The Winter’s Tale Act Two – “A sad tale’s best for winter…”

The Winter’s Tale Act Two – “A sad tale’s best for winter…”

There is a sense of the seasons underpinning ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and if Act One gave us the lead into winter then Act Two starts to bring us into the depths of the winter of the play for as mentioned in Act Two of the play, “A sad tale’s best for winter.”

Act Two of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ starts with Hermione beckoning her son Mamillius, to sit with her and tell a story. Then Leontes enters in a rage at Polixenes having escaped and Camillo having helped him. He orders his men to take Mamillius away from Hermione and then turns on Hermione and accuses her of being an adulteress and claiming that the child in her womb is Polixenes’ child:

“You, my lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about

To say 'she is a goodly lady,' and

The justice of your bearts will thereto add

'Tis pity she's not honest, honourable:'

Praise her but for this her without-door form,

Which on my faith deserves high speech, and straight

The shrug, the hum or ha, these petty brands

That calumny doth use--O, I am out--

That mercy does, for calumny will sear

Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums and ha's,

When you have said 'she's goodly,' come between

Ere you can say 'she's honest:' but be 't known,

From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,

She's an adulteress…

You have mistook, my lady,

Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing!

Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,

Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,

Should a like language use to all degrees

And mannerly distinguishment leave out

Betwixt the prince and beggar: I have said

She's an adulteress; I have said with whom:

More, she's a traitor and Camillo is

A federary with her, and one that knows

What she should shame to know herself

But with her most vile principal, that she's

A bed-swerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'st titles, ay, and privy

To this their late escape.”

Hermione is shocked and denies all these accusations.

“Should a villain say so,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,

He were as much more villain: you, my lord,

Do but mistake….

No, by my life.

Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,

When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that

You thus have publish'd me! Gentle my lord,

You scarce can right me throughly then to say

You did mistake…

There's some ill planet reigns:

I must be patient till the heavens look

With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,

I am not prone to weeping, as our sex

Commonly are; the want of which vain dew

Perchance shall dry your pities: but I have

That honourable grief lodged here which burns

Worse than tears drown: beseech you all, my lords,

With thoughts so qualified as your charities

Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so

The king's will be perform'd!”

Hermione is taken away to gaol and Leontes’ lords and Hermione’s ladies in waiting plead with Leontes and claim that he he wrong about Hermione. Leontes disregards all their pleas. Antigonus staunchly defends Hermione but Leontes will not listen. As some concession, Leontes does say that he will ask Apollo’s oracle at Delphi to confirm all before he passes final judgment on Hermione.

Paulina, the wife of Antigonus tries to see Hermione in gaol but is instead only allowed to see Emilia, one of the queen’s ladies. Emilia brings the news that Hermione has given birth to a baby girl. Paulina decides to take the child from the cell and bring it to Leontes. She thinks that Leontes will change his mind when he sees his baby daughter.

At the beginning of the next scene, we hear that Mamillius, Hermione and Leontes' son has been taken ill since his mother Hermione was sent to prison by his father Leontes. Leontes thinks that Mamillius is merely ashamed of his mother. Leontes proceeds to rail against Polixene's escape. Paulina enters and tries to show Leontes his baby daugter but Leontes grows furious and asks Antigonus to control his wife. Paulina argues with Leontes defending Hermione, instead of falling silent, argues with Leontes, defending Hermione's honor and finally puts down the baby next to Leontes as she goes. Leontes then orders Antigonus to take the child away and to kill it by throwing it into a fire. The noble lords are horrified by this and they ask Leontes to seek confirmation of his wife's infidelity. Leontes then decides that Antigonus should  carry the baby child into the wilderness and abondon it there. Antigonus is devasted as he takes the child and then word arrives that his messengers to the Oracle of Delphi have returned, bringing with them the divine verdict on the matter.

“Twenty-three days

They have been absent: 'tis good speed; foretells

The great Apollo suddenly will have

The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords;

Summon a session, that we may arraign

Our most disloyal lady, for, as she hath

Been publicly accused, so shall she have

A just and open trial. While she lives

My heart will be a burthen to me. Leave me,

And think upon my bidding.”