John Ashbery The Painter over view

Introduction and Theme of the poem Ashbery’s interest in painting led him to write this poem. The painter is fully representative of Ashbery’s poetry. Ashbery uses a persona to reveal his poetic urge. The Painter is the mouthpiece of Ashbery. The poet uses cinematic images in the poem to make it as dynamic and visual as possible. The poem tells us that the painter is sitting between the sea and the tall buildings. He is attempting to create something impossible but remains unsuccessful. The people in the building encourage him to write common subject. He uses his wife as subject of his painting. He does it so exquisitely but again turns to his previous subject of sea. His efforts to paint the sea automatically are not realized and he is mocked by the people in the tall buildings. The painter is crucified by his subject. His desire of innovative and futuristic art remains only a prayer and longing. He is not able to achieve the extraordinary because of the ordinary demands of the audience. The main theme of the poem is that innovator, modern and creative artists are crucified by the traditional and conventional people. This is not the only theme because the poem is to be understood at many different levels. A CRITIQUE OF THE PAINTER Ashbery’s poems are abstract paintings in words. Introduction John Ashbery uses painter as persona to present before us his conception of poetry. The painter like Ashbery is innovator and wants to capture the vitality of life rather than the mere surface transmit beauty of the same. The painter is the most representative of Ashbery’s poems and it is a key to understanding Ashbery both as and poet and artist. The painter breaks down the traditional and orthodox restrictions on the art laid by the classicists and wants to steal the essence of art. Ashbery is no moralist and conceives the art for its own sake. As the bird sings for its own sake, Ashbery writes in the same fashion. The poem has been composed in Sestina. A Sestina is a form of rhymed or unrhymed poem of six stanzas of six lines and a concluding triplet in which the same six words at the line-ends occur in each stanza in six different sequences, apart from the final triplet, in which each line contains two of these words, one at the middle and one at the end. There are many salient features of the poem that we can analyze as under. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT Symbolic elements The poem is highly symbolic and packed with symbols that it seems like an allegory. The poem is not imaginative rather it is concrete pregnant with symbolic allusions: Sitting between the sea and the buildings He enjoyed painting the seas portrait. But just as children imagine a prayer Is merely silence, he expected his subject The sea is a symbol of creativity ad the unexplored depths of human consciousness. It also resents the vitality and essence or life, which has been long ignored. The buildings and their architecture are the explored and achieved conditions of art. The painter symbolizes the creative and modern urge and the people in the buildings are traditional critics who fail to understand the philosophy of art. Symbolically, the poem shows the condition of the artist sandwiched between two contrasting forces behind art; conventional, traditional and superficial approach on the one hand and modern, creative, experimental and innovative on the other. The modern artist is not restricted by the limited and restrictive view of life. He is the controller of his art and defines its parameters. He believes that art is all-powerful and vast and it cannot be conceived in a traditional narrow thinking. His analogy is child’s prayer is not analogy only rather through it, he presents a philosophy of art. The artist should be a meditator and start art like a prayer. Ashbery knows; To rush up the sand, and, seizing a brush, Plaster its own portrait on the canvas. is insane and even a common mind cannot entertain such an idea. So such conception of art in reality can be achieved only through prayer in silence. The difference between artificial art and vital art is presented by the artist with his back to the buildings and the face to the sea. Subjectivity and Objectivity There was no paint on the canvas Objective art is difficult to attain but it lends realism and universality to the artist’s masterpiece and the objective art is not bound by the artist, his consciousness or his artistic ability, so the painter meditated for long but nothing appeared on the canvas. The painter wanted either to paint objectively or nothing at all. He was an iconoclast, his representation of art must be perfect other wise; he will be just another artist in the echoes of the millions of artists in the world. But the people in the were urging the artist to Try using the brush As a means to an end. Select, for a portrait, Something less angry and large, and more subject To a painter’s moods, or, perhaps, to a prayer Because they were the upholders of the traditional art of subjectivity which was delimited by the artist’s mind and couldn’t survive in the limitless regions of the vast universe. This is the reaction of the traditional artists to the experimental nature of the modern artists. Definition of Art The painter responds to the rationalists with a true conviction of a perfect artist in the following lines; How could he explain to them his prayer That nature, not art, might usurp the canvas? The painter’s conception of art is like that of a child’s prayer which is a direct relationship between the artist and the art like that of a prayee to God. This concept cannot be materialized and explained to the traditionalists, for they cannot understand the artist’s avant-garde approach. The painter’s definition of artist that objective representation of reality must be the basis of art, the art confined by the artist’s feelings and emotions is not true and genuine. Soul, spirit, vitality of life, the essence of reality are the features which the painter is aspiring in his portrait. The painter further asserts: My soul, when I paint this next portrait Let it be you who wrecks the canvas. Political and Religious Allegory Allegory is fictional literary narrative or artistic expression that conveys a symbolic meaning parallel to but distinct from, and more important than, the literal meaning. The Painter is both a political and religious allegory. The pathetic state of the painter lends political and social interpretations of the poem. The Communist Manifesto, the Puritan Theocracy, The Martial Laws and Hitlarian and Fascistic authorities all crucify the innovators and curb freedom of expression of those who champion a new cause for the welfare of humanity or art. The line: Try using the brush for a means to an end Shows the selfishness of the political gains. The writer should be a representative of a political party as well as was the case in Russia which demanded the Socialist Realism. The painter was a genuine artist who opposed these political and Hitlarian manifestos and their restrictions on art. He was a free agent and wanted freedom in his art, so he could easily attempt his poetic vision, but this freedom is not allowed as Ashbery depicts: The news spread like a wild fire thought the buildings He had gone back to the sea for his subject Imagine a painter crucified by his subject. The visionary painter was crucified by the so called custodians of political beliefs who never allowed a novelty or change which will pose a danger to their established government and systems. The poem was written in 1956—a period of tussle in which the freedom of action and thought was restrained by the Russian Communists. The poem tells a story of a painter who was a visionary and pioneer of a new approach in art which practically meant an opposition to the existing system or order so he was crucified or burnt at the stakes by the politicians. The word ‘crucify’ has religious connotation so the poem becomes a religious allegory too. And reminds us of the story of Christ who brought a system of theocracy as a welfare to humanity but was rejected by the selfish so called chiefs of Judaism and was commanded by Pontius Pilate to be crucified for the political gains of Roman Empire. In this way, the innovates are punished in a society of selfishness, greed and power which denies welfare to humanity. Tragic Elements in the Painter