Bertram
Play
Summary
The young Count of Rossillon who, compelled by the King to marry Helena — a woman he considers beneath his rank — immediately flees to the Italian wars and attempts to seduce Diana. His setting of impossible conditions for Helena and his persistent dishonesty make his eventual grudging acceptance of her one of Shakespeare's most debated and unsatisfying comic resolutions.
Notable Quotations
"I cannot love her, nor will strive to do't." *(II.ii)*
Cross-references
- All's Well That Ends Well — the play
- Comedies
- character_helena_awtew — the wife he flees and is ultimately reunited with
- character_parolles — his false friend and companion in Florence
- character_countess_rossillon — his mother, who sides with Helena
- character_diana_awtew — the Florentine girl he tries to seduce