The winter
s’ Tale
William Shakespeare
Short Summary:
Winter s’ Tale is written by William Shakespeare. It was
published in 1623.Setting of the play is in Sicilia and Bohemia. The play
starts at Sicilia when the Bohemian King Polixenes is visiting Sicilian King
Leontes.He gives a warm welcome to the king and entertains him well. After
staying long, the king Polixenes says that now he wants to go back. Leontes, the
king says that he should stay a little more but the king Polixenes resists.
When Leontes’ pregnant wife queen Hermione requests Polixenes to stay, he
accepts her request and becomes willing to stay more.
Here Polixenes also tells Hermione that how fast their
friendship is. A seed of suspect rises in the mind of Leontes and he is
possessed with jealousy. He thinks that there are some unfair relations between
Polixenes and Hermione. He becomes skeptic and declares that Mamillius is not
his own child but of Polixenes.
Now Leontes calls for Camillo: a noble man. He orders him to
poison Polixenes to death. At this Camillo decides that he will not give poison
to King Polixenes. Instead, he tells the entire story to the king. On this
Polixenes and Camillo flee to Bohemia successfully.
When Leontes comes to know of their escape, his suspect
becomes clearer and now he is cock sure that there were unfair relations
between Polixenes and her wife Hermione. Now he starts thinking that the baby
she is carrying is not his own but of Polixenes. Hermione tries to prove her
innocence but Leontes imprisons her. Paulina: the wife of Antigonus visits
prison and comes to know that Hermione has given birth to a baby girl. Paulina
gives this news to Leontes with the hope that the king will change his decision
and will forgive Hermione. But Leontes is still sure that his wife is guilty
and Camillo and Polixenes are conspiring against him.
On this he decides to throw Hermione as well as the new born
baby girl into fire, Paulina tries to pacify him. Leontes orders Antigonus to
tackle his wife and also orders him to throw the new born baby girl far away at
some coastal deserted place. Antigonus did so and when he was returning, was
eaten up by a wild bear.
At the protest of the nobles, the king sends a man to consult
the Delphic oracles. Two men come and reveal the prediction of god Apollo. It
is told in the prediction that Hermione is not guilty but innocent and the king
will die childless if the thrown baby is not found. But Leontes does not
believe in it. A person from the palace comes and tells that Mamillius has
died. Hearing this, Hermione faints. Paulina takes her away. Later she informs the
king that queen is no more in this world. Now Leontes confesses his guilt and
starts repenting.
At the coastal area, the baby girl is found by a shepherd. He
takes her to his home and names her as Perdita. Sixteen years later, Camillo
declares that he wants to go back to his native country Sicilia. Polixenes
forbids him. Polixenes is worried about his son Florizel who spends his most of
the time in the shack of a shepherd. He and Camillo go to the shepherd cottage
in disguise. A sheep shearing festival of shepherd is going there. There
Florizel is also in disguise but Camillo recognizes him. He comes to know that
Perdita and Florizel are in deep love with each other. Hearing this Polixenes
gets into rage and he goes against his son marriage with a shepherd s’
daughter. Here Camillo plans of going back. He advises Florizel to elope with
Perdita to Sicilia, thinking that Polixenes will chase his son to Sicilia and
he will get a chance to go back to his country. It happened so, Florizel and
Perdita flee to Sicilia and chasing them Camillo and Polixenes also reach Sicilia.
Now they all gather at the palace of King Leontes. Earlier it was also declared
by the shepherds that Perdita was not Shepherd s’ daughter.
In the Palace of Leontes, Florizel tells a lie that they have
married with his parents’ approval. Polixenes appears at the scene and says
that Florizel has fled from Bohemia with a shepherd s’ daughter Perdita. Florizel
confesses his crime and seeks help from Leontes. There a shepherd reveals the
secret that Perdita was found by him years ago at a coastal area. Leontes was
happy to know that Perdita was his own daughter. Hearing this, Polixenes also
becomes happy and accepts the marriage of Florizel and Perdita. Paulina says
that she wants to show the king the statue of queen Hermione. Leontes sees the
statue and is much amazed that the statue was same as the queen herself. There
Paulina discloses the secret that queen is alive. Hearing this king becomes
happy. Camillo and Paulina get married in the end.
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