Ashbery is very akin to T.S. Eliot and Robert Frost. Most of his poems are like theirs speaking of sense of uncertainty, the looming fear, gloom and loneliness. The atmosphere of fear, gloom and loneliness is also visible. The painter is alone with sense of gloomy uncertainty in his art for perfection. The sea symbolizes loneliness too. The people in the buildings have alienated the painter for his self-chosen seemingly impossible task rather than supporting him in his quest for the objective representation of reality. The painter is the protagonist feeling conflict sandwiched between traditions and modernity. All modern tragedies show conflict of the protagonist with society and its established norms and tragically doomed for this Hamartia that the protagonist bears. The painter is the protagonist working as opposed to the demands and conventions of society. The society may accept him if he becomes rational enough to understand the mere creative vision doesn’t suffice the creation. His Hamartia causes his crucifixion and ends the poem with tragic touches and a bit of Catharsis. Style, Technique and Imagery The poem has been composed in an arresting and forceful. His technique to the poem is one such as employed by the abstract painters. So Ashbery’s rightly gives the concept of his poetry in the following words, ‘My poems are paintings in words.’’ His approach in the poem is objective rather than subjective. The diction is simple and relevant to the subject. John Ashbery is a perfect craftsman like Alexander Pope, Spenser, Tennyson and Surrey-Wyatt, the American examples being Richard Wilbur and Robert Frost. He is renowned for artistic galore in his poetry. His diction is simple and colloquial and must conform to the themes and ideas presented in the poem. The painter is no exception. All these stylistic features are perfectly applicable to the poem. All the key words which point to the main theme of the poem have been wrapped at the end to give them extra significance. The imagery is fresh and startling. The images of sea, canvas, portrait and prayer all contribute to the thematic development of the poem. Conclusion The Painter is perfectly a representative of John Ashbery’s poems and a key to understanding his concepts regarding poetry. In Painter, Ashbery achieves artistic perfection with simplicity of diction. The painter can be interpreted at many different levels of understanding that is the beauty and charm of the poem. The language, themes, imagery and style make the poem an exquisite piece of literature. The title of the poem is also radically, very few poems would have been written with such titles. Ashbery combines surrealistic techniques of painting with poetic grandeur. Critical Points to Remember 1. Ashbery believes in the objective representative of art and not subjective representation of the same. 2. The paint’s canvas and the sea are both vast and difficult to capture. But the innovator and modern painter is bent upon this mission. 3. The view that art should be over powered and inspired by the force of reality is opposed by the people in the buildings. So the painter is post modernist and the people are traditional artists and a conflict between the two is apparent. 4. The painter believes that the artist should be in control of his art and dictate all its terms and conditions of the creation of act. 5. The people in the building are the critics who believe that act should be a direct reflection of the artist’s limited personal view. 6. Painting the sea becomes and metaphor for creating life. The act of any type. He paints his wife for a part of painting she will not be a challenge for him. 7. He was surprised to discover the mystery of womanhood and the unfathomable depth of humanity – painting her was an unexpected and shocking experience explaining ruined buildings. The image of the ruined buildings suggests both familiarity and mystery.

John Ashbery Melodic Train over view

Introduction and Main Theme Life is a perpetual journey into the unconscious regions of human mind, which brings up a new perspective each time an activity is stirred. The poem shows the poet sitting in a train heading towards a destination. He is not alone. There is a little girl who attracts his attention but only for a short time because later the people and scenes in and around the train capture his imagination. He feels in relation to the every thing around him. According to Ashbery, ‘Life is in motion’. We spend our time in trains, boats and buses and time is fleeting like these four wheelers. Time is precious and unique. Melodic Trains is a journey of time. We come across various destinations, fall into confusions which have repercussions on our memories. We often reach destinations, not desired by us. Melodic Trains becomes a journey of life, the faces of passengers and what all the time is goes in their minds. The poem is a nice piece of poetry full of thought provoking ideas. It is a realistic presentation of town life. It is a fine blend of subjective and objective views. It is just a poem but has been presented before us in such cinematic approach before our eyes that we feel a part of the whole train experience physically and spiritually. The poet has taken watch, travel, pipe, taxi and destinations as the raw material for the production of the poem and conveys humdrum routine of the town dwellers in many perspectives. A CRITIQUE OF MELODIC TRAINS Introduction The poem shows melodically sounding related series of thoughts that are developing in your mind. They are called Melodic trains for they have the power to transform the minds of people from some ordinary experience to some particular. The poem is a fine example of stream of consciousness technique. The poem shows the complexity of thoughts as they pass through a sensitive mind of a poet. A poetic mind has a great capacity for associating this similar and distinct thought. That is why; the poem has more than one layer of meaning. The title itself suggests the thought process growing on within the poet’s mind. The outer journey in her real train is paralleled by a symbolic train of thoughts and melodies, poetic ideas running through the mind. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT Vanities expressed through appearances The first thought or theme present in the poem is the expression of vanities through appearances, when the little girl in the stanza asks the poet what time it is: A little girl with scarlet enameled fingernails Asks me what time it is—evidently that’s a toy wristwatch She’s wearing, for fun. And it is fun to wear other Odd things, like this briar pipe and tweed coat It is surprising how children satisfy their vanity with toys and fake objects, which cannot fulfill their need. The toy watch doesn’t tell the time. It is not only children but adults also do the same and are caught up in vanities and appearances. The poet discovers that the color of his overcoat resembles the color of brown mountains; in fact the seams of his coat actually look like the white paths running down the slopes of the mountains. His thoughts drifting to his clothes suddenly discover that clothes are like a mask hiding the reality. Just as one cannot find out the reality under the clothes, we cannot find the reality of the appearances. The theme of appearance and reality and the vanities to satisfy one’s self on fake foundations starts right from the beginning. Delight in seemingly beautiful objects without any special unity is what associates the elders with the youngers because psychologically, they are the same. Basic instinct, at all levels, remains the same all over the world regardless of race, age, region or nation. But it is very difficult to understand human psychology only by appearances. As far as the appearances are concerned, we are all children. This is only one of the ideas and feelings that the poet experiences while traveling in the train. The process of meditation and Meaning in Life Though Melodic Trains is Ashbery’s secondary work, yet it was hailed as ‘Marvelous’ by David Bromwich and ‘great’ by Hollander. The poem is highly personal and in the words of Huybernsz, ‘throws the reader out of the poem’. According to one critic, the poem suggests ‘the premise of this marvelous poem is a journey around New York City.’ The opening metaphor is that of music which sets the poet in meditation and find meanings in life. The main purpose in life seems, how to live and what to do? This process of meditation begins when a little girl asks the poet time. The poet is attracted towards the jagged peaks of the mountains by the seams of his coat and later caught up in the humdrum of every day life. Rather than a meaning, the poet finds confusion, crowds and tensions everywhere. A sense of entrapment encapsulates us, we find surrounded by troubles all around us and find no way out. The Pisa figures ultimately end this process of mediation and life seems a perpetual struggle against the odds of society. We keep oscillating between the complex beginning and peaceful end and sometimes, peaceful begging and complex and disturbing end. Symbolic Elements – Melodic Trains as drama of life Only the wait in stations is vague and Dimensionless, like oneself. How do they decide how much Time to spend in each? One beings to suspect there’s no Rule or that it’s applied haphazardly. Next the train takes turns like a pencil and the poet experiences that life too is like a train full of complexity and running to its destination – death. As in an ordinary journey, the strain stops at various stations for brief moments. We also pause at some state of life before turning into a new direction. The faces of the passengers standing outside the platforms of different stations melt into the faces of those million faces, the poet reads different expressions. Some carry on eternal sadness. Some reflect disillusionment with life and its receptive appearance; some show anxiety about the future. There are questions in every mind. Will the taxi be available; will some one come to welcome me? These and many others perplex the mind of travelers. As the following lines show: Sadness of the faces of children on the platform, Concern of the grownups for connections, for the chances Of getting a taxi, since these have no timetable. You get one if you can find one though in principle These questions asked in ordinary life reflect those questions in the next world. The poet contemplates some spiritual and metaphysical issues at this point. The complexities of the world symbolize those of the hereafter and regarding the future of man in the next world. The is haphazard dimension in life which disturbs all routines and the same is to be found on the Day the Judgment when this haphazardness blends into a unique Death which rampages every thing on the earth. One of these issues is the role of chance in the course of life. Although, chance is just a segment of the total certainty, but chance govern a large part of our existence. The total existence of human activity is controlled by chance, which may be termed as Fate. Chance, fate, stages of journey and chorus lets us enter into the drama of life which is more visible in the following remarkable lines: It’s as though a visible chorus called up the different Stages of the journey, singing about them and being them The train journey becomes a semblance to the drama in real life. As the play has acts and chorus as the character, so is the situation here. Every man and woman along with their family members act as chorus throughout all the stages of their life – tragic or comic may be. Oneness and Identification The platform or waiting to board the train are my brothers In a way that really wants to tell me whey there is so little Panic and disorder in the world, and so much unhappiness. If I were to get down now to stretch, take a few steps Realizing the basic anxieties of the heart, the poet feels complete oneness and identification with the fellow travelers. Since this journey symbolizes life. It is a moment of human unity which the poet experiences. He wonders whether complete communication between the individual and community is possible. The journey of train is taken lightly by the little girl and the likes, but for the poet is a serious activity, perhaps a moment of contemplation which he identifies himself with the fellow travelers who also share the same problems and who are also human beings like himself. They are like brothers, as poet calls them and require our perfect sympathy and attention. And we need to convince each other because if there is little panic and disorder, why are we creating for ourselves. Sometimes, it is our attitude that makes us tense rather than the tension itself. The gap that exists between one man and the other in the modern period can be only bridged if communication barriers, such as alienation, estrangement and personal entrapment are removed. The symbolic journey of the train ends when the poet receives a warm welcome and as the journey of the train stops, the melodic trains of his mind also stop as depicted in the following lines: Of good fortune and colossal welcomes from the mayor and Citizens’ committees tossing their hats into the air Style, Imagery and Technique The poet employs a traditional image of train journey to denote life and its non-stop voyage. There are also associated images such as station, marking a temporary stopover and passengers representing fellow human beings. The images of toy and enameled nails signify the theme of false appearances and deceptions. This idea is further enhanced by the Big White Apples or the fumes of the train covering up the plat farm. The poem is a good example of stream of consciousness technique the poem’s start immediately by the little girl’s question about time began to express might issues like mortality, chance and time. The poem is perfectly a representative of modern American Sensibility. The striking images of tweed coat and its seams and the enameled nails of the little girl are such powerful images that they transpose us to the very place in whose imagination, the poem was written. The natural imagery of date-palm trees and the Alps lend freshness to poem in contrast to the artificial imagery of tweed coat and enameled nails. The image of Pisa Tower is a true reflective the modern man’s psychological complexities. Melodic trains, in terms of images, techniques, symbols and style is a modern piece of poetry. Conclusion Melodic Trains is a fine piece of poetry in which the poet addresses a number of issues, political, social, familial and psychological. It is a journey of life and the end of the journey ends in optimism and happiness on the typical note of ‘Welcome Home!’ Even then the complexities of life surround us because home introduces new problems for us, the end of the poem is only a temporary happy moment of life. The poem imparts a deep philosophy of life. Life is full of restlessness, tensions and discontentment, but it is also true that most of the problems in life are caused by the insane attitude of modern man. Clouds of anxiety, of sad, regretful impatience With ourselves, our lives, the way we have been dealing With other people up until now. Why couldn’t We have been more considerate? Clouds of anxiety are scattered everywhere, at each stop. During these anxious moments, we create more trouble for other people and forget that there are also humans like us and demand our full sympathy and respect. The poet raises the issue of sympathy and its importance in every day life. Haste and race has spread panic and disorder in our mechanical life. The hurry to reach home makes life only complex rather than solve any practical issue. Critical Points to Remember 1. Melodic Trains is the journey of life in which the ordinary journey has been woven together. 2. Melodic Trains also symbolically reflect the thought process of the poet’s mind in which poetic ideas keep jumping from one issue to the other. 3. An ordinary mind will take the train journey as one of like many others, but a poet is sensitive and takes this common experience of life seriously, which binds him to the rest of humanity in terms of his brotherly relationship with it. 4. Poet presents the drama of life through the train journey realistically and effectively. 5. Ashbery’s style is in the poet is illustrative like that of a painter. 6. The issues raised by the poet are quite significant and command our attention hurriedly as they command the poet’s attention too soon through the images of toy watch, briar pipe and seams of his coat. 7. Melodic Trains has been so associatively and allusively written that it transposes the reader to the situations observed by the poet and respond to the problems felt by him.

plot summery of winter's tale - winter's tale summery in brief

