Bertram's Honor
At the beginning of the play, Bertram is presented as the epitome of an honorable man: he comes from noble blood and is strong, thoughtful, and valiant. However, of the course of the play, Bertram's honor is slowly called into question. After his refusal to consummate his marriage Helena, he goes off to Florence and doggedly pursues Diana for sex. It is only at the very end of the play, when Bertram agrees to become Helena's dutiful husband, that his honorable reputation is restored. One of the shortcomings that critics point to most frequently in the play is the question of how Helena could be so in love with Bertram given his gradually souring character.
The Bed Trick
When Helena travels to Florence, she joins forces with the Widow and Diana to play a "bed trick" on Bertram in which Diana will invite Bertram to her bedchamber, but Helena will take her place. Bed tricks were common plot devices in the early modern English theater, and they occur in both comedies and tragedies. The bed trick is an example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows what the women are planning while Bertram is left in the dark.
Parolles Exposed
Another example of dramatic irony occurs when Paroles is "captured" by enemy soldiers (in reality, fellow Frenchmen disguised as the enemy) and threatened with torture if he does not divulge information about the Duke's forces and his fellow soldiers. The audience is aware that Parolles is simply being duped by the Dumaine brothers in order to expose his true character, but Parolles – blindfolded – has no idea he is perfectly safe from harm.
The Title
Many argue that the title of All's Well That Ends Well is itself an ironic phrase given the context of the play. Helena speaks these words at the very end of the play, after Bertram has abruptly agreed to dedicate himself to their marriage. With this remark, Helena implies that it is only endings – and happy endings in particular – that matter in deciding whether circumstances have ended "well." This calls into question the validity of the abrupt happy ending in the play.
