In this delightful comedy Shakespeare creates a funny play that has one very important
highlight: the presence of a woman in the leading role, something pioneering in the literature.
All's Well That Ends Well is a piece inspired by a story of the Decameron, written by Giovanni Boccaccio, and has as its central figure a plebeian beauty, Helena, in love with the noble Bertram, creating the classic struggle in search for an impossible love. When saving the king's life through (by using a potion that had been left to Helena by her the deceased father), Helen earns the right to choose a husband among the single men of the court.
Bertram, the chosen one, rejects the idea, but because it is really an order, he eventually agrees to get married, but he fled immediately to the war. Thus, the scorned bride throws up all her wits to win her husband.
In a book full of twists and unusual situations, the Bard gives us several interesting phrases about some relevant issues, namely:
- About the mourning: "A moderate lament is a right of the dead, excessive grief is an enemy of the living";
- About the clever use of the word: "Let people blame you for being silent, but never let them censor you by talking too much."
- About the false love: "And I began to love as an old man loves money, with no appetite."