The Winter’s Tale Act Three – “I am gone forever [Exit, pursued by a bear].”

The Winter’s Tale Act Three – “I am gone forever [Exit, pursued by a bear].”

“[Exit, pursued by a bear]” is one of the most famous and strangest stage directions ever given. It indicates the spectacle that Shakespeare and play makers had to bring to theatre when competing against the new masque balls and the spectacle of painted scenery which indoor theatres were starting to bring to English theatre. An interesting thing to note is that Shakespeare's direction may have been even stranger than we may even think.

Most people think that Shakespeare probably got a bear from the bear baiting pits close to the Globe Theatre to act as the spectacle for this scene but the truth may have been even stranger. In 1595, the Dutch explorer William Barents reportedly lost two men in the Arctic to a polar bear attack. Shakespeare would have read of these attacks in de Veer's diary account of this expedition published in English in 1609. Then in 1609, Jonas Poole's expedition to find the North-west passage captured to polar bear cubs on Cherie island and these cubs were transported back to England. By the end of 1610, these two polar bears had  ended up in King james I's private zoo and early in 1611, these cubs had been leased out to Philip Henslow and Edward Alleyn. It is likely that these same two white polar bears appeared in plays like Ben Jonson's 'Oberon' and Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale'. By 1612, it is alleged that the two polar bears had died. So at least for some performances, Shakespeare's stage direction could have read "[Exit. Pursued by a a white bear.]"

Some say that plays like ‘The Winter’s Tale’ may have themselves been controversial in the underpinnings of their subject matter. Parallels could be drawn between Leontes and King Henry VIII and his accusations of infidelity against Anne Boleyn. History, or at least popular consciousness has labeled Anne Bolelyn to not be true but that Elizabeth I was in fact Henry’s child. It is a bit sad that today, a simple paternity test would solve an issue that plagued English political life and the winds of gossip for almost half a century. What is interesting to note in this act is that we as an audience instantly label Leontes guilty of false jealousy and see him as a tyrant. We also believe that Hermione is dead when we hear this dreadful news.

Act Three begins with Dion and Cleomenes arriving back from visiting the oracle at Delphi. They obviously were quite taken back by Delphi and hope the Oracle will clear Hermione’s name:

“The climate's delicate, the air most sweet,

Fertile the isle, the temple much surpassing

The common praise it bears…

Great Apollo

Turn all to the best! These proclamations,

So forcing faults upon Hermione,

I little like.”

Then we cross to Leontes who has appointed himself as court, judge and jury over the trial of Hermione who is brought from gaol. The indictment us read out aloud and Hermione stands and answers her accusations, eloquently denying all of the charges and reasserting her integrity:

“Since what I am to say must be but that

Which contradicts my accusation and

The testimony on my part no other

But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me

To say 'not guilty:' mine integrity

Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,

Be so received. But thus: if powers divine

Behold our human actions, as they do,

I doubt not then but innocence shall make

False accusation blush and tyranny

Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know,

Who least will seem to do so, my past life

Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,

As I am now unhappy; which is more

Than history can pattern, though devised

And play'd to take spectators. For behold me

A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne a great king's daughter,

The mother to a hopeful prince, here standing

To prate and talk for life and honour 'fore

Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it

As I weigh grief, which I would spare: for honour,

'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that I stand for. I appeal

To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes

Came to your court, how I was in your grace,

How merited to be so; since he came,

With what encounter so uncurrent I

Have strain'd to appear thus: if one jot beyond

The bound of honour, or in act or will

That way inclining, harden'd be the hearts

Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin

Cry fie upon my grave!”

Leontes disregards her words and judges that she is guilty and pronounces sentence of death. Hermione laughs at this and declares that death would be a welcome relief.

Then Dion and Cleomenes arrive with the message from the Oracle at Delphi which is unsealed and revealed to state: "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.” For a moment, nearly all in the court are happy and relieved, but then the tide of contentment turns when leontes refuses to accept the Oracle’s judgment. Then a servant enters to announce the death of Hermione and Leontes’ son Mamillius. Leontes realizes his own wrongs and the injustice of his actions and sees the death of his son as Apollo’s punishment. Hermione swoons and leontes orders her to be seen to and taken out and he contemplates the wrongs of all his thoughts and actions:

“Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves

Do strike at my injustice…

[HERMIONE swoons]

Take her hence:

Her heart is but o'ercharged; she will recover:

I have too much believed mine own suspicion:

Beseech you, tenderly apply to her

Some remedies for life. [Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies, with HERMIONE]

Apollo, pardon

My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!

I'll reconcile me to Polixenes,

New woo my queen, recall the good Camillo,

Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy;

For, being transported by my jealousies

To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose

Camillo for the minister to poison

My friend Polixenes: which had been done,

But that the good mind of Camillo tardied

My swift command, though I with death and with

Reward did threaten and encourage him,

Not doing 't and being done: he, most humane

And fill'd with honour, to my kingly guest

Unclasp'd my practise, quit his fortunes here,

Which you knew great, and to the hazard

Of all encertainties himself commended,

No richer than his honour: how he glisters

Thorough my rust! and how his pity

Does my deeds make the blacker!”

Paulina re-enters and Leontes and the audience are told that Hermione too is dead and she throws angry accusation at Leontes who accepts blame for all. He orders Hermione and his son Mamillius  to be laid in the same grave and states that he will spend the rest of his life doing penance and asking for forgiveness.

“Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserved

All tongues to talk their bitterest…

Thou didst speak but well

When most the truth; which I receive much better

Than to be pitied of thee. Prithee, bring me

To the dead bodies of my queen and son:

One grave shall be for both: upon them shall

The causes of their death appear, unto

Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit

The chapel where they lie, and tears shed there

Shall be my recreation: so long as nature

Will bear up with this exercise, so long

I daily vow to use it. Come and lead me

Unto these sorrows.”

Meanwhile, oblivious to what has just happened in Sicilia, Antigonus has arrived on the desert shores of Bohemia (which seems like somewhere in Northern Africa) with the baby girl and he reveals to the audience a dream he had where he was visited by Hermione who tells him to call the baby Perdita and tells him that he will never see his homeland or wife again. Antigonus places the baby Perdita down with a note with her name and puts gold and jewels next to her for whoever finds her. As Antigonus goes to leave, a storm starts to rise up, a bear appears and Antigonus is force to “[Exit, pursued by a bear].

A Shepherd then enters the stage and discovers the baby. The Shepherd’s son, a Clown joins him. The Clown describes how he just saw a man killed by a bear and a ship sunk by the storm. The Shepherd sees these acts as “Heavy matters” and tells his son about the baby he found and then they discover the riches left with the baby and decide that fortune has shone on them and they declare they will raise the child.

“Heavy matters! heavy matters! but look thee here,

boy. Now bless thyself: thou mettest with things

dying, I with things newborn. Here's a sight for

thee; look thee, a bearing-cloth for a squire's

child! look thee here; take up, take up, boy;

open't. So, let's see: it was told me I should be

rich by the fairies. This is some changeling:

open't.

… This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove so: up

with't, keep it close: home, home, the next way.

We are lucky, boy; and to be so still requires

nothing but secrecy. Let my sheep go: come, good

boy, the next way home.

… 'Tis a lucky day, boy, and we'll do good deeds on't.”