THE WINTER'S TALE
By William Shakespeare
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| THE WINTER'S TALE By William Shakespeare |
Play Summary
Archidamus, lord of Bohemia, and Camille, lord of Sicily, talk about their respective countries. Archidamus says that if Camillo visited Bohemia, he would discover great differences between their countries. Camillus replies that he thinks their king, Leontes, is planning a trip to Bohemia this summer. Embarrassed by how little Bohemia has to offer compared to Sicily, Archidamus imagines serving drinks that would make visitors so sleepy they wouldn't notice Bohemia's aridity. The lords also talk about the long-standing friendship of their two kings, as well as the virtues of the two young princes.
Camillo then joins a group consisting of the two kings, Leontes and Polixenes, the family of Leontes and some servants. Polixenes, King of Bohemia, thanks Leonte for his hospitality in Sicily and insists that he, Polixenes, take over the responsibilities of his country. When it's clear that Polixenes won't give in to Leontes' pleas to stay longer, Leontes urges his wife, Hermione, to join the effort. Hermione manages to persuade Polixenes to stay.
Léontes seems delighted that Hermione convinced Polixenes to stay, but suddenly reveals that he is jealous of Polixenes. Seeing that Leontes is upset, Hermione and Polixene ask him what's wrong. Leontes, however, avoids a truthful answer by stating that he simply remembers his son's age. The two kings then compare their love for their children.
Leontes walks with his son, Mamillius, thinking this will put Polixene and Hermione in a compromising situation. Hermione, however, innocently reveals where she and Polixenes will be, and Leontes engages in satirical attacks on her alleged infidelity. He then sends Mamillius to play, before asking Camillo's assessment of Hermione and Polixenes' relationship. Camillo's direct answers, however, are twisted by the jealous king, and Camillo protests: The imaginary obscenity that Leontes interprets from the actions of his wife and Polixenes is false. The King lashes out at Camillo, and Camillo humbly requests a reassessment of his reliability as the King's lookout. When Leontes insists on a confirmation of Hermione's infidelity, Camillo, surprised, criticizes his king.
Leontes then tries to agree that his list of observed actions (between Hermione and Polixenes) proves that his wife and Polixenes' affair is a reality. Camillo urges the king to cure "this sick opinion", but Leontes is unconvinced. He suggests that Camillo poisoned Polixenes. Camillo admits he could, but states he will never believe Hermione was unfaithful to him. Camillo agrees to poison Polixenes if Leontes promises not to reveal what he thinks of Hermione. Leontes promises, then joins the innocent couple.
Alone, Camillo talks about his desperate position. When Polixenes approached him to explain Leontes' change of heart, Camillo convinces Polixenes that they must run away together or they will both be killed by Leontes.
Act II begins sometime later with an obviously pregnant Hermione lounging in the company of her son, Mamillius, and two ladies-in-waiting. When Hermione asks for a story, Mamillius suggests a story about "goblins and goblins", a winter-appropriate story.
As Mamillius begins the story, Leontes and Antigonus enter with a group of attendants. Leontes clearly believes Camillo and Polixenes' hasty departure is confirmation of his suspicions about Hermione's affair with Polixenes. He orders Mamillius to stay away from his mother and accuses Hermione of being pregnant with Polixenes. Ignoring Hermione's protests, Leontes orders her imprisoned. She bravely accepts her fate and walks out with the guards.
In the grip of protests from his stunned advisers, Leontes insists that they refuse to see the evidence presented to them. The King reassures the protesters by revealing that he has requested an interpretation of the Oracle of Delphos.
After the birth of Hermione's baby (a girl), Paulina, the wife of one of the Sicilian lords, Antigonus, tries to persuade Leontes to withdraw his accusations by presenting her beautiful and innocent baby to him. But he chooses a bad moment to approach Léontes. He just said killing Hermione would put him back to sleep and decided not to worry about his sick son so he wouldn't be distracted from his revenge pledge. Paulina refuses to listen to the warnings of her husband and his assistants. Instead, he doggedly tries to convince Leontes that the baby is his.
Leontes, however, responds as Paulina had been warned she would. His arguments for the queen and the baby escalate his tyranny. He then attempts to pit Antigonus against Paulina and orders him to take the bastard son and Paulina. Antigonus protests that no man can control his wife. When Leontes orders the baby to be thrown into the fire, Antigonus negotiates a chance for the baby to live; if Leontes spares the baby's life, Antigonus promises to do whatever Leontes asks. Vowing to kill both Paulina and Antigonus if Antigonus does not comply, Leontes orders Antigonus to take the baby to a remote location and leave it to fate. Antigonus doubts this "fate" is better than a quick death, but agrees to leave the baby at the mercy of wild animals and goes out to carry out Leontes' order.
No sooner has Antigone left than a servant announces the return of the messengers from Delphi.
Act III begins with Cleomentes and Dion talking about the incredible experience they shared in Delphos. The two hope that Apollo has found Hermione innocent and rush to deliver the sealed message from the oracle.
Leontes orders his wife to hear the reading of the oracle's decision, hoping that she will be found guilty of the charges and thus freed from the stigma of tyranny. Cléomentes and Dion swear they brought the message from Delphos without breaking the sea.
The message states that Hermione, Polixenes, Camillo and the baby are all innocent. He further states that Leontes is "a jealous tyrant" and states that "the king will live without an heir, if the lost is not found". Léontes declares that the message contains no truth and orders the continuation of the trial. At this moment, a servant announces that Mamillius is dead. Hermione appears to faint and Paulina announces the news killed the Queen.
Leontes regrets this and orders Hermione to be treated in the belief that she will recover. He then announces his intention to make amends with his old friend Polixenes, to woo Hermione and to remember Camillo. He declares Camillo a good and faithful servant who did well to disobey his order to poison Polixenes.
Paulina enters, lamenting Hermione's death and attacking Leontes for his terrible and tyrannical edicts. She says the king should embark on a life of repentance as a result of what he did to his family. Leontes replies that he deserves everything she said and more. Paulina then expresses regret for her attack as she senses the king's remorse. She says she won't be reminded of the death of Hermione and her two children again.
Léontes asks to be taken to see the bodies of his dead wife and son. He declares that they will share the same grave and promises that he will visit the grave everyday to mourn.
In the next scene, we discover that Antigonus and the boy are still alive, as Antigonus seeks to ensure that his ship has indeed reached "the Bohemian deserts". He and a sailor look up at the sky and agree that an approaching storm may herald heavenly wrath if they leave the baby helpless; they also agree that they dislike their homework. Antigonus promises to hurry.
Antigonus then describes his nightmare to the baby. His mother, he says, appeared to him in a dream, a figure of pain. The dream figure asked her to leave the baby in Bohemia and name her Perdita. She then informed him that because of this task, he would never see his wife again. Antigone concludes that Hermione is dead and that Polixenes is the baby's father. After expressing her best wishes for the baby and regretting her actions, Antigone flees from the scene, pursued by a bear.
A shepherd enters, desperate for the prostitutes and the fights of all the young men between ten and twenty-three. When he sees Perdita, he assumes she is a girl born out of wedlock. However, he feels so sorry for the baby that he decides to keep her. The pastor then calls his son, who is only identified in the script as "clown". The boy tells his father two things that shook him: the drowning of the whole crew of a ship (the one who took Antigone and Perdita to Bohemia) and a man (Antigone) devoured by a bear. The pastor draws his son's attention to the baby, whom he assumes is somehow tied to a fortune. The boy opens the baby's wrappers and discovers gold. Urging his father to bring the baby home, the boy is inspired by his sudden chance to return and bury Antigone's remains.
The Chorus recounts a bridge in time occurring at the start of Act IV, and also summarizes highlights from a sixteen-year interval. Polixenes and Camillo then find themselves in the middle of an argument over Camillo's decision to return to Leontes after their sixteen-year long separation. Polixcnès warns him that the return could be fatal for Camilo. Besides, he needs Camillo. Camillo, however, wants to return to his homeland as he is getting older and believes he can comfort the now repentant Leontes.
Polixenes agrees that his penitent "brother" has a sad history, but asks that account be taken of his sad fate, namely of having an ungrateful son." Camillo acknowledges that he has not seen the prince (Florizel ) for three days and do not know where the young man spends his time. The king says that he has been informed that Florizel spends a lot of time in the house of a shepherd who has somehow acquired great wealth. They all assume both that Florizel must be attracted to him.The beautiful daughter of a shepherd, Polixena persuades Camillo to help her find out what Florizel is up to.
Autolycus then enters singing a song of hope and good humor. He identifies himself as a peddler of rarities, and also as someone who makes a living by tricking fools. At the right moment, the "clown" (the shepherd's son) enters, trying to work out his budget and remember his shopping list for the upcoming sheep shearing party.
Autolycus tricks the clown into thinking he's been beaten, robbed, and then dressed in his despicable rags. The clown takes pity on Autolycus and offers him money. He then rushes to buy his provisions. Autolycus laughs as he picks up the clown's bag and leaves.
The following scene focuses on the sheep shearing party. Florizel and Perdita engage in awkward courtship. Florizel praises Perdita's qualifications as the chosen "queen" of this springtime ritual. But aware that Florizel is a real prince and of the unreality of his title of "queen", Perdita is not happy. She warns Florizel about the potential anger that a relationship between them could arouse in her father. Florizel urges her to remember some of the mythical transformations love has wrought.
As Perdita again urges the prince to be realistic, he vows to honor his love for her above all else. He then orders her to show joy to the approaching "guests".
