the riddles were good. The King was not swift with the uptake there though, I was worried about her. 4y

GingerAntics I totally agree with your review. The women were great in this one. Clearly they were the one‘s with the brains. The men were either stupid, jerks, or some combination of the two. Plus, what was up with that ending. Absolutely not a favourite. 4y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics I agree, the ending was not optimal (at all). Guess we learned why this was a “problem play” 4y

LitStephanie I did enjoy laughing at (not with) Parolles, and seeing Bertram get outed. Lefew is an all right guy, but then, he is a minor character. 4y

LitStephanie @GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa what did you think about Lafew's daughter Maudlin? She thought she was about to be married to a Count and was probably excited to do so. Then she finds out he is still married, and also is a womanizer and a liar. And now she has no fiance and is unlikely to be Countess anywhere. Plus has to hear how the idiot lied about being in secret love with her. I would like to see her story! 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @LitStephanie Right! There could be a few spin-off plays or great rewrites/modernizations focused on some of these other characters. Both Maudlin and Diana. 4y

GingerAntics @LitStephanie that could certainly be a fun read. Maybe she can find another count or a duke or something. 4y

GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa oh it‘s a real problem. I‘m not seeing the typical “too many people died for this to be a comedy” that marks the other problem plays, but I did see a lot of problems. 4y

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merelybookish

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

Act IV! Plots unfold. Bertram, "a ? to virginity," is set up by Diana who is no fool. Really Bertram is a slimeball! ?Helen is believed to have died of a ?. Parolles gets caught in his lies and treason. But, true to form, he shows no remorse. I struggled with last scene. I don't get the Clown's character ? Another marriage is in the works for B. He returns with a wounded face that *might* be due to syphilis. Slimeball! #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish Any chance that all's well that ends well is Helen and Diana running away together? 🤞 There is NO way I'm going to come around to ending up with B as a happy ending. NO WAY!! 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @TheBookHippie @batsy @Lcsmcat @mollyrotondo @Melismatic @jewright @SamAnne @erzascarletbookgasm @Gezemice @CoffeeNBooks @Liz_M @Daisey @saresmoore @Kristy_K @Wife @rabbitprincess @LitStephanie 4y

Lcsmcat Yeah, it‘s difficult to imagine what could redeem B. But I loved the irony of Bertram watching Parolles get caught out and knowing that he (B) was being tricked as much or more. 4y

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merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @wanderinglynn @MoonWitch94 @kathedron @Mtroiano @MrsMalaprop @Sunraven @teainthelibrary @mhillis 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Yes, that was a great scene. I bet it's fun to see on stage! And yeah, thinking of how unrepentant Parolles was...makes me wonder how Bertram will react to his comeuppance. If he will show remorse and that will be how he is redeemed. Making him superior to Parolles. 4y

merelybookish And I know this is not a new revelation but the way a new marriage is already in the works for Bertram is such a reminder (again!) of the business-like nature of marriage. 4y

Graywacke B is a rake. For a the deception, seemed kind a of a simple act to me. Thoughts on my mind: So, Parolles is as an honest liar? And it seem to me that the Dumaines and B paid something heavy for their trick. ?? I mean Parolles exposes them. But they didn‘t seem to mind being exposed, only being insulted. I found that odd. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish I‘m curious about the clown too. Was he specifically a counterpoint to Parolles (the fool who tried to pass himself off as decent?) An exposé of the fraudulent nobility? He‘s also a little heavy handed, maybe. (edited) 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke Maybe it's like open secrets. Everyone knew Weinstein was a leach but exposing it was the issue. And yeah, maybe the Clown is supposed to be the 'wise fool' in contrast to Parolles who was a lying fool. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish regarding Parolles as exposer - an odd commentary on Shakespearean era mannerisms and ethics. 4y

GingerAntics I didn‘t particularly like Bertram starting in act II I believe, but he‘s just gotten worse since. Is it wrong to say I hope he dies at the end? 4y

merelybookish @GingerAntics I think that is the best possible ending for Helen! 4y

GingerAntics @merelybookish right? He runs off. He tries to get with just about every other woman on the planet but Helen. I feel like she needs some cosmic justice. Shes young. She can find another man who appreciates her love and loyalty. 4y

merelybookish @GingerAntics She definitely deserves better. And as @Lcsmcat and I discussed above, it's pretty impossible to imagine a way for his character to be believably redeemed. 4y

GingerAntics @merelybookish @Lcsmcat I can‘t think of any way Bertram could be redeemed either. His motives have been so self serving to this point, it would be impossible not to see his actions as just another way to serve himself somehow. That is such a good point. (edited) 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish SAME!! That is not a happy ENDING. No. 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke RAKE!! My Grandma called men that. Ha. She was right and of course it is appropriate here! 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish Marriage is still, in most places, a business contract of some sort. It just blows my mind. 4y

TheBookHippie As for the clown, I am too stumped..... 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke I don't think Parolles exposed anyone. I think he was lying, and he was so outrageous about it that one lord forgives him the insult because it is so funny. 4y

