『끝이 좋으면 모두 좋다』에 나타나는 민담의 요소 연구

Abstract

All’s Well That Ends Well has been classified as one of the problem plays written by William Shakespeare. A problem play generally deals with moral dilemmas and problematic social issues without satisfactory denouement; its seemingly happy ending does not satisfy the audience because the wrapping-up process is rather artificial and often far-fetched. While All's Well That Ends Well has not often been performed on the stage, Helena, the heroine of the play has collected hottest attentions from the critics so far in that she is a revolting woman character who defies the conventions of the Renaissance Age. She decides to be a desiring subject instead of a desired object; moreover, she does not hesitate to overcome the almost impossible barriers laid by the patriarchal system. Still, Helena's problem alone cannot explain the problematic quality of the play. If one categorizes the play as a folklore and analyzes the play into the narratemes defined by Vladimir Propp, he or she can easily discover the fact that the play lacks some important narratemes related with the villain, along with the mission incomplete. Paroles or Bertram do not perform a traditional role of villain and Helena fails to perform the task; thereby, the play fails to satisfy the audience’s ultimate need of poetic justice. Therefore, when the play is analyzed within the paradigm of Propp’s narratemes, one can better understand the mysterious features of the problematic play, All’s Well That Ends Well.