Laura Hughes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lauraredcloud) wrote2008-07-13 04:53 pm
lauraredcloud) wrote2008-07-13 04:53 pm
Entry tags:
All's Well That Ends Well 3.6-4.3: Mean Boys
How'd you like a subplot involving Parolles?
We wrap up Act III with some scheming.
Act III, Scene 6: The Lords Dumaine try to convince Bertram that Parolles is a coward and suggest a test: they'll send him to recapture the lost drum, capture him, trick him into thinking he's been captured by the enemy, and see what he does. Bertram agreeably convinces Parolles to undertake the mission (I think he thinks Parolles is going to pass this test with flying colors, poor lamb). Parolles is like, well, sure, yeah, I'll do it, but I don't know if I'll succeed. The Lords are like, he's not going to do it. Bertram's like, YES HE IS SHUT UP.
Act III, Scene 7: Helena tells the widow that she is the famed spurned wife of Bertram. They work out a classic bedroom farce plan: Diana will negotiate a trade with Bertram, saying she'll sleep with him iff Bertram gives her his ring, and on the actual night, Helena will take Diana's place. Diana is not involved in this plan and I wonder how she is going to take the news.
Now to enact the schemes.
Act IV, Scene 1: The Lords Dumaine instruct some soldiers to speak to Parolles in made-up language. They all hide while Parolles comes on and monologues about how he's going to make it look like he attempted to rescue the drum. The Lords comment on his speech, and there's some comical interplay where it's not clear whether Parolles is speaking to himself or to them. Then the soldiers jump him and blindfold him and speak to him in made-up language. One claims to be an interpreter and tells him there are 17 poniards at his bosom. Parolles immediately promises to tell them all the secrets he knows. They lead him off.
Act IV, Scene 2: Bertram flirts with Diana. She asks for his ring, and he refuses at first, but then relents. She tells him to knock at her chamber window at midnight.
Act IV, Scene 3: That night, while Bertram is off at his assignation, the Lords Dumaine gossip about him. They don't seem to exactly disapprove of his behavior, but they're concerned about the predicament he's gotten himself into: the king's mad at him, his mom's mad at him, the thing with Diana is sort of weird. Plus, they have just got the news that Helena is dead. Oh, great, a fake death, just what this play needed. Bertram arrives and ticks off his accomplishments so far that night, which include seducing a virgin and mourning his wife. I am pretty sure it is about 12:01 right now, so neither one of those can have taken too long.
Anyway, back to Parolles. He has spent all night in the stocks. The soldiers all gather in the camp and Parolles is brought in. Everyone chatters in gibberish, and the interpreter questions Parolles about the Florentine army. Parolles answers his questions truthfully while the soldiers aside about how terrible he is.
Bertram gets particularly mad when the interpret reads out a letter Parolles had warning Diana to take what she can from Bertram before she sleeps with him, because after it's done he's going to disappear.
Anyway, they finally unmask him and show him who is captors are. Parolles is more or less speechless. Everyone says something sarcastic like "God save you, noble captain", and then walks out in disgust. Alone, Parolles gives an "I Will Survive" speech.
Thoughts: The nasty trick on Parolles is I think my favorite part of the play. It's one of those scenarios so prevalent in Shakespeare comedies that could be played comedically, for mean laughs, or seriously, and actually be dramatic and interesting. The trick starts out light-heartedly, with the funny 4.1, and turns dark and horrible in 4.3. (This could really be played up if Parolles were brought in in 4.3 looking all beat-up, immaculate dress coat ripped from his body, etc.) Bertram is certainly not prepared for hard evidence that Parolles is a weakling and a coward, and I think even the soldiers who professed to believe the worst of him are surprised and horrified by how quickly he betrays them.
But Parolles has a few strange, redeeming moments. The letter to Diana, for example. From Bertram's point of view, it's just another, more personal betrayal. But Parolles doesn't stand to gain anything by giving Diana fair warning that Bertram is a jerk (which is true). He's just doing her a solid. (There's also a couple of slashy readings there, e.g. Parolles wants to destroy Bertram's relationships with women so he can have him for himself, or things between Parolles and Bertram are over and he's passing back a warning as the ex.)
Then there's my favorite moment near the end of 4.3 when the interpreter questions Parolles about the First Lord Dumaine, and Parolles gives a big speech about how mean and horrible he is, and how he would steal an egg out of a cloister. The First Lord asides, "I begin to love him for this." I begin to love the First Lord for beginning to love him. It's not clear why Parolles made the First Lord into such an unscrupulous bastard--maybe he is one (which is kind of awesome), but I fail to see how going on this rant about it would provide a strategic advantage to either side, or gain anything for Parolles. Either way, I like to think that the First Lord really is amused and touched by Parolles's badass description of him.