LitStephanie I loved 4.1 and 4.3 so much, with Parolles being outed as a braggart and liar. I don't think he will change, but at least he recognized he better find a new job since he is such a coward! I wonder if the experience will humble Bertram a bit and make him realize he isn't a very good judge of character. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie i was wondering if Parolles was making it up. When he gives troop numbers he is accurate. So, it would mean he would need to shift from true numbers to false slander (mind you, under the threat imminent of death). 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke I suppose it is possible he sees everyone as useless besides himself, but information about the enemy's supposed weaknesses would also make him valuable, so he might just be saving his own skin again. He isn't above talking trash about his "friend" Bertram in order to try and steal the affections of Diana. This is a man used to manipulating people. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie agree with all that. Just had convinced myself he was telling the truth, even to Diana, and B was slime. (Does B remember Diana when he returns home?) Now you have me questioning that. 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke oh B is still slime! 🤣🤣 Just maybe not as experienced at bedding maids as Parolles makes him out to be. I think this is his first big trip away from home without a chaperone. 4y

merelybookish @LitStephanie @Graywacke I don't know. I think P is telling the truth, or at worst exaggerating. My text suggests the wound Bertram has on his face when he arrives in Marseille could be due to syphilis. If so, this ain't his first rodeo, so to speak. 4y

LitStephanie @merelybookish @Graywacke even more reason why Helena should run away with Diana. Unless we see a Henry V style turnabout, I can't imagine liking this guy. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish @LitStephanie whatever the ethics, syphilis would really put a medical downer on their marriage. 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke indeed! 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yep! I didn‘t get a chance to read this act until tonight…. But I think everything you listed might be why this one is considered a problem play. He has become irredeemable, Helen is still stuck with him though, and he left his ring with Diana which makes me think he intended to get it back somehow, unless he was going to claim it was lost in battle. But his mom has a whole new marriage arranged, so whatever his plan he still won‘t get his way. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I found this interesting…”Stand no more off,
But give thyself unto my sick desires,…” this is B to Diana. It goes on of course, but I think if you just cut it off there, it‘s like the saying ignore everything before the BUT, and in this case ignore everything after that comma. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Oh, and this sweet gem of wooing “And now you should be as your mother was
When your sweet self was got.” 🤢 4y

Graywacke @Riveted_Reader_Melissa B is quite the romantic. 🙂 4y

batsy I find B absolutely loathsome, & can't really shake my perspective. I've no interest to be fair to him! You're right @merelybookish somehow the only happy ending that works for me is Helen & Diana getting together. I also found the Fool heavy-handed here like @Graywacke says, but I still enjoyed his diversions. Don't know what it says about me that I laughed when the First Soldier told Parolles "There is no remedy, sir, but you must die..." ? 4y

LitStephanie @Riveted_Reader_Melissa yes, that line is just what every woman wants to hear! 🤣🤣 Imagine what an ass he will feel when he finds out his wooing did not actually work 4y

36 likes35 comments

merelybookish

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

Act III #shakespearereadalong. Traps are laid! Betram's plan is revealed: without ring or consummation, Helen will never be his wife. And he never plans to return to France so...Countess sides with Helen who blames herself for putting B in danger. Disguised as a pilgrim, she goes to find B, who is okay with having sex with virgins, just not his wife. 🙄 Helen schemes with (and pays) the widow to use Diana to set up B. It's all a bit icky. 👇

merelybookish I appreciate that Helen is not staying passive but...I guess we live in the age of consent and tricking your asshole husband to sleep with you, while using another girl, feels not great? The other trap is for Parolles. Everyone but B seems to see what a cowardly donk he is. Anyone else feel like B's assholery is eventually going to be blamed on Parolles's bad influence? 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @Lcsmcat @batsy @TheBookHippie @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm @MoonWitch94 @LitStephanie @SamAnne @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @Daisey @saresmoore @Liz_M @Gezemice @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @rabbitprincess @Wife @Susannah @wanderinglynn 4y

merelybookish @Mtroiano @MrsMalaprop @kathedron @Sunraven @teainthelibrary @Kristy_K @mhillis 4y

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Graywacke Parolles sacrificed for B‘s purification? It does feel like he‘s a version of generic friend in contemporary movies, disposable for dramatic effect. Or a foil in the Falstaff theme. 4y

TheBookHippie Like all women are the same just put one under him he won‘t know the difference 😳 I love her plotting ability but NOT what she is plotting. I know this is as old as Rachel and Leah in the Bible but seriously WHY is this used so frequently?! Also I loathe B what an asshat I assume all will be blamed to Parolles sigh.. I hope B gets his comeuppance though. What a class A piece of 💩 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke Falstaff 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 4y

Graywacke I would like to see H deal a little with the fact he‘s playing around…instead of just accepting it without comment and making plans based on it. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke Yes, like B's company is the issue not B's behavior. Definite similarities between P & F, although I feel F had maybe a bit more charm or was a bit less mercenary? While he used Hal, he still seemed to genuinely like him? Whereas Parolles come across as an absolute opportunist. 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie I‘m puzzling what to make of B. Clearly youthfully foolish. But is he working within some social parameters we don‘t understand? Is he being normally stupid or excessively bad? 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie Yes, also thought of the Bible story. (Tale as old as time.) And I guess what a woman has to do to survive? Without the legitimacy, Helen is as good as worthless. She would be a married virgin. No prospects in that. And good point @Graywacke something other than pure adoration for Bertram would make it a BIT easier to swallow. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish yeah, P definitely lacks Falstaff‘s flair. 🙂 (Arguably a serious character flaw, considering his trope ??) 4y

batsy I do get the sense that Parolles is being set up as the fall guy for Bertram's assholery @TheBookHippie what you said—sums him up accurately! I hate the plot device this play hinges on (the interchangeable vessels that are women!) and also missed the usual witty Helena in this Act. 4y

