ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Fi IS THE FIRST T E X T of this play, not a good one, so that editors have to make many emendations, and some obscurities have never been cleared up. It has been argued that it was Loves Labours Won, the unknown piece mentioned by Meres in 1598 as by Shakespeare. The title would fit the matter, and the several references to 'All's well . . .' towards the end of the play might then be either the cause or result of a change of title. The unevenness of the style has produced theories of revision, and of collaboration. There may be something in J. M. Robertson's claim that Chapman had a hand in it; but Shakespeare may have read Chapman about this time and been slightly influenced by his stiffer, barer, more periphrastic manner. As Chambers points out (WSh I.451) some names recall earlier plays, e.g. Dumain (LLL) and Diana Capilet (RJ), others may link with plays of about 1600-Jaques (ATL), Sebastian (TN), Corambus (Qi Hamlet). There are Clownpassages reminiscent of ATL (cf. infra), and Parolles and the discussions of honour must come after Henry IV. The woi*d 'lustique' (II.3.44) comes from the anonymous The Weakest Goes to the Wall, SL romantic play with a French setting probably written shortly before 1600. There are resemblances in tone to Troilus and Cressida and Measure for Measure which mak it likely that AWs Well was written between 1600 and 1603.
