The Tale of Winter’s Tale: A Critical Analysis

The King of Sicily Leontes and his queen lived in Sicily happily. Leontes loved a lady named Polixenes, a beautiful and talented lady the daughter of the king of Bohemia. She was the class fellow of the king of Sicily. They used to play together in childhood and loved each other but after the death of her father lady Polixenes came to see the king of Sicily Leontes. The purpose of lady Polixenes arrival is to request king of Leontes to rule her country.

When Polixenes came to see Leontes he was very happy because both were child hood fellows. After some days Polixenes desired to leave for her country but Leontes with the help of wife tried to stay her more in their palace because Leontes liked her since childhood.

Polixenes first refused to stay more but Hermione persuaded her with her good words and thus she decided to stay there for weeks. Hermione and Polixenes became fast friends living in the court for a long time. Looking at this true friendship Leontes became jealous because Hermione forgot her husband Leontes falling in the love of Polixenes.

Keeping in mind jealousy against Polixenes he ordered his loyal servant Camillo to Polixenes tonight. Camillo knew that the Leontes‘jealous is causeless he ran away from Sicily and reached in the kingdom of Bohemia  safe and sound and Polixenes was sent to her Kingdom Bohemia with his assistant. Thus Polixenes and Camillo became fast friends because Camillo saved her life in difficult time.

When king Leontes came to know that Polixenes has escaped from the palace her went to ask his queen but reaching in her room he took away the child and sent the queen in prison. The son of Hermione, Mamillius took her mother’s imprisonment to heart because he loved his mother. He became ill and became near death due to her mother’s imprisonment.

 

Now Leontes sent his two faithful servants, Cleomence and Dion to go to the Oracle of Apollo to enquire either Hermione is faithful or faithless to king Leontes. After a short time Hermione was brought to bed from the prison and came to her little daughter, looking at her lilt baby she said to her that she is as innocent as you are my baby.

There was a friend of Hermione name Paulina the wife a Sicilian lord. Antigonus, Hearing the news of Hermione’s confinement, Paulina went to see Hermione and requested the attendant Emilia. Paulina said to Emilia to give me the child and I will take this child Leontes and will speak in defense of Hermione before the King. At last Hermione gave her little babe to Paulina. Paulina reached in the Leontes’ court and defended Hermione but king Leontes did not take pity on his wife and requested Antigonus to take her away from his eyes.

Leaving the baby at the feet of the king Paulina went away the king ordered the servant to take the baby and left it in the desert to die alone. Antigonus took the child and left at the coast riding on the shipboard. Leontes forgot that he had sent two servants to the Oracle of Apollo to inquire about Hermione and before the servants’ arrival he declared his decision against Hermione and her child. At last Hermione was brought before the public and the judges for decision she was standing helpless before the people.

At last the two servants reached in the court getting the news about Hermione from the Oracle and now Leontes ordered to open the sea; to read the decision in which was written that “Hermione is innocent, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, and the king shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found.”

Listening to the words of Oracle the King did not believe in the word and said that it was a trick of Hermione’s friend against the king and ordered to carry on the trial against Hermione. In the meanwhile a man entered into the court and said that Mamillius died listening to the disgrace of her mother in the court without charge.

Listening to the death news of her son she fainted and fell down in the court floor. Pondering over the critical situation Leontes ordered Paulina and the attendant to bring Hermione into conscious but Pauline after sometimes told hat Hermione died. Listening to the news of death Leontes felt his crime that he did against her without any proof. Now he came to believe in the words of Oracle that she was innocent.

His son Mamillius died and his daughter lost now he made an announcement that the person who recover his lost would be given him the whole kingdom in reward. At the ship that was carrying the baby of Hermione due to a horrible storm reached at the coast of Bohemia and it was the coast where the baby was left to die. Antigonus did come back to tell Leontes where he left the baby when Antigonus was returning back leaving the child a bear attacked Antigonus and ate him.

Actually the baby was found by a shepherd took the baby and brought her into his home his name was Perdita and the shepherd’s wife brought her up and advised her husband not to tell about this girl to anyone. It is a gift of God for us. Perdita grew up and was beautiful and played with the shepherd’ daughter, the king of Bohemia has his only one son and his name was Florizel. Once he was hunting near the ht of the shepherd looking at the beauty of Perdita he fell in her love. Changing her name Doricles he used to visit the old shepherd’s house.

Florizel’s absence from the court made his father suspicious and he ordered his servants to pursue Florizel where he went. At last the king came to know that his son loved a shepherd’s daughter Perdita. At last Polixenes and Camillo reached in the sheepherder’s hut disguising themselves as ordinary men. When they reached they were making the feast of sheep shearing. They were strangers but they were welcomed kindly.

At last Polixenes and Camillo say that Perdita and Florizel both were making gossip sitting in a corner. Looking at Perdita Polixenes said to Camillo that the girl belonged to a royal family and in my opinion she was not the daughter of the shepherd. In the meanwhile the shepherd called out Perdita and Doricles and said to the disguised king that this man loves his daughter.

After sometimes the king revealed his identity and said to his son that you must be ashamed of loving a poor man’s daughter. Pondering over the whole situation Camillo advised them to reach in the court of Leontes for protection and marriage. At last Camillo, old shepherd, Florizel and Perdita reached in the court of Leontes. The shepherd took with the jewels of the baby that were found when she took her from the jungle. At last they reached in the court of Leontes who was very sad on his decision. Looking at the Perdita’s face his king realized a resemblance between the face of Perdita and his dead queen’s face.

The shepherd told the king that when I found the baby I also found these jewels with her and these clothes and at that time Florizel, Paulina Camillo and Perdita all were present in the court before the king. Looking at the clothes and jewels the recognized and Pauline justified the clothes and jewels because she wore the dress and jewels to the baby Perdita. Now the king was very happy finding his lost daughter and old faithful servant Camillo.

In the meanwhile Paulina said to the king that she had a statue like Hermione by Italian master, the king look at it and check it with your own hand but it was not a statue but real Hermione I saved her life and now take her hand forever Leontes.

On the other hand Polixenes reached in king Leontes ‘ court in search of his son Florizel and all were present before King Leontes and king Polixenes forgave Leontes mistake and at the same moment Polixenes proposed Perdita that was accepted by Leontes and thus Perdita and Florizel got marriage. Thus prince Florizel became the King and Perdita became the queen of Sicily.