Lcsmcat I think we‘re getting into why this is a “problem play”! I agree with everyone on B‘s (lack of) character. P not only doesn‘t seem to like B, but he‘s no where near as funny as Falstaff. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I wonder if Shakespeare‘s contemporaries saw this as foolish or evil, too. Will H get enough revenge to satisfy a modern reader? I don‘t know. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke He acts like all the parochial school boys I grew up with 😳🤦🏻‍♀️😝 it is. Conquest after conquest but they must be THE FIRST one ..putting their flag in it. Or just a lust filled fool. I think neither which is why I‘m puzzled. I do think he‘s a jerk however. 😂 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I start to think about evaluating him in the eye of his contemporaries, and then realize he hasn‘t given us any parameters. It‘s unexplored. Which I‘m sure says something. Could be - this is normal behavior. Could be - i‘m just the messenger. Redressing this for the stage. The content is not my fault. (Not that I have looked up yet what his source material might have been. Could be - it‘s drama. Just don‘t think it through too much. ?? 4y

Graywacke @batsy @TheBookHippie the interchangeable vessel bit makes me laugh a little. Diana? Helena?…oh, just close your eyes. Could be a 🐑 🤷🏻‍♂️ (Sorry, bad bad. No defense. I‘ll try to blame reading Terry Pratchett. I‘m wondering how he would handle this.) 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie On B as a jerk. I see that. And this attitude sucks. But, also, he‘s just very unexplored. Two actors could make two diametrically opponents Bertrams without changing the lines. For Helena‘s sake, do we imagine a better one? 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke 😂😂😂 now that‘s a thought! 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yep… plans afoot…and she has to scheme B to meet his “conditions”, but yuk, why would she want him at all now. 4y

TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat Is he mocking how men see or treat women ? There was an underlining group that thought Shakespeare could possibly be a feminist and used these troupes to show how outlandish and awful women are treated. However interesting that may be to explore it could just be how it was. Like well of course it‘s just a woman … 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie (Terry Pratchett would of course come up with some woke sheep seriously offended at being undifferentiated and generically all lumped together.) 4y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie ( @Lcsmcat ) I can‘t see this bard as feminist, but that‘s an interesting consequence of the play. I think it does demand we wonder about this stuff. And it is a play that purposely confuses gender roles. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke According to my edition, the source material is a folk tale and Shakespeare probably based play on the version in Boccaccio's Decameron. Very similar story, although in the original there's more sympathy for the Bertram character being forced to marry someone low. He flees and she proves her worth by being a good ruler in his stead. Same plot re: how marriage is consummated. Original does not have any character who esteems Helen. 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish I saw the folklore reference I was going to look that up. 😂😬 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Yes, the problem play reputation makes a lot of sense! And @Graywacke you're right, a lot could be done with staging/performance to change how we understand B. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Re: confusing gender roles: In the first act I was expecting Helena to cross dress in order to physic the King. That didn‘t happen, but there may be more ahead? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish @Graywacke I need to search out performances now! 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie I wish Litsy allowed for photos in the comments because I would include a screenshot from my book explaining source material and how Shakespeare changed it. 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I get together pre-pandemic IRL with a group that was reading old classics in a feminist bend proving it‘s all in the translation and what would happen if literature was taught this way. We had a fascinating talk on The Scarlet Letter and did touch on Shakespeare over all -I hope they start up again it was fascinating. 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish I have thought that a least a thousand times 😂😝 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Agreed! The performance of this play could be really interesting! Especially in the midst of the #metoo movement. 4y

LitStephanie I found the language in this act much easier to follow. Some of the language in the first two acts was really obscure (for a modern reader.) I am enjoying one of Shakespeare's strong female characters. Helena is driving all the action. But yeah, it is pretty icky. Who would want to be with a guy who has to be tricked into sleeping with you? Not this gal, but then, I have resources and choices that weren't available in 17th century Europe. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie i noticed it was much easier reading this time. Helena is curiously not self-revealing (as are most of the non-older characters in this play of deceit). 4y

batsy @Lcsmcat That's a good point about P. Reminds me of some of the humourless sexist male undergrads in I encountered in introductory philosophy courses while at uni 😂 4y

jewright I read this play in college, but the first two acts didn‘t seem very familiar. The third act I remember though! 4y

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LitStephanie

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Act 2. Does anyone understand what the fight between Lefew and Parolles is all about? I don't understand why this exchange was so offensive to both of them! #shakespearereadalong

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merelybookish

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

Well, well! Helena cures the King and in exchange gets to choose a mate. She picks Bertram who is...not happy! And a snob! (Should I feel bad for him? I usually feel bad when the woman is forced to marry.) His solution is to leave for war before consummating the marriage. (Remind me why Helena loves this guy?) Lots of sparring between Parolles and Lafew who sees through the former's bluster. Lots of wordplay. And kicky-wicky! #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics @Jess_Read_This @readinginthedark @batsy @Lcsmcat @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @erzascarletbookgasm @Gezemice @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @MoonWitch94 @Melismatic @LitStephanie @SamAnne @Liz_M @saresmoore @Wife @Daisey @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @rabbitprincess @catebutler 4y

merelybookish @kathedron @MrsMalaprop @mhillis @Mtroiano @Sunraven @teainthelibrary 4y

merelybookish I'm enjoying this play so far. It feels unlike any plot we've seen before. I do wish Helena had a bit more spunk when it comes to Bertram. She was bold with the king but then reverts to humble servant with B. I also find it interesting that both the Countess and King are less attached to class differences, making arguments for value based not on birth. The king's line about blood was powerful! Also I don't understand half of what Parolles says. 😂 4y

