All's Well That Ends Well, Act 3, Scene 6

William Shakespeare

The story so far

Earlier in the play

Helena has cured the king and married Bertram at his command. Bertram refuses to accept her unless she obtains his ring and bears his child. He leaves with Parolles to fight for Florence and commands its cavalry. Helena leaves home as a pilgrim; the Countess sends after Bertram.

In the last scene: Act 3, Scene 5

In Florence, Helena meets a widow and Diana, learning that Bertram is pursuing Diana with Parolles’s help. She conceals her identity and watches the troops pass with them. Parolles complains about a lost drum. The widow offers Helena lodging, and Helena invites Diana and Mariana to supper.

SCENE VI. Camp before Florence.

Enter Bertram and the two French Lords.

FIRST LORD

Nay, good my lord, put him to’t; let him have his way.

SECOND LORD

If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in your respect.

FIRST LORD

On my life, my lord, a bubble.

BERTRAM

Do you think I am so far deceived in him?

FIRST LORD

Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without any malice, but to speak of him as my kinsman, he’s a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker, the owner of no one good quality worthy your lordship’s entertainment.

SECOND LORD

It were fit you knew him; lest, reposing too far in his virtue, which he hath not, he might at some great and trusty business, in a main danger fail you.

BERTRAM

I would I knew in what particular action to try him.

SECOND LORD

None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him so confidently undertake to do.

FIRST LORD

I with a troop of Florentines will suddenly surprise him; such I will have whom I am sure he knows not from the enemy; we will bind and hoodwink him so that he shall suppose no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adversaries when we bring him to our own tents. Be but your lordship present at his examination; if he do not for the promise of his life, and in the highest compulsion of base fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his soul upon oath, never trust my judgment in anything.

SECOND LORD

O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he says he has a stratagem for’t. When your lordship sees the bottom of his success in’t, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not John Drum’s entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

Enter Parolles.

FIRST LORD

O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the honour of his design: let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

BERTRAM

How now, monsieur! This drum sticks sorely in your disposition.

SECOND LORD

A pox on ’t; let it go; ’tis but a drum.

PAROLLES

But a drum! Is’t but a drum? A drum so lost! There was excellent command, to charge in with our horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own soldiers.

SECOND LORD

That was not to be blam’d in the command of the service; it was a disaster of war that Caesar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command.

BERTRAM

Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some dishonour we had in the loss of that drum, but it is not to be recovered.

PAROLLES

It might have been recovered.

BERTRAM

It might, but it is not now.

PAROLLES

It is to be recovered. But that the merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet.

BERTRAM

Why, if you have a stomach, to’t, monsieur, if you think your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprise, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit; if you speed well in it, the duke shall both speak of it and extend to you what further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.

PAROLLES

By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.

BERTRAM

But you must not now slumber in it.

PAROLLES

I’ll about it this evening; and I will presently pen down my dilemmas, encourage myself in my certainty, put myself into my mortal preparation; and by midnight look to hear further from me.

BERTRAM

May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it?

PAROLLES

I know not what the success will be, my lord, but the attempt I vow.

BERTRAM

I know th’art valiant; and to the possibility of thy soldiership, will subscribe for thee. Farewell.

PAROLLES

I love not many words.

Exit.

FIRST LORD

No more than a fish loves water. Is not this a strange fellow, my lord, that so confidently seems to undertake this business, which he knows is not to be done; damns himself to do, and dares better be damn’d than to do’t.

SECOND LORD

You do not know him, my lord, as we do; certain it is that he will steal himself into a man’s favour, and for a week escape a great deal of discoveries, but when you find him out, you have him ever after.

BERTRAM

Why, do you think he will make no deed at all of this, that so seriously he does address himself unto?

FIRST LORD

None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies; but we have almost embossed him; you shall see his fall tonight; for indeed he is not for your lordship’s respect.

SECOND LORD

We’ll make you some sport with the fox ere we case him. He was first smok’d by the old Lord Lafew; when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him; which you shall see this very night.

FIRST LORD

I must go look my twigs. He shall be caught.

BERTRAM

Your brother, he shall go along with me.

FIRST LORD

As’t please your lordship. I’ll leave you.

Exit.

BERTRAM

Now will I lead you to the house, and show youThe lass I spoke of.

SECOND LORD

But you say she’s honest.

BERTRAM

That’s all the fault. I spoke with her but once,And found her wondrous cold, but I sent to herBy this same coxcomb that we have i’ the windTokens and letters which she did re-send,And this is all I have done. She’s a fair creature;Will you go see her?

SECOND LORD

With all my heart, my lord.

Exeunt.

Characters

Speaking

13 speeches
10 speeches
9 speeches
7 speeches

All the characters ›

Themes

All the themes ›

Questions on this scene

Reading
What does the First Lord plan to do to Parolles?
Reading
Reading

Locations

FlorenceScene
Bertram serves in the Duke's army during the war against Siena. In Florence and its neighbouring military camp, Helena meets Diana and the Widow, arranges the bed-trick, and secures Bertram's ring; Parolles is exposed through a staged interrogation.
Set here · 4 quotes in this scene

Also mentioned

Roussilloncharacters travel here or from here