All's Well That Ends Well Society and Class Quotes Page 2

This is kind of an odd moment: Paroles is giving social advice to Bertram, who's a count (a.k.a. a nobleman who outranks Paroles in every way). The thing about Paroles is that he's kind of a poser. As we can see, he thinks of himself as an expert on how to fit in at court, but the reality is that nobody (except for Bertram) respects him. By the end of the play, he's put in his place, so to speak, when he loses all his friends and becomes a beggar.

When Lafeu refers to Bertram as Paroles' "lord and master," he means it as an insult; and Paroles is definitely offended. Like we've said, Bertram obviously outranks him, but Paroles acts like it's the other way around, which is what bothers Lafeu. Apparently, in this play it's okay to be poor and low ranking (like Helen), but it's not okay to pass yourself off as something you're not.

This is where Helen makes a deal with the king: if she can cure him, then he has to let her choose any husband she wants. What's weird is that Helen promises that she won't try to choose a guy with "royal blood." In other words, Helen thinks she's not good enough to "propagate" (have babies with) a member of the royal family. (The idea is that she wouldn't want to contaminate the royal family tree with her "humble name.") We also notice that the king doesn't exactly argue with her. Does he think she's good enough to marry one of his noblemen but that she isn't exactly royal marriage material?