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merelybookish And kicky-wicky is apparently a Shakespearean coined term for spouse. 😀 4y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish I was not prepared for Bertram to be such a snot! I can‘t wait for his comeuppance, because you know there‘s something in store for him! 4y

TheBookHippie Oops never thought to feel sorry for him. This is a different feel for plot. I know it at some point turns illegal for women to be doctors or practice medicine which is off point but made me wonder when that is. Helena I agree she needs a bit more spunk. A lot of what is value or valued in this play. Is this an underlining theme ? Virginity, bloodlines, birthright, class system … I‘m with you in Parolles 🤯🤷🏻‍♀️ I‘m liking this one a lot. 4y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish And kicky-wicky is perfect - as anyone with a restless sleeper for a spouse can testify! 4y

TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat Let‘s hope it comes at the hand of Helena or hands 😂 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish I read that as bitchy-witchy 😂😂😂 4y

Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie I‘d like to think Helena will have a hand in it! 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat I sure hope so! I also hope I don't have to pretend to believe he comes around in the end to appreciate and love Helena. It's clear she deserves better! 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I was thinking he (and others) were going be upset the King was cured…after all when the King passes someone gets to become king! I was not expecting the plain snobbery, I should have expected it though, but since his mother wasn‘t, I expected better from him. But you‘re right, no one should be forced to marry… male or female. It‘s just such a shift from the norm of those times I wanted better for her. So now he figures what…he‘ll either die⤵️ (edited) 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ in battle, or marry someone else and consummate it, and then he can have Helena‘s annulled? 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie Interesting! I wonder if Helena even sees herself as a doctor or just has access to her father's know-how? Like she has a thing that can cure but it's not really hers? 4y

Cathythoughts Well , I was just about to comment on this ( when I got your comment on my post ) ….. I can‘t even remember if I read this one in school or University.. but I enjoyed & loved your comment & I am intrigued & want to read again … you‘ve reframed it ❤️👏🏻👏🏻 4y

merelybookish Kicky wicky did come from Parolles so I think there's something to your interpretation @TheBookHippie Still, it's such a fun term, I think it should be claimed any which way. Like @Lcsmcat did! 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yeah, I wondered at his endgame too. Like just be gone forever? Hope one of them eventually dies. 4y

merelybookish @Cathythoughts You're welcome to jump in. We are only on Act II. 🙂 But I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's new to me and feels very different from the typical comedy! 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish That was my thought but 🤷🏻‍♀️ after all it‘s Shakespeare it could be many things. https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/114/1/5/246075 interesting article “Women were not, however, allowed entry into UK medical schools until the late nineteenth century.” 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Maybe Bertram is the problem with this "problem play" because it's really hard to hope he and Helena end up together. ? 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish we‘ve read Shakespeare enough to hoping for death is wanted 😂♥️ 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @merelybookish Well there‘s definitely something about not consummating it, that leaves it up for annulment, and no children, he has a larger plan. It could even be to frame her up for something so she looks unfaithful and it could be annulled….but he definitely has a plan, and it‘s not good. 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish Bahahahaha. That‘s the problem alright! 4y

Cathythoughts Thankyou ! You‘re very good … I won‘t though , as my reading time is limited just now & I‘m trying to stay above water 😂… better stay with my schedule … if I can 🤞🏻😃 4y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish @TheBookHippie @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I definitely think Bertram is the problem! But after all the women forced into marriage and given as prizes, it‘s kind of fun to find the shoe on the other foot. I just want H to have some good revenge on him! 4y

TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat I agree totally. 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yes good point about annulment! Also this is what is different between men and women. If Helena had been forced to marry Bertram, she wouldn't have the option to leave town. And if she hadn't wanted to consummate the marriage, she would be raped. 🙁 4y

merelybookish @Cathythoughts I understand! 😄 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @merelybookish Yep, sadly… 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish good points - the 2nd to last comment. It‘s a reversal of roles, but not entirely. I do think H has a larger plan and B‘s reaction is just a part of it. (And interesting the B‘s been given a defense as being so young and immature he can‘t be trusted to go to war. So he has room to mature abd righten himself...meanwhile he‘s off to war anyway.) Enjoying all the comments. (edited) 4y

Melismatic I wonder if we‘ll learn more of why Helena loves him so…because he seems like a jerk. Perhaps it‘s just proximity and a crush…interesting. 4y

Graywacke I struggled a lot with the language and slang in this act (kicky-wicky being only one example. 🙂) 4y

GingerAntics I really wanted to smack Bertram. There is a part of me that hopes he dies while he‘s away at war. 4y