The Winter’s Tale Summary How It All Goes Down The Winter’s Tale opens in a Sicilian palace, where Polixenes (the King of Bohemia) is visiting his childhood BFF, Leontes (the King of Sicily). After a nine month visit, Polixenes is ready to head back home to Bohemia, but Leontes’s devoted wife, Hermione, convinces Polixenes to stay a little bit longer. (We should point out that Leontes asks his wife to convince Polixenes to stay, and you’ll see why this is important in a moment.) As Leontes watches his wife and best bud chat it up, Leontes suddenly becomes wildly jealous and suspects that his very pregnant wife is having a torrid affair with Polixenes – Leontes is certain that Hermione is carrying the man’s love child. Leontes quickly arranges to have his old pal poisoned, but when Polixenes catches wind of Leontes’s plot to have him off’ed, Polixenes flees with a Sicilian guy named Camillo to his home in Bohemia. Leontes is furious, so he throws his pregnant wife in the slammer, where she gives birth to a daughter (later named Perdita). Paulina, a good friend of Hermione and the only person willing to stand up to the jealous king, takes the newborn to Leontes and attempts to talk some sense into him. But, alas, King Leontes refuses to acknowledge that he is the baby’s daddy. To make matters worse, Leontes orders one of his men, Antigonus, to take the little “bastard” for a ride out to the Bohemian “desert,” where baby Perdita is left to the harsh elements. (Yeah, we know there’s no “desert” in Bohemia but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.) Meanwhile, Leontes puts Hermione on trial for adultery and treason (despite the fact that Apollo’s Oracle announces Hermione is totally innocent and warns that the “king shall live without an heir” if Perdita, who is in the process of being disappeared, is not found. During Hermione’s trial, a servant enters with news that Prince Mammilius (the precocious young son of Hermione and Leontes) has died because he’s been so upset about the way Leontes is treating his mother. When Hermione hears the news, she falls to the ground and, soon after, we’re told she is also dead. Leontes realizes what he’s done and has a sudden change of heart – he immediately falls to his knees and begs forgiveness from the god Apollo for being such a rotten husband, father, and friend, which is nice to hear but is pretty much a day late and a dollar short. Meanwhile, Antigonus reaches the coast of Bohemia (yeah, we know there’s no “coast” in landlocked Bohemia either, but again, we just have to go with it). Antigonus dumps off baby Perdita and…is promptly eaten by a hungry bear! (We’re not even kidding.) Luckily, an Old Shepherd happens along and finds baby Perdita, along with a bundle of riches and some documents that detail the kid’s royal heritage. (Remember this, because it’s important later.) The Old Shepherd and his country bumpkin son (the Clown) decide, what the heck, let’s keep the cash and raise the kid as our own. A figure called “Time” appears on stage and announces that sixteen years have passed and the audience should just sit back, relax, and enjoy Big Willie Shakespeare’s show. (FYI: Flash-forwards were kind of a big no-no on the English Renaissance stage so, Shakespeare’s being kind of innovative and irreverent here. Check out “Setting” if you want to know more about this.) At a Bohemian sheep-shearing festival (a big, spring/summer party that uses sheep haircuts as an excuse for everyone to celebrate the nice weather and for young people to hook up), we learn that Perdita has grown up to be the prettiest girl in Bohemia (which is why she gets to be Queen of the Feast) and is going steady with a gorgeous young prince named Florizel, who just so happens to be the son of King Polixenes. (Yep, that’s Leontes’s ex-best friend all right. You probably see where this is going.) There’s just one hitch – King Polixenes doesn’t know his son is dating a lowly shepherd’s daughter. (As you can see, nobody knows Perdita’s true identity – not even Perdita.) When Polixenes finds out, he tries to put the kibosh on the young couple’s engagement. Florizel, throwing caution to the wind, defies daddy’s wishes. What’s a father to do? Why, threaten to have Perdita’s face disfigured and declare he’s going to have the Old Shepherd executed, of course. (Hmm. Is it just us or, does Polixenes sound a lot like the tyrannous Leontes here?) Florizel and Perdita run off to Sicily, where Leontes has been beating himself up for the last sixteen years (with the help of Paulina, who has seen to it that Leontes never, ever, ever forgets that he’s responsible for the deaths of Hermione and Mammilius). Polixenes and his entourage chase the couple to the Sicilian court. Before Polixenes can break up the couple and make good on his promise to scratch up Perdita’s pretty, young face, the Old Shepherd and the Clown arrive at Leontes’s court with the letters that verify Perdita’s identity. (Remember the bundle of cash and documents Antigonus left with baby Perdita before he was eaten by a bear?) Big sigh of relief – now the royal couple can get hitched and Sicily will finally have a royal heir to take over Leontes’s reign when the old man dies. Plus, Leontes and Polixenes can be best buds again. But wait, there’s more. Paulina invites the entire crew to her place, where she unveils a statue of Hermione. Everyone oohs and ahs over how lifelike the statue is when suddenly and miraculously the statue is…not a statue at all but a very alive Hermione. Hurray! Leontes and Hermione reunite as husband and wife. Leontes then announces that Paulina should get hitched to Camillo (since Paulina’s late husband was eaten by a bear on account of Leontes and all). And they all live happily ever after (except for Mammilius and Antigonus, who are still dead)

Title of Winter's tale by shakespeare

That’s Up With the Title? The term “winter’s tale” isn’t used a whole lot in the 21st century, but in Shakespeare’s day, everyone knew that a “winter’s tale” was the kind of story one might tell in order to pass the time on a long winter evening. Like a fairy tale, a winter’s tale may be entertaining, but it doesn’t have a whole lot of credibility. (Sorry to break it to you but “The Princess and the Frog” isn’t grounded in reality.) So, why would Shakespeare name his brilliant play after such a story? In some ways, he seems to be acknowledging that, like a fairy tale, most of the plot and action of his drama are completely implausible. Perdita, for example, is abandoned in the Bohemian wilderness but somehow manages to survive. She’s then raised as a lowly shepherd’s daughter and falls in love with a handsome prince before her true identity as a princess is discovered and she lives happily ever after (after being reunited with her dad and mom, who has been magically resurrected from the dead). That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen in real life. This is probably why the Third Gentleman notes how most of the events that have occurred in the play are “like an old tale still, which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep and not an ear open” (5.2.3). In other words, it’s a story worth telling, but it doesn’t have a lot of street cred and most people will never even hear it. (Yep, that Shakespeare sure is modest.) Another self-conscious reference to the title occurs early on in the play, when Mammilius whispers a story into his mother’s ear. Mammilius announces that “a sad tale’s best for winter” (2.1.7) and then proceeds to say “There was a man […] Dwelt by a churchyard” (2.1.2.1.8). We don’t hear the rest of the story but some critics have pointed out that the beginning of Mammilius’s tale seems to foreshadow what will become of his father, Leontes. As we know, after Leontes’s tyranny destroys his family, he spends much of his time “dwelling” (hanging out and kneeling in prayer and repentance) by a “churchyard” (another term for graveyard), which may be a reference to the burial plot Hermione and Mammilius are supposed to share. Remember, Leontes says he’s going to bury Hermione and Mammilius together in the yard of the “chapel” and promises to “visit” their grave “once a day” (3.2.15). We can’t ever know for sure if Mammilius’s story is a version of Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale, but we’re certainly invited to imagine what Mammilius whispers into Hermione’s ear.

