All's Well That Ends Well

One of my "30 before 30" goals is to read all of Shakespeare's plays. He wrote approximately 37 plays in his lifetime, and I have read only 15 of them. Most of the plays on my list fall into the comedy and history categories. (I hope my penchant for the tragedies doesn't suggest something about my overall demeanor and approach to life...)

On Friday, I read All's Well That Ends Well, one of the "problem" plays, because it doesn't quite fit neatly into the comedy category. I can see why. The heroine, Helena, basically has to trick her husband, Bertram, into sleeping with her and thus consummating their marriage. Um, seriously, Helena? Not worth your time -- Bertram is a vain, pompous jerk. And Shakespeare? This situation is totally not funny.

One of the most amusing characters in the play is Parolles, a liar, coward, and (surprise!) friend to Bertram. As in many of Shakespeare's plays, he eventually gets his comeuppance -- blindfolded.

I may try to watch a film version of this play, especially because I can see the role of Bertram being played in different ways. I have never seen a stage version of this, either, but it's easy to understand why this is not one of Shakespeare's more popular plays.

Next, I'll probably tackle Henry IV, Part 1 or Othello.