GingerAntics @Melismatic I sure hope so. I really don‘t see it? Was he happy with her as a friend, but not as a wife? He comes off as a total jerk. I‘m going to need something. I usually hate people waxing poetic about their love interest‘s good qualities, but I‘m going to need something here. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke This feels very hopeful. I hope you're right re: H having a plan. 🤞 4y

merelybookish @Melismatic It is disappointing but I guess she's not the first smart woman with bad taste in men. But maybe somehow he will redeem himself. 4y

LitStephanie I am also struggling with how I would feel if the genders were reversed because I think Bertram is a jerk but might feel different if it were a countess being forced to marry a commoner. I think it depends on if he encouraged her infatuation and showed her affection back. I am inclined to think he did. 4y

LitStephanie @merelybookish I think it is interesting how the King and Countess see the worth in Helena despite her lineage, too. Definitely some social commentary there. 4y

LitStephanie @Riveted_Reader_Melissa yeah, I assume that is Bertram's plan, although he would be risking a lot if he annuls that marriage. Maybe he is planning on waiting a few years to see if the king kind of forgets. 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke me too. The language is hard in this one. 4y

merelybookish @LitStephanie Agreed. It seems the play flips the script on gender (woman picking her mate) and generations since typically the older generation is more invested in social hierarchies and young people are seen as flouting them. 4y

LitStephanie @merelybookish yes, I didn't see that before, but yeah, it is also a reversal of attitudes of younger vs older generations. 4y

LitStephanie P.s. love the picture. 4y

Daisey @Lcsmcat @merelybookish I agree that I find the flipped expectations interesting, and I‘m curious to see where these go. However, I‘m not especially hopeful about things really working out well for Helena & Bertram. 4y

Lcsmcat @Daisey No, I‘m not too hopeful either. As others have said, it‘s going to take a lot to make a change of attitude believable. 4y

batsy Sorry for my late response, I only just caught up. I largely agree with you @merelybookish I was pretty amazed by the King speech on bloodlines & class difference. Also, I am never sure wtf Parolles is on about 😂 Initially I did feel a teeny bit bad for Bertram wrt the situation he's been forced into, but Shakespeare did such a good job of making him an unlikeable character while making Helena interesting & smart that I got over it soon enough! 4y

merelybookish @batsy Yeah for a minute I thought I was actually feeling bad for the privileged white dude...but then...nope. 😆🤷 4y

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Liz_M

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

And I may have gone overboard on Shakespeare. But these are pretty! And I'm tired of my tattoo, mismatched student editions.

Bookmark: "Book reading aligns with my character arc."

Liz_M #shakespearereadalong, @merelybookish, @Graywacke @GingerAntics (edited) 4y

Soubhiville Gorgeous! 4y

BarbaraBB What @Soubhiville says 😍 4y

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erzascarletbookgasm These are lovely editions! 4y

Graywacke Echoing above, gorgeous. 4y

kspenmoll What a gorgeous Shakespeare display!!!! 4y

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merelybookish

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Act 1! The play begins with Bertram's departure following his father (the king's) death. Helena, daughter of physician (her dad is dead too) loves him. Long chat about virginity with the clown Parolles. Bertram arrives to find the King of France is dying. With the Countess's blessing, Helen decides to follow Bertram to the French court, taking a special medicine with her. She hopes to heal the king and win Bertram's heart. 👇 #shakespearereadalong

merelybookish Lots of death in this first act, which is one of the reasons it's considered a bit of a problem play. There is a darkness from the very beginning. Helena is clearly our heroine. The Countess's blessing surprised me. Also, this play is a later one (estimates are 1602-1603) so after Hamlet and Othello. The language is considered more difficult and elliptical than his other comedies. So I'm curious what you guys think so far? 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Melismatic @LitStephanie @SamAnne @jewright @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey @CoffeeNBooks @mollyrotondo @rabbitprincess @Liz_M @Gezemice @saresmoore 4y

merelybookish @wanderinglynn @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @Kristy_K @mhillis @Wife @Susannah @kathedron @Sunraven @Mtroiano @teainthelibrary @MrsMalaprop 4y

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merelybookish @MoonWitch94 4y

GingerAntics I didn‘t get the darkness, really. I got the playfulness between Helena and Bertram. I liked the countess‘s blessing. I felt like Bertram and Helena were sort of R&J in the sense that they *shouldn‘t* end up together, but they could anyway. It will be interesting to see what he thinks. 4y

Lcsmcat I didn‘t find it dark either. Although Helena‘s banter with Parolles was a little odd, the word-play was fun. I think I‘m going to enjoy this one a lot. 4y

merelybookish @GingerAntics I feel like this is going to be another play where I wish the heroine didn't have to end up with the hero. But we'll see! Hopefully Bertram will live up to the hype. 😉 4y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat Yes, I re-read some of the wordplay. I appreciated that Helena could keep pace! 4y

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Lcsmcat Interesting the darkness is emphasized in everything I've read about the play so far, and yet, it didn't seem to be a factor for anyone in Act I. Perhaps it gets darker? 4y

Lcsmcat @merelybookish Maybe so. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yea, I didn‘t feel any darkness yet. Lots of set-up so far to me. The whole virginity banter I thought was a bit weird. 4y

batsy There's death & illness, but it didn't strike me as particularly dark either. I liked the first Act a lot; just a lot of fun & even bizarre wordplay that feels a little like Shakespeare doing some freestyle rapping 😆 The Countess & Helena are intriguing female characters so far. I did find the whole virginity discourse both cringey & illuminating, especially the way economics was wrapped up in it, from Parolles' sexist perspective 😬 4y

