All's Well that Ends Well

by

William Shakespeare

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The Countess of Rossillion Character Analysis

Read our modern English translation.
The mother of Bertram, who also essentially adopts Helen after her father’s death. She is kind and supportive to Helen, and is not upset when she learns of Helen’s love for her son. She becomes increasingly upset with Bertram when he abandons and dishonors Helen, even claiming that he is no longer her son at one point.

The Countess of Rossillion Quotes in All's Well that Ends Well

The All's Well that Ends Well quotes below are all either spoken by The Countess of Rossillion or refer to The Countess of Rossillion. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Virginity, Sex, and Marriage Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 3 Quotes

Countess:
Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.

Fool:
My poor body, madam, requires it. I am driven on by the flesh, and he must needs go that the devil drives.

Countess:
Is this all your Worship’s reason?

Related Characters: The Countess of Rossillion (speaker), The Fool (speaker)
Page Number: 1.3.28-32
Explanation and Analysis:

But think you, Helen,
If you should tender your supposed aid,
He would receive it? He and his physicians
Are of a mind: he that they cannot help him,
They that they cannot help. How shall they credit
A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools
Emboweled of their doctrine have left off
The danger to itself?

Related Characters: The Countess of Rossillion (speaker), Helen, The King of France
Page Number: 1.3.249-256
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

I have sent you a daughter-in-law. She hath recovered the King and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her, and sworn to make the “not” eternal.

Related Characters: Bertram (speaker), Helen, The Countess of Rossillion, The King of France
Page Number: 3.2.19-22
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Countess of Rossillion Quotes in All's Well that Ends Well

The All's Well that Ends Well quotes below are all either spoken by The Countess of Rossillion or refer to The Countess of Rossillion. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Virginity, Sex, and Marriage Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 3 Quotes

Countess:
Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.

Fool:
My poor body, madam, requires it. I am driven on by the flesh, and he must needs go that the devil drives.

Countess:
Is this all your Worship’s reason?

Related Characters: The Countess of Rossillion (speaker), The Fool (speaker)
Page Number: 1.3.28-32
Explanation and Analysis:

But think you, Helen,
If you should tender your supposed aid,
He would receive it? He and his physicians
Are of a mind: he that they cannot help him,
They that they cannot help. How shall they credit
A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools
Emboweled of their doctrine have left off
The danger to itself?

Related Characters: The Countess of Rossillion (speaker), Helen, The King of France
Page Number: 1.3.249-256
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

I have sent you a daughter-in-law. She hath recovered the King and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her, and sworn to make the “not” eternal.

Related Characters: Bertram (speaker), Helen, The Countess of Rossillion, The King of France
Page Number: 3.2.19-22
Explanation and Analysis: