The Winter’s Tale Rebirth and Regeneration Warm life, As now it coldly stands (V, iii, 35-6)

Pregnancy Regal breeding is vital to the play – the play opens with a discussion of the qualities of Mamillius The word “issue” is used throughout the play meaning children and result, e.g. “something rare Even then will rush to knowledge…And gracious be the issue!” (III,I,20-22) Dion at the oracle Paulina believes that the sight of his new-born child will cure Leontes of jealousy Leontes obsesses over his “bastard” children In the last act Cleomenes and Dion are concerned about “his highness’ fail of issue” Paulina reassures Dion: “Care nor for issue The crown will find an heir” ( )

Birth Birth is “the play’s central miracle” (C Neely) Paulina: “The child was prisoner to the womb…” ( ) The new and fresh blows away the problems of the old, as Florizel says of Perdita: “What you do Still betters what is done” The Shepherd’s prose helps transform the mood of the poem when he says: “Thou met’st with things dying, I with things new born” (3,3, ) Reproduction by three women – Paulina, Hermione, Perdita – repair the damage of two men (Kermode) How does each reproduce?

Childhood Leontes and Polixenes depict childhood idealistically: They are too close and both want to hold on to childhood: “we were as twinned lambs” They see adulthood as tainted by original sin: Hermione says they have “tripp’d since” Perdita and Florizel are youthful and F in particular is optimistic: “Apprehend nothing but jollity” They are introduced in spring and P talks of “Daffodils that take the winds of March with beauty”

Paulina “I do come with words as medicinal as true Honest as either” (2.3.35) Points out the baby’s likeness to L – eye, nose, lip…( ) Leontes uses word “bastard” 8 times “Shall I live on to see this bastard kneel And call me father?” ( )

Justice Leontes: “Let us be cleared Of being tyrannous, since we so openly Proceed in justice” Hermione defends herself with dignity: “If powers divine Behold our human actions…” Leontes has angered the gods: “Apollo pardon my great profaneness” Paulina criticises Leontes “Run mad indeed, stark mad” ( ) “Do not repent these things, for they are heavier than all thy woes can stir” ( )

Time Makes aware that Time brings in “freshest things” But can also “make stale the glistering of this present” ( )

Peer Word used a lot – look and heir “Flora/Peering in April’s front” ( )

Flowers Florizel dresses Perdita up as Flora and she gives flowers to her guests: rosemary, rue, daffodils, violets, ‘pale primroses’…( ) Perdita calls carnations “Nature’s bastards” Polixenes says cross-breeding is “an Art which does mend Nature” ( ) Elizabethans loved discussing the relationship between Art and Nature and this is a debate about producing something new

Perdita Leontes thinks she is a ‘goddess’ There is not great proof of her identity – love must have trust and Leontes finally learns this Her beauty speaks of her royal blood

Last Scene Leontes’ gaze seems to bring Hermione to life bit by bit: “Would you not deem it breathed, and that those veins Did verily bear blood” (5.3) Paulina directs things “music awake her, strike!” Something cold as ‘stone’ has warmth and life And with this Leontes’ happiness and kingdom is again secure and his thoughts turn to his daughter: gods, look down, And from your sacred vials pour your graces Upon my daughter’s head

Conclusion The play is truly a ‘Winter’s Tale’ It promises of rebirth and warmth returning to a deathly, cold kingdom: