Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in All's Well that Ends Well, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Virginity, Sex, and Marriage
Social Classes
Remedy and Resolution
Character and Judgment
Gender Roles
Lies, Deceit, and Trickery
Summary
Analysis
The duke of Florence welcomes the French noblemen who have come from the king’s court. He remarks that he is surprised the king of France has chosen not to involve himself in the war officially, but thanks the noblemen who have come for their help. He says that they will go to the battlefield tomorrow.
This scene encapsulates a stereotypically male sphere of experience, with noblemen bravely preparing for war. But for much of the play, brave noblemen like Parolles and Bertram are more concerned with petty tricks and romantic affairs than with battle.
Themes
Literary Devices