We wrap up Act III with some scheming.
Act III, Scene 6: The Lords Dumaine try to convince Bertram that Parolles is a coward and suggest a test: they'll send him to recapture the lost drum, capture him, trick him into thinking he's been captured by the enemy, and see what he does. Bertram agreeably convinces Parolles to undertake the mission (I think he thinks Parolles is going to pass this test with flying colors, poor lamb). Parolles is like, well, sure, yeah, I'll do it, but I don't know if I'll succeed. The Lords are like, he's not going to do it. Bertram's like, YES HE IS SHUT UP.
Act III, Scene 7: Helena tells the widow that she is the famed spurned wife of Bertram. They work out a classic bedroom farce plan: Diana will negotiate a trade with Bertram, saying she'll sleep with him iff Bertram gives her his ring, and on the actual night, Helena will take Diana's place. Diana is not involved in this plan and I wonder how she is going to take the news.
Now to enact the schemes.
Act IV, Scene 1: The Lords Dumaine instruct some soldiers to speak to Parolles in made-up language. They all hide while Parolles comes on and monologues about how he's going to make it look like he attempted to rescue the drum. The Lords comment on his speech, and there's some comical interplay where it's not clear whether Parolles is speaking to himself or to them. Then the soldiers jump him and blindfold him and speak to him in made-up language. One claims to be an interpreter and tells him there are 17 poniards at his bosom. Parolles immediately promises to tell them all the secrets he knows. They lead him off.
Act IV, Scene 2: Bertram flirts with Diana. She asks for his ring, and he refuses at first, but then relents. She tells him to knock at her chamber window at midnight.
Act IV, Scene 3: That night, while Bertram is off at his assignation, the Lords Dumaine gossip about him. They don't seem to exactly disapprove of his behavior, but they're concerned about the predicament he's gotten himself into: the king's mad at him, his mom's mad at him, the thing with Diana is sort of weird. Plus, they have just got the news that Helena is dead. Oh, great, a fake death, just what this play needed. Bertram arrives and ticks off his accomplishments so far that night, which include seducing a virgin and mourning his wife. I am pretty sure it is about 12:01 right now, so neither one of those can have taken too long.
Anyway, back to Parolles. He has spent all night in the stocks. The soldiers all gather in the camp and Parolles is brought in. Everyone chatters in gibberish, and the interpreter questions Parolles about the Florentine army. Parolles answers his questions truthfully while the soldiers aside about how terrible he is.
Bertram gets particularly mad when the interpret reads out a letter Parolles had warning Diana to take what she can from Bertram before she sleeps with him, because after it's done he's going to disappear.
Anyway, they finally unmask him and show him who is captors are. Parolles is more or less speechless. Everyone says something sarcastic like "God save you, noble captain", and then walks out in disgust. Alone, Parolles gives an "I Will Survive" speech.
Thoughts: The nasty trick on Parolles is I think my favorite part of the play. It's one of those scenarios so prevalent in Shakespeare comedies that could be played comedically, for mean laughs, or seriously, and actually be dramatic and interesting. The trick starts out light-heartedly, with the funny 4.1, and turns dark and horrible in 4.3. (This could really be played up if Parolles were brought in in 4.3 looking all beat-up, immaculate dress coat ripped from his body, etc.) Bertram is certainly not prepared for hard evidence that Parolles is a weakling and a coward, and I think even the soldiers who professed to believe the worst of him are surprised and horrified by how quickly he betrays them.
But Parolles has a few strange, redeeming moments. The letter to Diana, for example. From Bertram's point of view, it's just another, more personal betrayal. But Parolles doesn't stand to gain anything by giving Diana fair warning that Bertram is a jerk (which is true). He's just doing her a solid. (There's also a couple of slashy readings there, e.g. Parolles wants to destroy Bertram's relationships with women so he can have him for himself, or things between Parolles and Bertram are over and he's passing back a warning as the ex.)
Then there's my favorite moment near the end of 4.3 when the interpreter questions Parolles about the First Lord Dumaine, and Parolles gives a big speech about how mean and horrible he is, and how he would steal an egg out of a cloister. The First Lord asides, "I begin to love him for this." I begin to love the First Lord for beginning to love him. It's not clear why Parolles made the First Lord into such an unscrupulous bastard--maybe he is one (which is kind of awesome), but I fail to see how going on this rant about it would provide a strategic advantage to either side, or gain anything for Parolles. Either way, I like to think that the First Lord really is amused and touched by Parolles's badass description of him.