Monologue

Parolles Monologue from All's Well That Ends Well

From All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

male · sarcastic · 1:49 min

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Ten o’clock. Within these three hours ’twill be time enough to go home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive invention that carries it. They begin to smoke me, and disgraces have of late knock’d too often at my door. I find my tongue is too foolhardy, but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue. (FIRST LORD: This is the first truth that e’er thine own tongue was guilty of.) What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had no such purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and say I got them in exploit; yet slight ones will not carry it. They will say “Came you off with so little?” and great ones I dare not give. Wherefore, what’s the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman’s mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet’s mule, if you prattle me into these perils. (FIRST LORD: Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?) I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.

About this piece

Parolles grapples with the absurdity of his situation, contemplating the risks of recovering a drum he has no intention of pursuing, revealing his cowardice and self-awareness.

20s · fear · identity · honor · betrayal

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