All's Well That Ends Well Advertisements

The advertisements displayed each attempt to lure audiences in their own separate manners. The National Theater's commercial emphasizes the fantastical aspects of the play by exhibiting sweeping scenes of the glamor of the French courts, the gloom of Helena's lonely venture, and the heroic scenes of war. A positive aspect of this advertisement is that it manages to capture All's Well's simultaneous sensations of a giddy comedy and a dark fairy tale. For instance, the scene portraying the dancing King and Helena seems a fanciful interpretation of the joy the King emanates at being cured by "[his] preserver" and allowing her to "send forth [her] eye" upon the "youthful parcel of bachelors" (2.3.49-54). Also, Helena's fear at journeying alone to Florence is later dramatically displayed by a dark stage, shadowed with a decaying ruin and howling wolves in the background. The lack of words, as well as the bright colors, striking music, and dramatic spectacles seen in this endorsement of the play give it a dreamy, almost otherworldly feel. In contrast, the Shakespeare Theater Company approaches this work in an entirely earthly, droll style. The costumes and cheerful piano music give this version's viewers the impression of a comedy set in the early 1900s, while the narration describes the show as the lighthearted tale of a woman determined to get her man. Though modernized, this version remains accurate to Shakespeare's original in that the main focus concerns Helena's trials to win her "bright particular star" (1.1.88). This advertisement is designed specifically to draw in a contemporary audience.

Despite their differences, both advertisements share their major flaw; neither commercial makes use of any Shakespeare's dialogue. Helena's protestation that if her cure does not work "with vilest torture, let [her] life be ended" would have helped heighten the drama of the National Theater's version, while a bit of the Clown's song would have added to the lighthearted feel of the Shakespeare Theater Company's advertisement (2.1.172). The lack of any Shakespearean discourse impedes the viewer's understanding of the work as a whole. Though both commercials are flawed, as a viewer myself, I tend to prefer the fantastical grandeur of the Nation Shakespeare Theater's advertisement, and I would be more inclined to see that version of the play.