The Winter's Tale Annotated
- ISBN-10
- ISBN-13
- 9798639328213
- Series
- The Winter's Tale Annotated
- Pages
- 175
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2020-04-21
- Authors
- William Shakespeare, ANNOTATED
Description
Archidamus, a lord of Bohemia, and Camillo, a lord of Sicilia, talk about their respective countries. Archidamus says that if Camillo were to visit Bohemia he would discover great differences between their countries. Camillo replies that he thinks that his king, Leontes, is planning a trip to Bohemia in the summer. Abashed by how little Bohemia has to offer in comparison to Sicilia, Archidamus imagines himself serving drinks that would make the visitors so sleepy that they would not notice the barrenness of Bohemia. The lords also discuss the lifelong friendship of their two kings, as well as the virtues of the two young princes.Camillo then joins a group that is composed of the two kings, Leontes and Polixenes, Leontes' family, and some attendants. Polixenes, King of Bohemia, is thanking Leontes for his extended hospitality in Sicilia and insisting that he, Polixenes, must return to his country's responsibilities. When it is clear that Polixenes will not yield to Leontes' entreaties to stay for a longer visit, Leontes urges his wife, Hermione, to join the effort. Hermione succeeds in persuading Polixenes to stay.Leontes seems delighted that Hermione has convinced Polixenes to stay, but suddenly he reveals that he is jealous of Polixenes. Seeing that Leontes is upset, Hermione and Polixenes ask him what is wrong. Leontes, however, avoids a truthful answer by claiming that he is merely remembering when he was the age of his son. The two kings then compare their love for their sons.Leontes takes a walk with his son, Mamillius, thinking that this will set up Polixenes and Hermione for a compromising situation. Hermione, however, innocently discloses where she and Polixenes will be, and Leontes indulges in satiric swipes at her imagined infidelity. Then he sends Mamillius off to play, before asking for Camillo's assessment of the relationship between Hermione and Polixenes. Camillo's straightforward responses, however, are twisted by the jealous king, and Camillo protests: The imagined bawdiness which Leontes interprets from his wife's and Polixenes' actions is wrong.
