All's Well That Ends Well, Act 2 Scene 4 runs 56 lines of dialogue, spoken by 3 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 127 lines. This scene is part of Act 2 of All's Well That Ends Well.
Full Dialogue
Helena ♀
My mother greets me kindly; is she well?
Clown ♂
She is not well; but yet she has her health: she's
very merry; but yet she is not well: but thanks be
given, she's very well and wants nothing i', the
world; but yet she is not well.
very merry; but yet she is not well: but thanks be
given, she's very well and wants nothing i', the
world; but yet she is not well.
Helena ♀
If she be very well, what does she ail, that she's
not very well?
not very well?
Clown ♂
Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.
Helena ♀
What two things?
Clown ♂
One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her
quickly! the other that she's in earth, from whence
God send her quickly!
quickly! the other that she's in earth, from whence
God send her quickly!
Parolles ♂
Bless you, my fortunate lady!
Helena ♀
I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own
good fortunes.
good fortunes.
Parolles ♂
You had my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them
on, have them still. O, my knave, how does my old lady?
on, have them still. O, my knave, how does my old lady?
Clown ♂
So that you had her wrinkles and I her money,
I would she did as you say.
I would she did as you say.
Parolles ♂
Why, I say nothing.
Clown ♂
Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's
tongue shakes out his master's undoing: to say
nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have
nothing, is to be a great part of your title; which
is within a very little of nothing.
tongue shakes out his master's undoing: to say
nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have
nothing, is to be a great part of your title; which
is within a very little of nothing.
Parolles ♂
Away! thou'rt a knave.
Clown ♂
You should have said, sir, before a knave thou'rt a
knave; that's, before me thou'rt a knave: this had
been truth, sir.
knave; that's, before me thou'rt a knave: this had
been truth, sir.
Parolles ♂
Go to, thou art a witty fool; I have found thee.
Clown ♂
Did you find me in yourself, sir? or were you
taught to find me? The search, sir, was profitable;
and much fool may you find in you, even to the
world's pleasure and the increase of laughter.
taught to find me? The search, sir, was profitable;
and much fool may you find in you, even to the
world's pleasure and the increase of laughter.
Parolles ♂
A good knave, i' faith, and well fed.
Madam, my lord will go away to-night;
A very serious business calls on him.
The great prerogative and rite of love,
Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge;
But puts it off to a compell'd restraint;
Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets,
Which they distil now in the curbed time,
To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy
And pleasure drown the brim.
Madam, my lord will go away to-night;
A very serious business calls on him.
The great prerogative and rite of love,
Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge;
But puts it off to a compell'd restraint;
Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets,
Which they distil now in the curbed time,
To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy
And pleasure drown the brim.
Helena ♀
What's his will else?
Parolles ♂
That you will take your instant leave o' the king
And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
Strengthen'd with what apology you think
May make it probable need.
And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
Strengthen'd with what apology you think
May make it probable need.
Helena ♀
What more commands he?
Parolles ♂
That, having this obtain'd, you presently
Attend his further pleasure.
Attend his further pleasure.
Helena ♀
In every thing I wait upon his will.
Parolles ♂
I shall report it so.
Helena ♀
I pray you.
Come, sirrah.
Come, sirrah.
56 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Parolles | 23 | 41.1% |
| Clown | 22 | 39.3% |
| Helena | 11 | 19.6% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 23 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 19 lines.
Total speakers on stage
3 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 2
This is Scene 4 of 5 in Act 2 of All's Well That Ends Well.
Scene length vs. play average
At 56 lines, this scene is shorter than the All's Well That Ends Well average scene in All's Well That Ends Well (~127 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 2 Scene 3 · Next: Act 2 Scene 5
About Act 2 Scene 4 of All's Well That Ends Well
Who carries Act 2 Scene 4 of All's Well That Ends Well?
Parolles, with 23 lines — about 41% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 3 speakers and the lead holding 41% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.