The Winter’s Tale Act 5 Summary

The Winter’s Tale Act 5, Scene 1 Summary • At Leontes's palace in Sicily, Cleomenes begs Leontes to stop punishing himself for his past sins and to forgive himself. (Apparently, Leontes has been quite penitent for the past sixteen years.) • Leontes replies that he can’t forgive himself for what he did to Hermione and the kingdom – it’s all his fault that his wife is dead and Sicily no longer has an heir to the throne (Mammilius is dead and Leontes basically threw away his baby daughter). • Paulina steps up and sweetly reminds Leontes that he’s responsible for killing the perfect woman and warns him that he shouldn’t bother trying to find a new wife, since no woman can ever be as great as Hermione. • Leontes sincerely thanks Paulina for reminding him that he basically “killed” Hermione by putting her on trial for adultery. Cleomenes grumbles that Paulina is being cruel and he sort of has a point, wouldn’t you say? • Paulina bickers with Dion about whether or not Leontes should remarry – Dion points out that Sicily is without an heir and the fate of the kingdom is in jeopardy. • Then Paulina plays the Apollo card, pointing out that Apollo’s Oracle said that Leontes wouldn’t have an heir until his lost child (Perdita) was found. • Leontes laments that he didn’t listen to Paulina’s wise counsel back when she warned him not to try Hermione for adultery and treason. • Leontes resolves not to remarry and says that if he got a new wife and treated her well, Hermione’s corpse would come back to life and ask why Leontes treated her like dirt. Plus, Hermione’s reanimated corpse would probably order him to murder his new wife, so remarriage doesn’t seem like such a great idea. • Paulina agrees and says that if she were Hermione, she would totally come back from the dead and haunt Leontes. • Paulina makes Leontes swear that if he does remarry, his bride must look like Hermione and Paulina gets to choose her. But, she says, that won’t happen unless Hermione somehow manages to live again. • A servant enters and announces Prince Florizel’s arrival at the Sicilian court with his “princess” (that would be Perdita) in tow. • Leontes is baffled and wonders why Florizel has shown up on his doorstep without advance notice. Something must be wrong, otherwise Florizel would have arrived with more pomp and circumstance (and perhaps a letter from his father, Polixenes). • When the Servant says that Florizel’s princess is a beauty, Paulina gets all huffy and says something like “nobody’s as beautiful as Hermione was.” • Then Paulina points out that, if Mammilius had lived, he probably would have been happy to see Prince Florizel, since the two princes were born about a month apart. • Leontes begs Paulina to stop reminding him of Mammilius’s death – every time she mentions it, it feels like Mammilius has died all over again. • Florizel and Perdita enter and Leontes comments that Florizel’s mom did a good job making him, because the prince looks exactly like a “copy” of his father, Polixenes. Leontes looks at Perdita and proclaims that she’s a “goddess.” • Florizel lies and says that his father sends Leontes his best regards and wishes he could see his old friend. • Upon hearing this, Leontes beats himself up for being such a lousy friend to Polixenes (i.e., accusing him of sleeping with his wife and plotting to poison him). • Florizel lies some more and says he picked up his “bride” in Libya before sailing to Sicily. Ordinarily, he would have brought a huge entourage along with him but he decided to let them sail home to Bohemia to give Polixenes the good news. • Leontes announces that Florizel’s presence in Sicily is like a cure for sickness and says he wishes he had a son or daughter like Polixenes has. (Yep, that’s ironic all right, especially since Leontes's daughter Perdita is standing right in front of him.) • Then a Lord enters and rains on everybody’s parade by announcing that King Polixenes has sent word that Leontes should arrest Prince Florizel for running away from home with a lowly shepherd’s daughter. • The Lord also says that Polixenes has just arrived in Sicily to accost his naughty son. Not only that, but on his way to the Sicilian court, he ran into the Old Shepherd and the Clown, who are crying like babies and begging for their lives. • Florizel realizes Camillo has betrayed him and he’s not too happy. • Perdita cries for the poor Old Shepherd and boo-hoos that her marriage celebration is going to have to wait. • Florizel begs Leontes to speak to his father on his behalf – he loves Perdita and wants to spend his life with her. • Paulina takes the opportunity to remind everyone, again, that Perdita isn’t nearly as good-looking as Hermione once was. • Leontes admits that looking at Perdita actually reminds him of his late wife. He says he’s happy to talk to Polixenes on behalf of the young couple. The Winter’s Tale Act 5, Scene 2 Summary • Somewhere in Leontes's castle, Autolycus speaks with some gentlemen of the court. It seems that, off-stage, the Old Shepherd managed to have a conference with King Leontes, where the shepherd revealed proof that Perdita is not his biological daughter. (Remember, back in Act 3, Scene 3, Antigonus left a document of Perdita’s heritage and some gold when he abandoned her on the Bohemian coast.) • One of the Gentlemen reports that Leontes and Camillo seemed awestruck, but he couldn’t tell if they were full of “joy” or “sorrow” because everyone was ushered out of the room before he could get any more details. • A Second Gentleman enters the room and announces that Leontes's daughter “has been found” just as the Oracle predicted. Yippee! He also points out how the events that have recently unfolded seem like an old, made-up “tale,” which is Shakespeare’s way of acknowledging the implausibility of the events in his play. • A Third Gentleman rushes in and says the Old Shepherd revealed a letter denoting Perdita’s heritage, Queen Hermione’s jewels, and some other things that verify Perdita’s status as Leontes's child. • King Leontes was also reunited with his old BFF, Polixenes, and sobbed because he was so overjoyed. • When asked about what happened to Antigonus, the Third Gentleman says that, sadly, he was ripped to shreds by a bear. At the same moment the bear made a snack out of Antigonus, the ship he sailed to Bohemia on sank. Paulina was totally bummed about her husband being bear food, but was psyched that Hermione’s daughter had been found. • We also learn that, when Perdita found out about her mother’s death, she seemed to cry tears of blood. The reunion was so moving that onlookers sobbed and fainted dramatically. • The Third Gentleman also reports that, when the princess found out that the famous artist Giulio Romano completed a lifelike statue of Hermione, Perdita rushed to Paulina’s house to see it. • The Gentleman run off to see the statue, leaving Autolycus on stage to lament that he wasn’t the one to reveal Perdita’s true identity to King Leontes. • The Old Shepherd and the Clown enter the stage dressed to the nines in some new threads befitting gentlemen. • The Clown brags to Autolycus that he’s a “gentleman born” because the Prince called him “brother” and said they were all one big happy family. (FYI – this is a big joke since the Clown was obviously not “born” a gentleman.) • The Clown and the Old Shepherd decide they should behave in a “gentlemanly” manner and agree to put in a good word to the king on behalf of Autolycus. • Autolycus promises he’ll try to be a better person (instead of a thief) and the three men run off to see the statue of Hermione. The Winter’s Tale Act 5, Scene 3 Summary • Paulina welcomes Leontes and his friends and family to her home for the big unveiling of the Hermione statue. • Paulina, who has invited a huge crowd too see the statue of Hermione, proclaims that the statue is so lifelike that she keeps it separate from the rest of her art collection. • Then Paulina draws a curtain to reveal the figure of Hermione. • Leontes says something like “Gosh, it sure looks like Hermione but it also looks a lot older than she was when she died – the statue sure does have a lot of wrinkles.” • Paulina says that’s because the artist is so talented – he sculpted the figure based on what Hermione would have looked like today if she had been alive for the past sixteen years. • Leontes admires the “warmth” of the statue and chides himself for being such a rotten husband to Hermione. • Perdita gets down on her knees and asks the statue to bless her. • Just as Perdita reaches out to kiss the hand of the statue, Paulina yells out for her to stop – the paint’s barely dry on the statue for goodness sake. • Camillo and Polixenes look over and see that Leontes is in pain – they urge him not to keep beating himself up over his wife’s death. Paulina chimes in that, if she knew the statue would have made Leontes so upset, she never would have shown it. (Yeah right. Paulina is all about making Leontes suffer.) • Paulina makes like she’s going to close the curtain and Leontes begs her not to – he wants to keep gazing on the statue. Paulina says OK, but if you stare too long you might begin to think the statue is alive. • Leontes and Polixenes note the statue’s lifelike appearance – it looks as though the statue is breathing and that there’s real blood moving through its veins. • Then Leontes says holy cow, it looks like one of the eyes is moving! • Paulina and Leontes discuss how looking on the statue is both painful and pleasurable. • Leontes decides he’s going to plant a big kiss on the statue’s lips and Paulina tells him to back off or he’ll get wet paint on his mouth. • Then Paulina says she bets she can convince everyone the statue’s real but they might accuse her of using “wicked” magic. In order for the trick to work, everyone in the room must “awake[n]” their “faith.” • Paulina calls for some dramatic music and says “Tis time. Descend. Be stone no more.” • Suddenly, Hermione, who is very much alive, descends from the pedestal while Paulina commands an astonished Leontes to embrace his wife. • [Note: It’s not entirely clear if Hermione is miraculously brought back from the dead or if she’s been alive the whole time. Some critics argue that Hermione is resurrected in the style of Christ. Others say there’s evidence in the play that Paulina just hid Hermione away 1) so that Leontes wouldn’t hurt her and 2) to teach Leontes a lesson.] • Leontes shouts oh my gosh – her body’s “warm”! The crowd is utterly shocked at what’s just happened. • Then Paulina tells Perdita to kneel before her mother and receive her “blessing.” • Finally, Hermione speaks – she asks the gods to bless her daughter and begins to question Perdita about where’s she’s been for the past sixteen years. • Paulina says hold on folks, there’s plenty of time for Perdita to tell that story later. (Thank goodness, because we’ve already heard that tale, twice.) For now, family and friends should celebrate the miraculous reunion. • Leontes promises Paulina that he’ll find her a man to marry before he realizes that, hey, it seems pretty impossible for Hermione to have come back to life – after all, he saw her dead body and spent hours praying at her grave. • First things first, though. Leontes declares that Camillo and Paulina should get hitched. After that, there’ll be plenty of time to hash out all of these impossible questions. • Paulina leads the party away and they all live happily ever after (except for Mammilius, who died when his father tried his mother for adultery and Antigonus, who was eaten by a bear).

