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A review by josiahdegraaf
All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
4.0
While Shakespearean comedy is generally not my cup-of-tea, this play was surprisingly enjoyable. The presence of a female lead protagonist (extremely rare in Shakespeare; this may have been the first one I've ever seen in his works, though my memory is really fuzzy on As You Like It, and Rosalind may also fit this category), a rapidly-twisting plot that constantly kept me on-edge, and a lack of the comic relief plot lines that tend to annoy me in most of his comedies (there is one in this play, but it's not as central and it has more of a point) all made this play one of my favorites of Shakespeare's comedies.
Of course, this is also one of Shakespeare's most morally ambiguous plays as well. =P Helena's decision to procure herself a husband by trickery and manipulation was certainly original and made the play very interesting, but I wasn't sure what to feel about the fact that she actually succeeds in this. Bertram is far from being a shining example of virtue either, so perhaps she'd soon realize that manipulating her way into a marriage with him wasn't exactly a wise decision on this part. But given that normally marriages in Shakespeare are supposed to be good things, the fact that neither Helena nor Bertram seems fit for a marriage relationship leaves the play rather tenuous toward the end.
Taken as a whole, this is probably one of my favorites among Shakespeare's comedies. And while it isn't a terribly moral story, it raises a bunch of interesting moral questions and keeps its characters in interesting situations. The characters may not be terribly sympathetic. But they're certainly empathetic. And that created a fascinating and intriguing comedy.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
Of course, this is also one of Shakespeare's most morally ambiguous plays as well. =P Helena's decision to procure herself a husband by trickery and manipulation was certainly original and made the play very interesting, but I wasn't sure what to feel about the fact that she actually succeeds in this. Bertram is far from being a shining example of virtue either, so perhaps she'd soon realize that manipulating her way into a marriage with him wasn't exactly a wise decision on this part. But given that normally marriages in Shakespeare are supposed to be good things, the fact that neither Helena nor Bertram seems fit for a marriage relationship leaves the play rather tenuous toward the end.
Taken as a whole, this is probably one of my favorites among Shakespeare's comedies. And while it isn't a terribly moral story, it raises a bunch of interesting moral questions and keeps its characters in interesting situations. The characters may not be terribly sympathetic. But they're certainly empathetic. And that created a fascinating and intriguing comedy.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).