English shakespeare
English shakespeareThe Winter's Tale
In a court of Sicily, Lord Archidamus of Bohemia invites Lord Camillo of Sicilia to visit Bohemia when he can. They also speak how King Leontes' son Mamillius will someday be king. Next, the king of Bohemia, Polixenes, says goodbye to the king and queen of Sicilia, Leontes and Hermione, although they beg him to stay and enjoy himself more in Sicilia. Polixenes reminisces with Hermione how he and Leontes had been boyhood friends. Eventually, she convinces Polixenes to stay in Sicilia, making Leontes wonder why she could persuade Polixenes to stay, but he could not, leading Leontes to complain privately that his wife is flirting with Polixenes too much. Leontes tells Camillo of his suspicions that his wife is
unfaithful, though Camillo tries to change his mind. But, at length, Leontes seems to convince Camillo of Leontes' wife's unfaithfulness, though privately Camillo still believes Leontes is wrong. Camillo asks Leontes to forgive the queen by and by, but Leontes states he will not. Camillo then approaches Polixenes and warns him he (Camillo) is to kill him for flirting with Hermione. Camillo tells Polixenes he will help his friends and he flee the city, then serve under him, defecting from Leontes' court.
At the royal court, Hermione plays with Mamillius when Leontes enters, hearing that Camillo has left with Polixenes. Leontes wrongly determines that Camillo had been working for Polixenes for a long time, then accuses Hermione of being unfaithful and sends her to prison,although she publicly denies all. Antigonus and other lords try in vain to change Leontes' mind.
He tells them he has sent a messenger to the oracles Delphos and Apollo to confirm or deny his suspicions. At the prison, Antigonus' wife Paulina comes to visit Hermione, but the jailer only lets her see Hermione's lady Emilia. Emilia tells her the stress has caused Hermione to go into labor and have a baby girl. Paulina convinces Hermione to let her bring the baby to Leontes in
hopes of calming him. In Leontes' chamber, he muses how he can only take out his revenge on the queen, but not on Polixenes who is too far away. We also learn Prince Mamillius has fallen sick over depression for losing his mother. Paulina arrives and presents Leontes' daughter to him. Leontes denies the child, but Paulina yells at him and insists it is his baby and not Polixenes'. Yet, he still yells at her and then accuses Antigonus of setting his wife up to her
outbursts. Leontes then orders Antigonus to burn and kill the baby he calls a bastard. The lords convince him to let the baby live, but Leontes then orders Antigonus to abandon the child in a desert place and let it fiend for itself.
Cleomenes and Dion return from the oracle with an unknown scroll fro it. In a court of justice, Leontes acts as judge and juror over the charges against his...
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