The Winter’s Tale Act 4 Summary

The Winter’s Tale Act 4, Scene 1 Summary • A character with wings and an hourglass appears on the stage and identifies himself as “Time.” • Time announces to the audience that 16 years have passed (since the last scene) and asks us to keep an open mind about the play’s fast-forwarding of events. (FYI: some editions of the play say that 15 years have passed so don’t get all worked up if your copy says “15” and not “16.”) • Then Time gives the audience a little update on what’s gone down in Sicily and Bohemia. In Sicily, Leontes, who feels really, really bad about the way his jealousy destroyed his family, has shut himself up in isolation. In Bohemia (where Time is now hanging out), King Polixenes has a son named Florizel, who is all grown up. Also, Perdita (the abandoned baby) has been raised by the Old Shepherd and she’s grown up to be quite a looker. The Winter’s Tale Act 4, Scene 2 Summary • At the Bohemian palace, Camillo tells Polixenes that he’s homesick and wants to return to his hometown, Sicily, which should be a safe thing to do since Leontes has apparently repented for his bad behavior. (Remember, Camillo fled Sicily with Polixenes when Leontes flipped out sixteen years ago.) • Polixenes begs Camillo not to go – Camillo’s been a great friend and an invaluable right hand man to the king over the years. If Camillo leaves, it will put an end to their bro-mance. • Then Polixenes and Camillo talk about how Prince Florizel has been AWOL from the palace lately. Polixenes has had some spies follow his son and has learned that Florizel has been hanging out at the home of the Old Shepherd, a guy who used to be poor but become wealthy overnight. [Hmm. Polixenes sounds like Polonius (from Hamlet), who also spied on his son.] • Camillo chimes in that the Old Shepherd has a smokin’ hot daughter, which is probably why Florizel is always hanging out over there. • Camillo and Polixenes decide to take a little trip out to the country to see what Florizel and the Old Shepherd are up to. First, however, they’ll need some disguises. The Winter’s Tale Act 4, Scene 3 Summary • In Bohemia, near the Old Shepherd’s house, a thief /conman named Autolycus sings a song about summer and springtime, which, for guys like Autolycus, involves stealing and rolling around in the “hay” with various women while the birds sing sweetly in the background. • The Clown appears on stage talking about how much money he and his father might make off the sheep they’ve been raising. He’s not very bright and he’s having a really hard time adding up numbers, so he turns his attention to what his sister (Perdita) wants him to buy for the upcoming sheep-shearing festival. (For you city folk, that’s a festival that literally revolves around giving haircuts to sheep.) • The Clown talks about the yummy food and great music one can expect at a sheep-shearing shindig. • Autolycus, whose name literally means “the wolf itself,” licks his lips and rubs his hands together in an “I’m totally going to take advantage of this chump” kind of way and approaches the Clown. • Autolycus rolls around the ground as if he’s in pain and begs for help. The Clown takes the bait and listens solemnly while Autolycus lies and says he was beaten and robbed. • When the Clown helps him off the ground, Autolycus picks his pockets. Then the Clown offers to give him some money. • Autolycus makes up a story about the guy who supposedly beat and robbed him and gets the poor Clown all riled up before he heads off to the store to buy spices for the sheep-shearing festival. • As the Clown walks away, Autolycus makes a joke about how he’s going to prey on the “sheep” (chumps like the Clown) at the upcoming festival. Very punny. The Winter’s Tale Act 4, Scene 4 Summary • At the festival, Perdita (who is dressed up as the Queen of the Feast) and Florizel (dressed up as a young shepherd named “Doricles”) bat their eyelashes and flirt with one another. (FYI –costumes are pretty standard at these kinds of shindigs and, yes, Perdita knows that Florizel isn’t really some poor shepherd boy named “Doricles.”) • Florizel lays it on pretty thick, describing Perdita as “Flora,” goddess of flowers, which totally embarrasses Perdita, who points out that, in real life, she’s the daughter of a lowly shepherd, while Florizel is royalty. In other words, she’s embarrassed to be dressed up like something she’s not, which is pretty ironic given that Perdita is actually a princess but just doesn’t know it. • Florizel assures Perdita that she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him but she worries about what Florizel’s dad (King Polixenes) would think if he knew about their relationship. • Florizel tells Perdita not to worry and then proceeds to compare himself to a bunch of gods who transformed themselves so they could have sex with women. (Apollo dressed as a shepherd to hook up with Alcestis, Jupiter transformed himself into a bull and carried off Europa, and Neptune turned into a ram before he abducted Theopane.) Unlike these gods, however, Florizel says he’s not just in it for sex – he’ll treat Perdita with “honour.” • Perdita says King Polixenes might sentence her to death if he finds out about them but Florizel tells her to cheer up and start acting like a proper Queen of the Feast. • The Old Shepherd shows up with the Clown, Mopsa, Dorcas, Polixenes (in disguise), Camillo (also in disguise), and a bunch of other party-goers. • The Old Shepherd tells Perdita she’s a lousy Queen of the Feast – she’s supposed to be welcoming and entertaining the festival-goers. The Old Shepherd’s late wife did a much better job when she was alive. • After being hassled by her old man, Perdita plays hostess-with-the-mostess and welcomes the guests to the festival by handing out flowers. • Perdita points out that she doesn’t have any “gillyvors” (gillyflowers or, carnations), which she refers to as “nature’s bastards.” (She might be referring to the fact that gillyflowers were thought to have been crossbred with other flowers.) • Polixenes takes issue with Perdita hating on gillyflowers and argues that crossbred flowers and are superior to plain old carnations. What’s more, he argues that the art of grafting is completely “natural.” (FYI: “Grafting” is a horticultural practice where a plant’s tissue is fused with another plant in order to create a “hybrid.”) • Perdita and Polixenes continue to argue about cross-breeding flowers. Perdita prefers flowers that are pure and that haven’t been influenced by the “art” of grafting. Polixenes sees nothing wrong with cross-breeding flowers to produce a “nobler” breed. For Polixenes, grafting is a natural process while Perdita sees cross-breeding as “artifice.” Check out “Quotes” for “Art and Culture” if you want to know more about this argument. • Perdita continues to pass out flowers to the festival guests and