Summary of Acts 1-3
v Act 1- The audience/
readers are made aware of the current state of affairs in the play by a lord of
Sicilia and Bohemia. King Polixenes is visiting his friend King Leontes of
Sicilia. He has been at the palace for nine months and is ready to depart. The
King attempts to make him say but is unsuccessful. However his wife Hermione is
able to persuade the Bohemian king to stay.
Her ability to do this has planted in the king, a seed of jealousy. From
then on Leontes becomes madly motivated by jealousy. He suspiciously inspects
his son Mamillius to prove whether he is his father or not and regards
Polixenes and Hermione’s interactions closely.
Leontes then summons Camillo and asks if
he has noticed anything suspicious between Polixenes and Hermione. Camillo says
no but is unsuccessful in convincing the King that he is mistaken. He is the
given orders to poison Polixenes. However, he does not comply and shares the
plans with Polixenes. The two then flee to Bohemia.
v Act 2 – In the
beginning of this Act we see the interaction between Hermione and her son
Mamillius. Mamillius recounts a sad tale to his mother which coincides with the
winter atmosphere. Leontes then storms into the room and publicly accuses
Hermione of being adulterous. Hermione tries to refute his claims but is
unsuccessful and is imprisoned. After
Hermione is taken away Antigonus tries to plead with the King but the King is
already convinced that he is right. However, he decides to ask the oracle of
Delphi for a prophecy and sends 2 men on the journey.
Paulina, loyal to Hermione, tries to visit the
Queen but is denied by the guards. She is able to speak to one of the ladies
(Emilia) and finds out that the Queen has had a baby daughter. With some
reluctance by the guard Paulina is able to take the baby with her to show
Leontes. An action that she believes
will change the King’s mind about the entire affair.
Mamillius, the young prince falls ill due to
the absence of his mother, however, the jealous Leontes attributes this to him
suffering because of his mother’s shame. Paulina then presents the baby to Leontes who
becomes furious. He asks Antigonus if he cannot control his wife. Paulina then speaks out and openly argues
with the King, and act which defies the traditional role of women at that time.
When Paulina leaves the King tells Antigonus to dispose of the baby by burning
it, after some pleading by Antigonus he orders him to leave it in the
wilderness.
v Act 3- On their
way back from the oracle of Delphi, Cleomentes and Dion discuss the atmosphere
and remark that their journey was pleasant. They also express their hope of the
Queen’s innocence. In the mean time, Leontes holds a case in court regarding
Hermione’s adultery, he also charges her with treason for involvement in the
escape of Camillo and Polixenes. Hermione
pleads and defends herself by saying her blatant loyalty makes her innocent. The
two men then enter the court with the oracle’s prophecy. Hermione is found
innocent of course and the King is regarded as a jealous tyrant. The oracle
also prophesizes that he will be without an heir if he does not find Perdita. However,
in his jealous madness he disregards the oracle’s prophecy. A servant then
enters and announces that Mamillius has died, consequently Hermione faints and
is later pronounced dead. The King
belatedly realizes that he has been wrong all along; Paulina fiercely defends
the Queen and blames him for her death. Leontes
promises to visit his son and wife’s grave once every day and also promises to
repent for all his sins.
Meanwhile, Antigonus who is unaware of the oracle’s
prophecy has arrived at the Bohemian coast with the baby. In an aside, he tells
the audience that Hermione appeared to him in a dream bearing the child’s name
(Perdita) and telling him that he would not see Sicilia or his wife again. He
then lays Perdita down and lays jewels and a note with her name around
her. He is chased away by a bear and
after a while, a shepherd and his son come upon Perdita. The clown establishes
that he saw a bear kill a man (Antigonus). They vow to raise the baby as their
own.
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