All's Well that Ends Well
All's Well that Ends Well,a comedy by Shakespeare , first printed in the First folio of 1623 . It used to be thought to be the play referred to by Meres as Loue Labours Wonne, which would mean that it was written before 1598 ; but its close affinity to Measure for Measure suggests a date around 1604 – 5 . Both plays are generally classified as ‘tragi-comedies’ or ‘problem comedies’.
Its chief source is Boccaccio's Decameron (Day 3, Tale 9), which Shakespeare may have read either in the translation by Painter , or in the French version by Antoine le Maçon . Bertram, the young count of Rousillon, on the death of his father is summoned to the court of the king of France, leaving his mother and with her Helena, daughter of the famous physician Gerard de Narbon. The king is sick of a disease said to be incurable. Helena, who loves Bertram, goes to Paris and effects his cure...
[The entire page is 405 words long]