Florizel takes the opportunity to tell Perdita how pretty she is. • Polixenes tells Camillo that Perdita is the “prettiest” poor girl that he’s ever seen. In fact, she seems like she’s too “noble” to be a lowly shepherd’s daughter. • The band strikes up a tune and everybody parties, country style. • Polixenes (wearing a disguise) strikes up a conversation with the Old Shepherd, who tells him that his daughter’s boyfriend is a rich nobleman. (The Shepherd has no idea he’s talking to the King of Bohemia, who isn’t thrilled about Florizel’s choice in girlfriends.) • A Servant enters and announces that there’s a peddler (a guy who travels around selling worthless items) at the door who happens to be a great singer. The Clown lets him in to the party. • Perdita warns the Clown that the peddler better not sing any songs with dirty lyrics. • Autolycus (the guy who picked the Clown’s pocket earlier) strolls in, disguised as the peddler with a great voice. He sings a song about how everyone should step up and buy some of his stuff. • The Clown buys some ribbons and gloves for his girlfriend, Mopsa. Dorcas, who’s a little jealous, makes crack about how the Clown promised to marry Mopsa but hasn’t done it yet. Mopsa retorts that Dorcas slept with the Clown and may be pregnant, to which the Clown says something like: “Geez – whatever happened to modesty?” • When Mopsa asks the Clown to buy her some more stuff, he complains about being robbed on his way to the market. • Autolycus (the guy who picked the Clown’s pockets) says something like “Oh, how awful. I hope I don’t get robbed while I’m here.” • Autolycus, Mopsa, and Dorcas sing a song together about a love triangle and then a group of country dancers show up to entertain the festival-goers. • Meanwhile, Polixenes approaches his son (Florizel), who doesn’t recognize his disguised father, and asks Florizel about his relationship with Perdita. • Florizel doesn’t need anyone to twist his arm to talk about his girlfriend – he professes his love for Perdita, which prompts the Old Shepherd to give his daughter permission to marry. • Before the Old Shepherd can bind his daughter’s hand to Florizel’s (an act of betrothal), the disguised Polixenes steps in and says not so fast – where’s Florizel’s father? • Polixenes and Florizel argue about whether or not Florizel should tell his dad about his plans to marry Perdita. • When it becomes clear that Florizel has no intention of sharing his engagement with his dad, Polixenes removes his disguise and goes “Aha! You thought you could get married to some country bumpkin without my permission?” • Polixenes throws a tantrum and disowns his son, sentences the Old Shepherd to death, and says he’s going to have Perdita’s gorgeous face “scratched with briars and made more homely” than her lowly social status. (Yikes! He sounds a lot like Leontes, don’t you think?) • Perdita says she knew it was the king in disguise all along and was just about to say something before Polixenes removed his disguise. Now that the jig is up, she’ll have to forget about being queen and go back to milking sheep. • The Old Shepherd yells at Florizel and Perdita for not telling him that Florizel was the prince. He wanted to retire in peace but now he’s going to be put to death, which totally ruins his retirement plans. • Florizel says he wants to run away with Perdita – he’s got a ship nearby so they can sail off together. • Camillo says that, since the prince won’t change his mind about marrying Perdita, he’ll give the kid some advice, which is to sail for Sicily with Perdita, where Leontes will most likely embrace him like a “son.” • Since Camillo’s still got connections in Sicily, he’ll make sure Florizel and Perdita are outfitted like a prince and princess. Florizel can tell King Leontes that he’s been sent by his father to Sicily in order to see him. • Meanwhile, Autolycus comes on stage and brags about how he managed to sell all of his junk to the suckers at the sheep-shearing festival. He also managed to pick everybody’s pockets while he was at it, heh-heh. • Then we get back to Camillo, Florizel, and Perdita. Camillo promises to write letters of introduction for the young couple. • Camillo spots Autolycus and makes him trade clothes with Florizel so the prince can escape Bohemia without being recognized. • Camillo advises Perdita to disguise herself as well so she can make it to the ship safely. • Camillo tells the audience that, after the kids set sail, he’s actually going to tattle on them to Polixenes. His hope is that Polixenes will ask him to tag along while he chases after them. That way, Camillo can finally go back home to Sicily. • Florizel, Perdita, and Camillo run off, leaving Autolycus alone on stage. Autolycus tells the audience he’s figured out what’s going on but he’s not going to tell the king because that would be way too honest. As a con artist and a thief, Autolycus loathes honesty. (Plus, he’s probably hoping for some kind of reward from the Prince.) • The Clown and the Old Shepherd show up carrying the bundle that was left with Perdita when she was abandoned as a baby – the Old Shepherd wants to show the King proof that Perdita is a “changeling” and that she isn’t his “flesh and blood” daughter. (Remember, the Old Shepherd doesn’t know Perdita’s a princess – he thinks she was left in Bohemia by a bunch of fairies.) The Old Shepherd thinks that, if he can prove Perdita’s not his biological daughter, he won’t be put to death. • Autolycus hears all this and decides the bundle may possibly contain something that could prevent the prince from marrying Florizel, so he convinces the Old Shepherd and his son that he’s a courtier and that King Polixenes has boarded a ship. • Autolycus tells the pair a bit of gossip about Perdita (who pretends not to recognize the Old Shepherd and the Clown). He says he heard that Perdita’s shepherd father is going to be put to death and her brother is going to be tortured. Specifically, the brother’s going to be whipped and then covered in honey before being placed next to a wasp’s nest. • After he scares the bejeezus out of the two men, he offers to take them to the king and make proper introductions. • Not wanting to be tortured, the Clown votes to give Autolycus a bunch of gold to take them to King Polixenes. • The Shepherd hands over some dough and promises to give Autolycus more money after he’s introduced him to the king. • Autolycus says something like, “Great – you go on ahead to the sea shore and I’ll meet you there.” • Left alone on stage, Autolycus confides to the audience that he’s the luckiest guy on earth – not only is he going to make a bunch of money by scamming the Old Shepherd and his son, he’s also going to do the prince a big favor (by leading the Old Shepherd to the prince’s ship instead of to the King), which means that Prince Florizel will be indebted to Autolycus.