Graywacke I‘m really impressed with the language. It‘s elaborate but also considered. And Helen is subtly very complex. Considered pure and special, she can banter about sex and has a definite plan (very subtle - end of scene 1). She‘s calculating and you can barely tell. I‘m liking this. Needs to be reread carefully though. 4y

Graywacke But, ok…pardon me….is this the origin of the word blow job? (See 1.1.128) 😇 😁 4y

merelybookish @Riveted_Reader_Melissa It was quite the discourse! 🙄 4y

merelybookish @batsy Haha, yes. Lil' Will laying down some rhymes. 😆 I saw this play compared to Troilus & Cressida in terms of verbal complexity so I was worried and intrigued. Also, I found it interesting how virginity decreases in value over time. Which tracks but never something I had ever fully thought about. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke I like your description of Helena. Again, I can't shake the feeling Bertram will prove unworthy of her subtle complexity. 4y

merelybookish @GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @batsy @Lcsmcat @Graywacke I wonder, having read as much Shakespeare as have now, if our sense of darkness is skewed? On the other hand, all the comedies seems to begin with some tragedy: a shipwreck, a family divided, people in exile, etc. So yeah, curious why this is considered different. 4y

merelybookish @Graywacke Certainly lots of talk of blowing. 😉 4y

TheBookHippie I love the heroine. I don‘t think it‘s dark but seriously how would I know I love dark. I love her banter. I love she‘s wicked smart! 4y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish I love the language and purported darkness of all Shakespeare so is it that we read, dissect, discuss and love it so we don‘t see it as dark but as mesmerising?! 🖤 4y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I.THINK.SO. 4y

TheBookHippie @batsy Can we even judge darkness at this point?! 😂🤫🖤 I agree cringe worthy at points 4y

TheBookHippie The virginity losing value is interesting… 4y

LitStephanie I found myself comparing the Countess's good council to Bertram with Pelonius's shallow council to Laertes in Hamlet. I love the line "Love all, trust a few, Do wrong to none," vs. Pelonius telling Laertes to look fancy and don't waste time making too many friends. 4y

LitStephanie @Graywacke maybe. My text says to be blown up meant to orgasm, and Parolles also uses "blow you up" to mean getting pregnant. I think blowing him down again means once she lets a man in, so to speak, she has to submit for the duration of the performance, when he will be blown down (erection go down). A very bawdy exchange! I think her participation in this exchange shows the difference in her rank. 4y

GingerAntics @Graywacke 🤣😂🤣 how did I miss this before? To use one of Shakespeare‘s words, this play is quite bawdy in places. 4y

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie that whole conversation on virginity really stuck out to me. I had to go back and reread that part. 4y

Lcsmcat @LitStephanie I almost wondered if the whole point of H having such a conversation with P was to show just how far below Bertram in status she is. 4y

Graywacke @GingerAntics @LitStephanie @merelybookish @TheBookHippie Joy of Shakespeare. i did look up and found what @LitStephanie found. But no more. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish ( @batsy ) i felt a kinship with Troilus and Cressida. Similar complexity and jaded but weighty humor mindset. But i loved T&C. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish Bertram - Lots of fuss over a higher class but otherwise nondescript guy. Maybe. Feel like i‘ve read this theme before. 4y

Graywacke @LitStephanie fun quote and comparison from Pelonius. 4y

batsy @TheBookHippie I love Helena so much already! I hope she doesn't let me down ? And I agree with you and @merelybookish maybe we've been Shakespeareised so hard our sense of what's "dark" has really altered. Everything's sunshine and roses if it isn't Titus Andronicus, really ? 4y

batsy @Graywacke "elaborate but also considered" is a good way to describe the language. There's a certain kind of freedom to how these characters speak and express themselves, as well, for lack of a better word. Like the conversation between the Countess and the Fool. It sets an intriguing tone. 4y

LitStephanie @batsy everything does seem rather sunny next to Titus Andronicus, LOL! 4y

TheBookHippie @batsy Titus 😂😝 4y

GingerAntics @batsy or King Lear. I hadn‘t thought of Shakespeare warping our sense of darkness within a play. “Most everyone is alive. This is a cheery play!” 😂 4y

Graywacke @batsy “Everything's sunshine and roses if it isn't Titus Andronicus, really ? “ 😂 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Love your comparison to Titus! 😂 @batsy 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Please tag me @merelybookish 4y

merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm Oh sorry Jessie! I will do better next time! 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Sorry to cause you confusion, me being in & out of the readalong 😛 @merelybookish 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics 🤣 that‘s it exactly, “Most everyone is alive… no death scenes in this Act, good vibe play!” 4y

GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa it‘s like a wins-losses thing. 😂 love stories-deaths … although that sort of puts R&J in a different light. It‘s got Shakespeare‘s dirtiest minded character (Mercutio), two debatably in love teenagers and A LOT of death. 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics Oh yes, R&J is a tragedy! Two, what 13 year olds, fall in love and because of that a bunch of people end up dead, including 2 suicides…definitely a tragedy. As a teen we had to read this in 7th grade, and I remember thinking this was a stupid play to have kids read. I‘m sure they thought we‘d relate to their ages, but they also ran away and died, so I‘m not sure it‘s the best role model on how to deal with first love. 4y

GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa a lot of schools use it as a cautionary tale of what happens when teenagers don‘t listen to their parents. 🙄 The dumb thing is, they were older than people usually give them credit for. Romeo was away at school, so he was probably 19. She may have only been 15 or 16, but back then that made them both full adults. They were of marriage age. “Teenager” and “adolescent” weren‘t things back then. 4y

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GingerAntics

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

The BS of virginity…harming women and human sexual health since 313 CE.
#Shakespeare #AllsWellThatEndsWell #shakespearereadalong

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GingerAntics

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Great advice from the bard.
#Shakespeare #AllsWellThatEndsWell #shakespearereadalong

CaffeineAndCandy ❤️❤️❤️ 4y

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merelybookish

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Just a reminder that the #shakespearereadalong of All's Well That Ends Well kicks off this Sunday with Act I.
If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you.
If you'd like to be removed from the group tag, happy to oblige.
@Graywacke @GingerAntics

merelybookish @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @CoffeeNBooks @jewright @mollyrotondo @LitStephanie @MoonWitch94 @Melismatic @erzascarletbookgasm @Gezemice @Cuilin @catebutler @Liz_M @saresmoore @Wife @wanderinglynn @IamIamIam @Trashcanman @Sunraven @teainthelibrary @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @Wife @Kristy_K @Susannah @rabbitprincess @Mtroiano @mhillis @MrsMalaprop 4y

TheBookHippie I‘m READY!!! 🤍 4y

GingerAntics I‘ll be ready by Sunday! 4y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie @GingerAntics 👏👏 4y

Gezemice I was AWOL but I am ready for a comedy! 4y

48 likes5 comments

merelybookish

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Next up for #shakespearereadalong! A return to comedy with All's Well That Ends Well. Considered a bit of a problem play. (Those are always fun.)
We will kick off our discussion of Act 1 on Sunday, July 11th. Everyone welcome!
@GingerAntics @Graywacke

merelybookish @readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Sunraven @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @ladyneverwhere @MoonWitch94 @catebutler @jewright @LitStephanie @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @CoffeeNBooks @saresmoore @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice @Cuilin @Liz_M @rabbitprincess @kathedron @Mtroiano @teainthelibrary @Susannah @slategreyskies @Panic70 @Kristy_K @Wife @mhillis @wanderinglynn 4y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds great! We like problems, lots to discuss! 🤪 4y

GingerAntics I second what @Riveted_Reader_Melissa said!!! Must go read up on the ideas swirling around this play. 4y

See All 12 Comments

Graywacke Interesting that it‘s a problem play. Look forward to it. 4y

TheBookHippie Yes. Love dissecting together! 4y

Graywacke Hi. Add @erzascarletbookgasm to our list for this one. 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Yay! Thank you @Graywacke and @merelybookish . 4y

merelybookish Welcome back @erzascarletbookgasm!! 4y

LitStephanie @SamAnne want to join? 4y

merelybookish @SamAnne Just checking if you want to join. I see @LitStephanie tagged you. 4y

SamAnne @LitStephanie @merelybookish I‘m in! Thanks for the tag! 4y

merelybookish @SamAnne Awesome! I'll be sure to include in posts going forth! 4y

47 likes1 stack add12 comments

Graywacke

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

#shakespearereadalong
Dates aren‘t set yet, but our next three plays are:

All‘s Well That Ends Well (beginning in July)
Measure for Measure
Romeo and Juliet

merelybookish, GingerAntics

Graywacke @readinginthedark @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Sunraven @Trashcanman @IamIamIam @ladyneverwhere @MoonWitch94 @catebutler @CoffeeNBooks @jewright @saresmoore @rabbitprincess @Balibee146 @kathedron @Mtroiano @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MrsMalaprop @Gezemice @cuilin 4y

Graywacke @Melismatic @Sace @teainthelibrary @Susannah @kristenm @slategreyskies @Panic70 @Carolyn11215 @Alliterati @Kristy_K @Liz_M @Daisey @mhillis @Wife @wanderinglynn @Jess_Read_This @Linsy @MellieAntoinette @Yoshi-and-a-book @mollyrotondo @greenreads @LitStephanie 4y

Lcsmcat All three plays that I‘ve seen staged at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, in a replica of the Globe. Looking forward to it! 4y

See All 16 Comments

CoffeeNBooks I'm looking forward to reading/rereading these plays! 4y

LitStephanie @Lcsmcat that sounds awesome! 4y

Lcsmcat @LitStephanie It‘s one of the things I miss about living in Utah. We‘d go almost every summer and see a couple of plays. 4y

batsy Looking forward to this! Promptly placed my order for All's Well but had to do make do with a Folger this time as that's what the local bookshop has 😁 4y

Graywacke @batsy folger has one really cool aspect. They provide a key summary of every source they cite. 4y

jewright I read Romeo and Juliet with my freshmen every year, and I love it. 4y

LitStephanie Looking forward to All's Well That Ends Well as I haven't studied it much. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat cool! @CoffeeNBooks 👍 @jewright How fun! @LitStephanie except for a high school assistant of R@J these are all new to me. To all: I‘m looking forward to reading these with you all. 4y

