All's Well That Ends Well: Act 3, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 3 of All's Well That Ends Well from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

  Original Text

 Translated Text

  Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, Bertram Count
Rossillion, Drum and Trumpets, Soldiers, Parolles.

DUKE, to Bertram
The general of our horse thou art, and we,
Great in our hope, lay our best love and credence
Upon thy promising fortune.

BERTRAM Sir, it is
A charge too heavy for my strength, but yet 5
We’ll strive to bear it for your worthy sake
To th’ extreme edge of hazard.

DUKE Then go thou forth,
And Fortune play upon thy prosperous helm
As thy auspicious mistress. 10

BERTRAM This very day,
Great Mars, I put myself into thy file.
Make me but like my thoughts, and I shall prove
A lover of thy drum, hater of love.

All exit.

Back in Florence, Italy, Bertram has become a war hero. (Huh, we didn't know he had it in him.)

The Duke of Florence gives him props and names him general of his cavalry.

Bertram does an "aw shucks" routine and says he hopes he'll make the Duke proud. Then he prays to Mars, the god of war, and says that war is awesome, but love stinks.