illustration of Count Bertram in profile

All's Well That Ends Well

by William Shakespeare

Start Free Trial

Student Question

What does the quote "A young man married is a man that's marred" from All's Well That Ends Well mean?

Quick answer:

“A young man married is a man that’s marred” is the opinion of the loutish, lascivious Parolles in “All’s Well That Ends Well”.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

“A young man married is a man that’s marred” is the opinion of that loudly-dressed, loudly-spoken, class-A blowhard Parolles in “All’s Well That Ends Well”. He’s expressing his support for his friend Bertram, who has just been married under duress to a woman he doesn’t love, and has decided to run away and join the army in a far-off war rather than spend the night with her. As solutions go, it seems pretty extreme, but Parolles believes that marriage and settling down ruins a man’s independence and his chances of bedding other women, and to marry at Bertram’s young age would mean a tragic loss of years of playing the field and having adventures. He’s planning to head to the wars himself, and so is happy to see Bertram joining him, as he predicts glory on the battlefield for them both. His experience in the war turns out to be decidedly less dignified than he imagined.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial