A lot of the mood of All's Well That Ends Well is hopeful, which the audience first sees in Helen's unwavering love for Bertram. That hope isn’t ever unqualified, though. Shakespeare employs heartfelt, emotionally fraught dialogue and poetic language to evoke Helen’s mixed feelings of joy and despair, allowing the audience to empathize with her quest for love and happiness.
There are also many moments of anguish and anxiety in the play: for example, Bertram's initial rejection of Helen isn’t calculated to make audiences like him. Rather, it seems cruel and misplaced. Shakespeare employs dramatic irony and misdelivered information to heighten the audience's unease in moments like this, making his audience constantly uncertain of what’s to come.
However, the mood is lightened quite regularly by comic relief. Shakespeare employs witty wordplay, funny dialogue, and bombastic, silly situations to provide moments of much-needed levity amidst the regular conflicts. These lighter elements provide a necessary variation in mood, allowing the audience to relax and enjoy moments without too much serious moralizing.
This balance is a tricky one to achieve, especially as this play and others in the “problem play” genre of Shakespeare’s works are characterized by their ability to surprise the audience. The numerous twists and turns of the plot, including the infamous "head tricks" (psychological manipulations) and "bed tricks” (sexual sleight of hand) contribute to the mood's ups and downs. Unexpected revelations and cunning stratagems keep the audience on their toes, creating a sense of anticipation and intrigue. This element of surprise adds a titillating, dynamic dimension to the play's overall tone. It keeps people engaged and invested in the unfolding narrative.
At the end of the play, the resolution granted by Helen's marriage to Bertram brings a mood of relief and satisfaction. The final scenes provide a sense of closure and resolution, allowing the audience to experience a cathartic release of tension: no more tricks are left to come.
