Winter’s Tale
Act 3 Scene 1-3
Summary
(Scene 1) As the race against
time begins, Cleomanes and Dion witness a fascinating ceremony at the shrine on
the island of Delphi, where they visited the oracle. Their visit was to retrieve
the letter that would ensure the safety of the accused Hermione’s future at the
trial carried out by her ‘beloved’ husband, Leontes, king of Sicilia. (Scene 2)Meanwhile in Sicilia, where Leontes
proves to be as stubborn as a mule, Hermione, with much dignity and restraint,
defends her Chasity and expresses her complete disapproval of the accusations
placed on her by Leontes. Because of his ever-blazing fury and jealousy,
Leontes threatens and shames Hermione, but being as elegant as ever, Hermione
keeps her cool and counters him gracefully.
Suddenly Cleomanes and Dion returns with the good news
from the oracle; they hand the letter to one of the lords and he proceeds to
deliver the blessing of Hermione’s innocence.
"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"(III.ii.131-34)
Immediately after the message
was read, the court rejoiced in Hermione’s innocence, but Leontes claims the
word of the oracle to be false. Almost as if the messenger was waiting for the
right moment, he enters with news of mamillius’ passing due to the anxiety of
his mother’s fate. Leontes quickly realizes that the Gods have placed karma on
his shoulders to atone for his sins by killing his child as punishment; he then
fully realizes the damage and error of his tyrannical ways. Hermione, hearing
the news faints and is helped out of the room by Paulina and several others, to
which moments later, Paulina, with a lashing fury, returns to carry news of the
queen’s death; she then proceeds to condemn Leontes for his tyrannical jealousy.
After realizing what he had done, Leontes speaks of putting both loved ones in
the same grave and comments that he will grieve for the rest of his days.
(Scene 3) Antigonus, who arrives on the
shores of Bohemia, carries the infant daughter of Hermione to abandon her in
the woods, is told
by the sailor who he travelled with not to wonder far because of the wild beast
and threatening storm. He tells the baby of the dream he had with Hermione’s
appearance where she cried and named the baby Perdita, meaning “Lost One”. He
was then informed of his tragic end due to his involvement in abandoning the
child. He took that as a sign of Hermione’s death, and forced himself to
believe Leontes’ accusations to which he abandoned Perdita in the forest with a
bundle and a box. Suddenly leaving, he gets pursued by a bear.
To Perdita’s luck, a wandering shepherd,
who was complaining about young men and in search of two of his sheep, found
her. At the same time, his son comes sharing the witness of the sailor and
nobleman’s death. They find gold with the baby and assumed that fairies left
the infant in the woods. Before heading home, the son announces that he must
find the remains of Antigonus and bury him
