All's Well That Ends Well, Act 4, Scene 1

William Shakespeare

The story so far

Earlier in the play

Having cured the king, Helena marries Bertram, who leaves for war, demanding his ring and a child before accepting her. She follows to Florence, where he pursues Diana. Parolles undertakes to recover a lost drum; French lords plan to capture him as supposed enemies, with Bertram’s agreement.

In the last scene: Act 3, Scene 7

Helena tells the Widow that Bertram is her husband and gives her gold for help. She proposes that Diana demand Bertram’s ancestral ring and arrange a meeting, where Helena will take her place. The Widow agrees. Helena promises three thousand crowns towards Diana’s marriage, and they decide to attempt the plan tonight.

SCENE I. Without the Florentine camp.

Enter first Lord with five or six Soldiers in ambush.

FIRST LORD

He can come no other way but by this hedge-corner. When you sally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not seem to understand him, unless someone among us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.

FIRST SOLDIER

Good captain, let me be th’ interpreter.

FIRST LORD

Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice?

FIRST SOLDIER

No sir, I warrant you.

FIRST LORD

But what linsey-woolsey has thou to speak to us again?

FIRST SOLDIER

E’en such as you speak to me.

FIRST LORD

He must think us some band of strangers i’ the adversary’s entertainment. Now he hath a smack of all neighbouring languages, therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy; not to know what we speak one to another, so we seem to know, is to know straight our purpose: choughs’ language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch, ho! Here he comes; to beguile two hours in a sleep, and then to return and swear the lies he forges.

Early modern armies in Italy commonly employed foreign troops, often recruited in companies under their own captains. Soldiers serving the same employer could therefore speak different languages.

They want Parolles to believe enemy foreign troops have captured him.

The contrast between knowing and seeming to know makes pretence the basis of the trap. The soldiers need only appear to understand one another to make their false identities convincing.

Because Parolles knows several languages, everyone must improvise convincing but meaningless speech.

The Lord predicts that Parolles will replace military action with sleep and invented exploits. This exposes the gap between a soldier's reputation for courage and his actual conduct.

The interpreter must act cunningly, while the others immediately hide.

Parolles arrives intending to sleep, then invent heroic lies about completing his mission.

Enter Parolles.

PAROLLES

Ten o’clock. Within these three hours ’twill be time enough to go home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive invention that carries it. They begin to smoke me, and disgraces have of late knock’d too often at my door. I find my tongue is too foolhardy, but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue.

This contrast splits Parolles into a bold tongue and a cowardly heart. Later he calls his tongue 'you', as if someone else were to blame for his boasts.

Alone and unaware of hidden listeners, Parolles plans a convincing lie about recovering the drum.

Self-knowledge achieved by splitting himself, so the liar is never quite him

The phrasing adapts Psalm 36:1, where the wicked man has no fear of God before his eyes. Parolles substitutes Mars, the classical god of war, for God, and his heart for the eyes; unlike the psalm’s subject, he does possess the fear described.

This question puts the story before the deed, so Parolles plans what to say before he has done anything at all.

He knows the soldiers suspect him and admits his boasts exceed his courage.

Parolles contrasts his reckless…

Parolles focuses on telling a…

FIRST LORD

This is the first truth that e’er thine own tongue was guilty of.

PAROLLES

What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had no such purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and say I got them in exploit; yet slight ones will not carry it. They will say “Came you off with so little?” and great ones I dare not give. Wherefore, what’s the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman’s mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet’s mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

FIRST LORD

Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?

PAROLLES

I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.

FIRST LORD

We cannot afford you so.

PAROLLES

Or the baring of my beard, and to say it was in stratagem.

FIRST LORD

’Twould not do.

PAROLLES

Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

FIRST LORD

Hardly serve.

PAROLLES

Though I swore I leap’d from the window of the citadel,—

FIRST LORD

How deep?

PAROLLES

Thirty fathom.

FIRST LORD

Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

PAROLLES

I would I had any drum of the enemy’s; I would swear I recover’d it.

FIRST LORD

You shall hear one anon.

PAROLLES

A drum now of the enemy’s!

Alarum within.

FIRST LORD

Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.

ALL

Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.

They seize and blindfold him.

PAROLLES

O, ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.

FIRST SOLDIER

Boskos thromuldo boskos.

PAROLLES

I know you are the Muskos’ regiment,And I shall lose my life for want of language.If there be here German, or Dane, Low Dutch,Italian, or French, let him speak to me,I’ll discover that which shall undo the Florentine.

FIRST SOLDIER

Boskos vauvado. I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue. Kerelybonto. Sir, Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy bosom.

PAROLLES

FIRST SOLDIER

O, pray, pray, pray!Manka revania dulche.

FIRST LORD

Oscorbidulchos volivorco.

FIRST SOLDIER

The General is content to spare thee yet;And, hoodwink’d as thou art, will lead thee onTo gather from thee. Haply thou mayst informSomething to save thy life.

PAROLLES

O, let me live,And all the secrets of our camp I’ll show,Their force, their purposes; nay, I’ll speak thatWhich you will wonder at.

FIRST SOLDIER

But wilt thou faithfully?

PAROLLES

If I do not, damn me.

FIRST SOLDIER

Acordo linta.Come on; thou art granted space.

Exit, with Parolles guarded.

A short alarum within.

FIRST LORD

Go tell the Count Rossillon and my brotherWe have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffledTill we do hear from them.

SECOND SOLDIER

Captain, I will.

FIRST LORD

’A will betray us all unto ourselves;Inform on that.

SECOND SOLDIER

So I will, sir.

FIRST LORD

Till then I’ll keep him dark, and safely lock’d.

Exeunt.

Characters

Speaking

17 speeches
14 speeches
First Soldier9 speeches
Second Soldier2 speeches

All the characters ›

Themes

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Questions on this scene

Reading
Who volunteers to act as interpreter for 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 · 6 quotes in this scene

Also mentioned

Roussillon1 quote in this scene