The Winter's Tale Flashcards
Characters from the background
- Leontes, King of Sicily, his queen, the lovely Hermione (once lived together in the greatest happiness)
- he sometimes desired to see again his old companion and schoolfriend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia, and to introduce his friend to his queen
What is the relationship between Leontes and Polixenes?
- Leontes and Polixenes had been brought up together as children, but after the deaths of their fathers, each one had to rule his own kingdom
- so they had not met for many years, though they often exchanged gifts, letters and loving messages
- > old companion and schoolfriend
How did the sorrow begin?
- Polixenes had refused to stay when Leontes asked him, but Hermione’s gentle words persuaded him to do so
- > became jealous
- He sent for Camillo, one of the lords of his court, and told him of his suspicions about his wife’s unfaithfulness; ordered Camillo to poison Polixenes
What did Camillo do?
- Camillo was a good man, who knew that there was no truth in Leontes’ suspicions.
- instead of poisoning Polixenes, he told him about his master’s orders and agreed to escape with him from Sicily
- Polixenes, with Camillo’s help, arrived safely in his own kingdom of Bohemia
- > from that time, Camillo lived in the king’s court and became his chief friend and adviser.
What happened after Camillo had left with Polixenes?
- more angry
- > he went to the queen’s rooms, where her little son Mamillius was just beginning to tell his mother one of his best stories to amuse her; taking the child away, the king sent Hermione to prison
What happened after Hermione was sent to prison?
- Though Mamillius was only a very young child, he loved his mother dearly, he became very unhappy
- > Gradually he lost his desire to eat and sleep, until it was thought that his sadness would kill him
- When the king had sent his queen to prison, he commanded Cleomenes and Dion, two Sicilian lords, to go to Delphos and ask the oracle at the temple of Apollo if his queen had been unfaithful to him
What happened in the prison?
-after Hermione had been in prison for a short time, she gave birth to a daughter
-the poor lady was comforted by the sight of her pretty baby, and she said to it: “My poor little prisoner, I have
done as little wrong as you have.”
Who is Paulina (Prison scene)?
-Hermione had a kind friend, Paulina,who was the wife of
Antigonus, another Sicilian lord
-she carries it to the king, its father (His heart may soften when he sees his little child) -tells it to Emilia (served Hermione)
–> Leonies got angrier + ordered Antigonus to take the child out to sea and leave it on some empty shore to die.
What is happening in the court?
-Cleomenes and Dion entered. They told the King that they had the oracle’s answer:
‘Hermione is not guilty, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true servant, Leontes a jealous and cruel king, and Leontes shall live without an heir unless that which was lost is found.’
-Prince Mamillius had died of grief and shame, hearing that his mother was being tried for her life.
How where the reactions when they heard that Maximillius died?
- she (mother) fainted
- Leontes himself was made miserable by the news and began to feel pity for his unhappy queen
- He ordered Paulina to take her away and help her; Paulina soon returned and told the king that Hermione was dead.
How was his (leontes) reaction when he heard that his wife died ?
- he felt deeply sorry for all his cruelty to her, he no longer believed that she was guilty
+he also thought that the words of the oracle were true —He was prepared to give his kingdom to get his lost daughter back
–>with such sad thoughts as these, Leontes passed many years in grief and sorrow
What happened with the baby?
- the ship in which Antigonus had carried the baby princess out to sea was driven by a storm on to the coast of Bohemia, the kingdom of the good King Polixenes
- here Antigonus landed, and here he left the little baby.
- > Antigonous was torn by a bear
- > was dressed in rich clothes and jewels
- Perdita was brought up by a shepherd (had still noble qualities)
Love story between Florizel (Polixenes son) and Perdita
- hunting near the shepherd’s home, he saw the girl who was said to be the old man’s daughter, and her beauty and noble manner made him fall in love with her immediately
- Soon, under the name of Doricles, and dressed as a private gentleman, he became a frequent visitor to the old shepherd’s house
- Florizel’s absences from court made Polixenes anxious, so he ordered people to watch his son and he soon discovered Florizel’s love for the shepherd’s fair daughter
How does Polixenes react when his son wants to marry Perdita?
- king made himself known to his son and criticized him for daring to promise to marry this lowborn girl
- He called Perdita disrespectful names, and threatened that if she ever allowed his son to see her again, he would put her and the old shepherd to a cruel death
What does Camillo suggest the?
- Camillo had known for a long time that Leontes, the King of Sicily, was truly sorry for all he had done; and though Camillo was now the favourite adviser of King Polixenes, he could not help wishing to see his old master and his home once more
- he therefore suggested to Florizel and Perdita that they should go with him to the Sicilian court, where he promised that Leontes would protect them
- > Then, with his help, they could obtain forgiveness from Polixenes and his agreement to their marriage.
