The Short End

Helen, like every other woman during Shakespeare’s time, always gets the short end of the stick.  She works hard for what she wants but, time and time again someone of higher rank, typically a man, puts her in her place.  Unlike most of her submissive counterparts, Hellen perseveres to achieve her goals, which for her is a marriage to a Count, thus quenching her love for him and raising her ranking in society.

Throughout the first half of the play, Helen’s intentions are made explicit to the reader.  She’s in love with a man she knows she can’t have because of her commoner social status.  In spite of that, Helen puts forth her best effort to get what she wants, but is met with constant obstacles, many of which are created by the character, Paroles who mocks her for her position as well as for believing she can marry Bertram.  

“Your date is better in your pie and your porridge than in your cheek, and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French withered pears: it looks ill, it eats drily, marry, ‘tis a withered pear—it was formerly better, marry, yet ‘tis a withered pear. (1.1)”  

This quote puts into perspective Helen’s position.  Although her father was a brilliant and well respected doctor and her being the ward of the Countess, she still isn’t completely respected as neither a woman nor a dignified person.  We can see here how much virginity is valued above every other aspect of a woman.  A woman of high ran’s virginity is her most prized possession besides her rank, but a woman commoner’s virginity is something to be lost immediately before it dries up like a “withered pear.”

However not ever man in the court thinks so little of Helen.  The King of France puts faith in Helen to heal him, which implies he respects her greatly, even more than Bertram.  A quote on page 2217 exemplifies this,

“More should I question thee, ad more I must, though more to know could not be more to trust: from whence thou cam’st, how tended on—but rested unquestioned welcome, and undoubted blessed. (2.1)”

Helen is confident in her abilities and is willing to put them to use but at the same time put her life in jeopardy all for what she most desires.  It is unfortunate that Bertram does not love her in return and resents their marriage because of her social standing.  And thus, by the end of Act three, Scene two, Helen feels the stab of rejection after Bertram leaves the kingdom vowing in a letter to never return so long as he remains married to Helen.  Helen makes the ultimate decision to leave because she knows that it is his marriage to a lowly commoner that is keeping him away from his home.  As the scene closes, in spite of Helen’s perseverance, it is her social status and strong will that denies her the man she loves.