The Winter’s Tale Act 3 Summary

The Winter’s Tale Act 3, Scene 1 Summary • On a road in Sicily, Cleomenes and Dion reminisce about what an amazing time they just had during their trip to see the Oracle. The island of “Delphos” is just beautiful this time of year and all the sacred rituals were better than a Michael Jackson concert. • Oh yeah, Cleomenes and Dion got a sealed letter from the Oracle that they hope will be good news for Hermione. The Winter’s Tale Act 3, Scene 2 Summary • Meanwhile, in a courtroom in Sicily, Leontes makes a big speech about how he’s merely seeking “justice” by putting his wife on trial. • Hermione enters the courtroom and an Officer reads an indictment – Hermione is accused of adultery with Polixenes (which is treason against King Leontes) and conspiring with Camillo to kill Leontes. • Hermione stands up and delivers an eloquent and dignified speech about how she knows that, even if she were to plead “not guilty,” Leontes wouldn’t believe her. She’s hoping and praying, however, that divine justice will prevail. She also pleads with Leontes to consider the fact that she’s a queen, the daughter of a king, the mother of a prince, and the loving wife Leontes used to love – before he went crazy with irrational jealousy, that is. • Leontes is all “whatever” and Hermione points out that she did nothing wrong when she was kind and loving toward Polixenes. As the wife of Polixenes’ childhood friend, she was obligated to be sweet to him. In fact, Leontes asked her to be nice to his friend. As for conspiring with Camillo, she doesn’t know anything about that. • Leontes says Hermione had a love child with Polixenes, so he’s had someone get rid of the “brat.” • Hermione points out the injustices she’s suffered: she’s lost her position as queen, she’s been rejected by her husband, she’s been barred from seeing her first-born child, Mammilius, and her second-born child has been taken away from her and is probably dead. Plus, Hermione wasn’t even allowed the “childbed privilege” (she wasn’t allowed to rest and recuperate in private after giving birth, which has left her physically weak). • History Snack: Hermione is referring to what’s called a “lying in” period. A mother’s right to rest and recuperate in seclusion (only her closest women friends, relatives, and servants were allowed to hang out in her private chamber) after giving birth was a huge deal in Shakespeare’s England, so it totally stinks that Hermione was deprived of this important right. • Then Hermione demands to hear what the Oracle had to say about the matter. • Cleomenes and Dion (our happy tourists) enter the courtroom fresh from their vacation in Delphos and deliver a sealed letter from the Oracle. • The Officer reads the super-secret letter, which goes like this: “Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten, and the King shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found.” (Most of this is pretty self-explanatory and it’s not hard to figure out what the last part of the letter means. Leontes isn’t going to have an heir if the baby he threw away isn’t found, which means that Mammilius, who has been pretty sick, probably isn’t going to live much longer.) • Everybody except Leontes yells “blessed be the great Apollo!” • Leontes proclaims the Oracle to be a big fat liar. • Then a servant runs into the courtroom and announces that Mammilius has died because he was so afraid something terrible would happen to his mother. • Hermione falls to the ground. • Leontes announces that Apollo’s angry because he doubted the Oracle and Paulina yells at Leontes that Hermione is dying. • Leontes orders someone to take the queen somewhere and try to revive her. • Then Leontes prays to the god Apollo and begs forgiveness for doubting the Oracle and for unfairly accusing his wife and his friend of infidelity. • Paulina announces that someone should cut the laces on her bodice. Translation: Paulina’s on the verge of fainting because things are so awful – plus, it doesn’t help matters that her bodice is so tight that she can hardly breathe. • Paulina catches her breath and lays into Leontes for being such a tyrant. She taunts him by saying that maybe he should torture her (by flaying her, boiling her, or putting her on the “rack”) like he’s tortured his innocent family. She calls him a fool for betraying Polixenes’ friendship, ruining Camillo’s honor, and causing Mammilius’s death. • Then Paulina drops a bomb – she announces that Hermione has died. • Paulina says she hopes Leontes never repents for his sins because she wants him to spend the rest of his life in a state of despair. • Leontes, who seems to recognize the implications of his jealousy and tyranny, announces that he deserves every single thing Paulina has to say. • A Lord steps in and tries to get Paulina to pipe down. • Paulina announces that she’s sorry for speaking so harshly to Leontes and asks forgiveness for being such a mouthy and “foolish” woman. (Paulina is probably being sarcastic here, but some actors and literary critics argue that she’s being sincere, so we’ll leave it to you to decide.) • Leontes says Paulina’s right to chastise him and he’s going to seek repentance by visiting the dead bodies of his wife and son every day. The Winter’s Tale Act 3, Scene 3 Summary • Meanwhile, Antigonus (Paulina’s husband and the guy Leontes's ordered to get rid of the unwanted baby) and a Mariner arrive on the “coast” of Bohemia (what is now called the Czech Republic). ([Yeah, yeah. We all know that Bohemia is totally landlocked and has no coast, but Shakespeare either didn’t know or didn’t care.) • The Mariner looks up at the stormy skies and says the gods seem pretty angry, which is code for “the weather’s pretty lousy.” • Antigonus tells him to get back on the boat because, after he gets rid of the kid, he wants to get home, ASAP. • The Mariner tells Antigonus to hurry up and ditch the kid because the weather’s getting even worse. Plus, Bohemia is famous for its dangerous wild animals. • Antigonus talks sweetly to the baby he’s about to abandon and says he had a dream about Hermione, who appeared to him wearing a white robe and asked him to name her baby “Perdita” (which means “lost one” in Latin) since she’s going to abandoned in a strange land. • Antigonus puts the baby on the ground along with a scroll (a long roll of paper) that details Perdita’s lineage and history. He also leaves a box full of gold. • Antigonus announces that he believes Hermione must be dead and then he tries to convince himself that the god Apollo must surely want him to abandon the baby in Bohemia and that Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, is likely the father. • Antigonus says his “heart bleeds” for the kid, but it’s getting late and he’s got to get back home. • Antigonus, who seems ready to deliver a very loooong speech, is interrupted by the appearance of…a bear! • Antigonus says something like “holy smokes” and runs off toward shore while the bear gives chase. • FYI: What alerts us readers to the bear chase is one of the most famous stage directions in the history of English literature. The stage directions read, “Exit, pursued by a bear.” • Then an Old Shepherd rambles onto the stage complaining about some teenage hooligans who scared off some of his sheep. Then he spots baby Perdita, who, thankfully, wasn’t eaten by the wild bear. • The Old Shepherd muses that the unwanted baby must have been conceived in some dark stairwell by a naughty unmarried couple – why else, he muses, would someone abandon such a pretty baby? • The Old Shepherd’s son, a Clown (sort of a country bumpkin), shows up and tells his dad he’s not going to believe what he, the Clown, just saw. The Clown just came from the shore, where he witnessed a shipwreck (the ship Antigonus and the Mariner arrived on) and a gruesome bear attack. • The Clown elaborates: While the bear was tearing off some poor guy’s shoulder, the guy yelled out his name, “Antigonus,” and cried for help. Sadly, there was nothing the Clown could do to help him. What’s worse, the bear is still snacking on its victim at this very moment. • The Old Shepherd and the Clown feel sort of bad about not being able to help the ship-wreck victims or Antigonus, but they decide to go ahead and check out a box of goodies that was left behind with the abandoned baby. • The Old Shepherd announces that the baby must be a “changeling.” (If you’ve read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you know that a “changeling” is a child that’s been secretly switched with another, usually by mischievous fairies. We know what you’re thinking. Why does the Old Shepherd think this when he’s got access to the documents that detail the baby’s true heritage? Our best guess? The Old Shepherd and his son probably can’t read, being uneducated peasants and all.) • The Old Shepherd is pleased as punch when he finds a bunch of gold in the box – he says the fairies must have left it for him. • Since the Old Shepherd’s so thankful for his good fortune, he wants to perform some kind of good deed. He and the Clown will bury whatever’s left of Antigonus’ body – after the bear is done feasting on him that is.