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All's Well That Ends Well

All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 5 Scene 2

54Lines 3Speakers

All's Well That Ends Well, Act 5 Scene 2 runs 54 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 5 of All's Well That Ends Well.


Full Dialogue
Parolles ♂
Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafeu this
letter: I have ere now, sir, been better known to
you, when I have held familiarity with fresher
clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in fortune's
mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong
displeasure.
Clown ♂
Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it
smell so strongly as thou speakest of: I will
henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering.
Prithee, allow the wind.
Parolles ♂
Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir; I spake
but by a metaphor.
Clown ♂
Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my
nose; or against any man's metaphor. Prithee, get
thee further.
Parolles ♂
Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
Clown ♂
Foh! prithee, stand away: a paper from fortune's
close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he
comes himself.
Here is a purr of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's
cat,–but not a musk-cat,–that has fallen into the
unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he
says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the
carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed,
ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his
distress in my similes of comfort and leave him to
your lordship.
Parolles ♂
My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly
scratched.
Lafeu ♂
And what would you have me to do? 'Tis too late to
pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the
knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who
of herself is a good lady and would not have knaves
thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for
you: let the justices make you and fortune friends:
I am for other business.
Parolles ♂
I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
Lafeu ♂
You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't;
save your word.
Parolles ♂
My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
Lafeu ♂
You beg more than 'word,' then. Cox my passion!
give me your hand. How does your drum?
Parolles ♂
O my good lord, you were the first that found me!
Lafeu ♂
Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee.
Parolles ♂
It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace,
for you did bring me out.
Lafeu ♂
Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once
both the office of God and the devil? One brings
thee in grace and the other brings thee out.
The king's coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah,
inquire further after me; I had talk of you last
night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall
eat; go to, follow.
Parolles ♂
I praise God for you.
54 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.

Who’s On Stage

Speaking characters in this scene

Character Lines Share
Lafeu 19 35.2%
Clown 18 33.3%
Parolles 17 31.5%

Line distribution

The top speaker in this scene delivers 19 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 18 lines.

Total speakers on stage

3 named characters speak in this scene.

Scene in Context

Position within Act 5

This is Scene 2 of 3 in Act 5 of All's Well That Ends Well.

Scene length vs. play average

At 54 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 5 Scene 1 · Next: Act 5 Scene 3

About Act 5 Scene 2 of All's Well That Ends Well

Who carries Act 5 Scene 2 of All's Well That Ends Well?

Lafeu, with 19 lines — about 35% of the scene.

Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?

With 3 speakers and the lead holding 35% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.
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