
Bertram proves to be a good soldier, but also seems to be enjoying the single life a little too much… The Countess is appalled by her son’s behaviour, and basically ends up 100% on team Helena. He says he will only marry her after she is pregnant and has the family ring.ĭejected, Helena returns home. However, upset about Helena’s lower social status, Bertram leaves immediately to go to war in Italy. The King is not too pleased with this effrontery and forces Bertram to marry. She asks to marry Bertram, who isn’t thrilled with the idea. The King is cured! To say thank you, Helena is allowed to marry anyone she likes. Helena is so confident in her abilities, she even bets her life on it. Yes, this all seems a little random: but welcome to Shakespeare. Helena also heads to Paris, and offers to heal the sick King (her father is a famous physician and she believes she will be able to heal him). She is aware that she is not an appropriate match for Bertram because of her rank in society, but all the same is completely in love.īertram leaves to Paris to become an attendant to the sick King of France. She is not a noblewoman, but has managed to fall madly in love with the son of the Countess, Bertram. The story centres around Helena, who is a ward of the Countess of Rousillon (Province of France). As All’s Well That Ends Well is one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known works, we thought we’d start with a broad look at what happens in the play: Really knowing the world of the play is going to give your monologue authenticity and detail. Whenever you are looking at a new monologue, the first thing you need to do is to understand its context in the larger text. In this article, we will explore this monologue in detail and do our best to explain and unlock this Shakespeare monologue.

Helena is, without a doubt, the most compelling and exciting character from the play she is also a great choice of character for auditions. It is Helena’s Monologue from Act 1 Scene 3. The monologue that we are exploring here is one of my favourite monologues from All’s Well That Ends Well. All’s Well That Ends Well is not one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, but it does feature some terrific monologues.