Melismatic I‘ll try to be back in —- histories aren‘t my jam but these sound fun. I‘ve read them all but it was years ago. 4y

erzascarletbookgasm Please tag me! 😙 Looking forward to be back in the readalong now that the Henry & Richard are completed. 😊 4y

Graywacke @erzascarletbookgasm yay! Tagging @merelybookish who leads. I‘ll tag you in the announcement post for AWtEW too. 4y

Gezemice I have finally finished Richard III and I liked it - once I got myself to read it… I am ready for a comedy! 4y

Graywacke @Gezemice glad you enjoyed R3. It‘s now one of my favorites. Enjoy AWTEW. 4y

46 likes16 comments

AvidReader25

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Books & Brews is still one of our favorite hang out spots. You can‘t beat beer and books!

britt_brooke Perfect!! 4y

31 likes1 comment

Cuilin

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#repeataword #boundtogetherjune

OriginalCyn620, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻📚🙌🏻 5y

OriginalCyn620 🙌🏻📚❤️ 5y

26 likes2 comments

Lindy

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

I just saw a FANTASTIC musical adaptation of Shakespeare, set in the 1960s in the wilds of the Okanagan (the forest was an apple orchard) and the music was from the Beatles. So much fun!

Butterfinger That sounds great. 5y

Leftcoastzen My mind is blown , wish I could see that version. 5y

Lindy @Butterfinger @leftcoastzen Yes. They used the traditional old Shakespearian text (well, about half of it) and threw in modern stuff like: “Someone's coming! Let's hide!“ “Why?“ “Because it's Shakespeare!“ And then there was the fool, Touchstone, who was dressed and acted as if he was Elton John. (edited) 5y

readordierachel This sounds fabulous 🤩 5y

Leftcoastzen Awesome sauce! 5y

43 likes5 comments

TheEllieMo

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#Yarn #QuotsyOct2019 @TK-421

JoScho ❤️❤️❤️ 5y

26 likes1 comment

GatheringBooks

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#QuotsyOct19 Day 19: #Yarn

TK-421

40 likes

TheSpineView

All's Well That Ends Well (Classic Reprint) | William Shakespeare

#quotsyjuly19 @TK-421
#Legacy

54 likes

Lindy

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Saw the tagged play last night in Vancouver. An excellent production, set during the partition of India.

40 likes1 stack add

WanderingBookaneer

All's Well That Ends Well (Classic Reprint) | William Shakespeare

The end of our trip is here. We haven‘t seen the cats in a month!

julesG Have a safe trip home. 6y

Crazeedi They will ignore you!!😉 safe travels!! 6y

87 likes2 comments

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#modern #quotsyjune19 @TK-421

Lindy I‘m going to Vancouver next month to see a production of this play that‘s set in India on the cusp of independence from Britain. Looking forward to it! 6y

Lcsmcat @Lindy That sounds like a cool production! 6y

37 likes2 comments

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

How could I not use a quote with “kicky-wicky” in it! #hug #quotsyjune19 @TK-421

31 likes

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#truth #quotsymay19 @TK-421

43 likes1 stack add

EmilieGR

All's Well That Ends Well (Revised) | William Shakespeare

pick

Funny

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

No one can sling the insults like the Bard! #easy #quotsynov18 @TK-421

46 likes

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#best #quotsysept18 @TK-421

49 likes

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

pick

Sister's day out! This show was clearly written by people who love theater, and we laughed so hard at all the Shakespeare and musical references. Now I have to find the soundtrack so I can get the songs out of my head!

5 likes

jpmcwisemorgan

All's Well That Ends Well (Classic Reprint) | William Shakespeare

I don‘t follow this. I don‘t like, let alone love, many people. I trust too easily sometimes. And I have a long list of people I‘d like to wrong. #trust #Quotsy #QuotsyJan18 #LitsyQuoteChallenge

TK-421

readinginthedark Makes sense to me. There are lots of people I like or love but don‘t trust. Trust has to be earned from me. And I try to do as little wrong as possible, although the temptation (as you mentioned) is sometimes great. 7y

52 likes1 stack add1 comment

GripLitGrl

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none"
- William Shakespeare
#quotsyjan18 #Trust @TK-421

bedandabook Love that quote! 7y

Lcsmcat I was about to post that same quote! 7y

Cathythoughts Here here 👏👏👏 7y

niha923 Brilliant as always Shakespeare 😍 7y

30 likes4 comments

TheKidUpstairs

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Shakespearean comedies pretty much guarantee you a wedding (or two). For today's Five Golden Rings I give you five Shakespearean weddings:

Helena and Bertram (All's Well...)
Beatrice and Benedick/Hero and Claudio (Much Ado...)
Viola and Orsino/Sebastian and Olivia (12th Night)

#12DaysofChristmas @LibrarianRyan

batsy Nice! 7y

LibrarianRyan 👍🏻🤓🎅🏼🎄 7y

80 likes2 comments

Lcsmcat

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

#bold #quotsynov17 @TK-421

32 likes

i.z.booknook

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

pick

I didn't really know this Shakespeare story so thought I'd give it a go!

Very funny in places!

And very interesting, because I think we are absolutely meant to loath Bertram and he is a little s**t, but looking at it from a modern perspective, can you blame the guy for running away if he really didn't want to marry her? And then she tricks him rather harshly which is kinda rapey... does anyone else kind feel sorry for Bertram?

40 likes

GoneFishing

All's Well that Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

33 likes4 stack adds

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