SOURCE: Haley, David. “Bertram at Court.” In Shakespeare's Courtly Mirror: Reflexivity and Prudence in All's Well That Ends Well, pp. 1-51. Cranbury, N.J.: Associated University Presses, 1993.

In the following excerpt, Haley interprets All's Well That Ends Well as a moral play depicting Bertram's path to self-discovery and his transcendence of a courtly “crisis of honor.”

Proud, Scornful Boy

In its structure and dramatic emphasis, All's Well That Ends Well looks like Helena's play. Her intellect and force of personality dominate every scene in which she appears, and the audience is kept aware of her extraordinarily active presence even after she has been reported dead, in the latter part of the play. Yet critics persist in discussing Bertram as though his persona, rather than hers, held the key to the play's design. This is because the playwright everywhere solicits our concern for the young Count. Within the society...