A Day of Small Things | Mistreated? Misguided? Manipulative? // All's Well that Ends Well review // Character Study: Helen @adayofsmallthings | Uploaded September 2022 | Updated October 2024, 11 minutes ago.
The first play for #shaketember this year is All's Well that Ends Well (by William Shakespeare just to be clear!).
I find Helen a fascinating and complicated character to analyse. She's clearly mistreated by her husband, but only after she forced him into marriage against his will. She's clearly an angel in her mother-in-law's eyes, but I can't wholeheartedly agree that she's virtuous from the beginning to the end. She's clearly courageous and capable, travelling solo into a war zone. But at the same time, she seems to have really low self-esteem in her relationship with Bertram and acts like a 'doormat'. Looking at what she does with the help of Diana, is she obsessed with possessing Bertram and turning a little manipulative?
I try to get my head around these questions in this video. Obviously, this is just my personal opinion. There are many ways to understand and interpret this character - that's why Shakespeare is so great!
Thanks to our hosts for Shaketember:
@OldBluesChapterandVerse @acruelreadersthesis5868 @RaineyDayReads
I'd also like to tag Ben from @BenjaminMcEvoy, who first inspired me to try Shakespeare. Ben, would love to hear your opinion :)
analysis, character study, review, notes, introduction, themes
The first play for #shaketember this year is All's Well that Ends Well (by William Shakespeare just to be clear!).
I find Helen a fascinating and complicated character to analyse. She's clearly mistreated by her husband, but only after she forced him into marriage against his will. She's clearly an angel in her mother-in-law's eyes, but I can't wholeheartedly agree that she's virtuous from the beginning to the end. She's clearly courageous and capable, travelling solo into a war zone. But at the same time, she seems to have really low self-esteem in her relationship with Bertram and acts like a 'doormat'. Looking at what she does with the help of Diana, is she obsessed with possessing Bertram and turning a little manipulative?
I try to get my head around these questions in this video. Obviously, this is just my personal opinion. There are many ways to understand and interpret this character - that's why Shakespeare is so great!
Thanks to our hosts for Shaketember:
@OldBluesChapterandVerse @acruelreadersthesis5868 @RaineyDayReads
I'd also like to tag Ben from @BenjaminMcEvoy, who first inspired me to try Shakespeare. Ben, would love to hear your opinion :)
analysis, character study, review, notes, introduction, themes