Perdita's "father", the shepherd, berates her for neglecting her duties as "queen". Therefore, Perdita begins to entertain; first, he greets Polixenes and Camillo in disguise and hands them flowers. After the king and his adviser observe Perdita's cautious diversions from Florizel's bold court, Polixenes observes a poise and beauty in Perdita that transcends her supposedly low status. Camillo affirms these unusual qualities. The clown puts the festival into action by calling for music and dancing, and again Polixenes comments on Perdita's grace. The pastor says that the young couple love each other and implies that "Doriclès" (pseudonym of Florizel) will discover an unsuspected dowry if he proposes to Perdita.
The entertainment continues with a dance of twelve satyrs performed by a group of uninvited amateurs, but throughout these dances Polixenes watches Florizel and Perdita. Deciding it's time to separate the couple, the King calls Florizel to ask why she hasn't brought gifts to brighten their romance. The amorous prince states that Perdita doesn't care about such nonsense; she only wants gifts that are locked away in her heart.
When Florizel states that no power or wealth would be worth without Perdita's love, Polixenes and Camillo back up the sentiment. The pastor then asks his daughter if she feels the same. She says yes, but can't express it too.
The pastor declares the engagement of the young couple, with the two strangers as witnesses. Polixenes in disguise urges Florizel to consult his father before making such an important decision, but Florizel impetuously and repeatedly refuses. Enraged, Polixenes removes his disguise and threatens to punish anyone who participated in the engagement without consulting him.
Perdita sighs because she was afraid something like this would happen. She urges Florizel to reconcile with her father and never come back to her. The pastor, in great confusion and despair, rebukes the young men for the ruin and miserable death to which they have probably condemned him. But Florizel stubbornly clings to Perdita and tells his father to go ahead and disinherit him.
When Florizel decides to take Perdita and flee to a ship anchored nearby, Camillo stops him and advises him to make peace with his father. Camillo then begins to prepare a plot to try to return to Sicily himself.
Camillo convinces Florizel to marry Perdita so he can show up with his new bride in Leontes in Sicily. He predicts that Leontes will welcome the opportunity to welcome the son of the long estranged "brother", as Polixenes will not respond to Leontes' invitation to end their old feud. Florizel agrees that this plan seems preferable to eternal wandering as unwanted outsiders in strange lands. Camillo then offers funds from his wealth in Sicily to properly equip the royal party.
Act V takes place again in Sicily. Léontes is apparently the same man he was when we last saw him sixteen years earlier. He chats with Paulina and the two gentlemen who brought the message from Delphos, Cleomenes and Dion. Cléomene urges Léonte to forget and forgive her wrong "as the heavens have done". But Leontes says that as long as he remembers those he's lost, especially Hermione, he can't forget his mistakes.
Paulina, we see, continues to feed Leonte's guilt. Cléomène and Dion ask Paulina "to stop putting salt on the wounds". She replies that her wish for the king to be healed so she can remarry contradicts Apollo's oracle "that King Leontes shall have no heir / Until his lost son be found", a an event as unlikely as the return of her husband, Antigonus. . She tells Leontes not to want an heir.
Leontes encourages Paulina to keep reminding him of Hermione's superior virtues; he believes that taking any other wife would end in disaster. Paulina obtains an oath from Leontes, in the presence of the two witnesses, that he will not marry until Paulina approves. Paulina states that this moment will only come when Hermione is recreated.
A servant then enters to announce the arrival of Prince Florizel and his wife, whom he describes as a woman unequaled in beauty and virtue. Leontes shrewdly perceives that Florizel's small group of attendants means this visit is "forced". It's not an official visit at all. Paulina notices the servant's excessive praise for Florizel's wife. She berates him for such praise as he wrote verses that stated Hermione could never be matched. The servant, however, argues that everyone will agree with him after seeing Perdita.
Léontes is immersed in sad memories when he sees the young couple. They remind him of his loss of friendship with Polixene. Florizel claims that his father sent him to restore this old friendship; Polixene, he says, is too ill to make the journey himself, then tells an imaginary story about his strange arrival. He says he came from Libya, where he acquired Perdita. He explains the small group that accompanied him by saying that he had sent the larger group to Bohemia to report his success to his father. He then asks that Leontes remember his own childhood sweetheart as a good reason to ask for Perdita's acceptance by Polixenes. Léontes, reminded of his love for Hermione, promises to speak on behalf of the young couple.
In the next scene, Autolycus questions gentlemen who have important news from the court of Leontes. The stories come together to reveal that Leontes now knows that Perdita is his daughter and he can finally celebrate the return of his lost heir.
Due to Perdita's request to see the statue of her mother which appears to be real, a celebratory dinner was held near the statue.
The final scene at the statue of Hermione serves as the setting for the "remake" of the play. When they first enter, Leontes is in pain, but Perdita stares at the royalist statue. Paulina then surprises everyone by ordering the statue to move. Finally, Hermione speaks and everyone learns that she has been alive (but hidden) all these sixteen years. As everyone goes out to taste their newfound happiness, Leontes ends Paulina's loneliness by choosing the right Camilo for husband.
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