All's Well That Ends Well

All's Well That Ends Well is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the First Folio in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate regarding the dating of the composition of the play, with possible dates ranging from 1598 to 1608.

    The play is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays"—a play that poses complex ethical dilemmas that require more than typically simple solutions. The play is based on a tale (tale nine of day three) of Boccaccio's The Decameron. Shakespeare may have read a French translation of the tale in William Painter's Palace of Pleasure.

I don't really know how to explain the plot of this play. I can tell you who the characters are, what happens to these characters, and how the play ends, but I don't think I can really give an analysis which would be accepted by most critics. The title itself is one of Shakespeare's most quoted and famous lines, but the plot of this play, I believe, would have some real trouble getting off the ground in this day and age. The way marriages were bonded during our playwright's time may have lent itself to an audience more attuned or more understanding of the actions of Helena and how and why Bertram accepted his fate; however, even though this play is basically about a woman trapping the man she loves into a lifetime of basically servitude, I believe both men and women of this day would hold protests. Despite the controversies of this plot, the play is still penned by the most beautiful and artistic playwright ever, so if you read it or view it strictly for its poetry, you won't be disappointed.