THE WINTER'S TALE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE // ANIMATED SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

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The King of Sicily, Leontes, and the King of Bohemia, Polixenes, were the best of friends. They were childhood friends that had grown to manhood together and only separated when it became time for them to each rule their own kingdoms. When they had grown older and each had sons, Polixenes came to join Leontes in Sicily.
Leontes was a jealous man though and soon became convinced that his wife, Hermione, loved Polixenes more than him, so he told one of his servants, Camillo, to poison Polixenes. Camillo knew, though, that the king was mad and instead left with Polixenes to return to Bohemia and serve him instead of Leontes.
Leontes, mad with rage, imprisoned Queen Hermione and as a consequence, his son died of heartbreak from seeing his mother treated so cruelly by his father. While the queen was imprisoned she had another child, a daughter, and her friend Paulina brought the baby before Leontes to convince him to release the Queen. Instead, the King commanded Paulina's husband, against his will, to take the baby and leave it for dead in a desolate location.
The Queen was then tried for treason for loving Polixenes, even though she had never loved anyone but Leontes. Leontes sent a messenger to the god Apollo to ask if Leontes was right, that Hermione had betrayed him. The messenger returned in the middle of the trial and told everyone that Hermione was innocent of Leontes' accusations, that Polixenes had never betrayed Leontes, and Camillo was an honorable man. He said that Leontes was a tyrant and that he would never have an heir as long as his missing child wasn’t found.
It was at this time that another messenger came to tell the court that the King’s son was dead, which caused Queen Hermione to faint. Pauline was ordered to take the Queen away and tend to her health, but she returned shortly afterward to inform King Leontes that his wife was dead. Leontes then knew that he had been wrong all along and live for years in prayer and despair.
Meanwhile, his daughter was left on the shores of Bohemia and happened to be found by a passing Shepherd. Nobody knew where the baby had been left because Paulina's husband was killed by a bear on his way back to court. The Shepherd took the baby, with a note explaining her name and fine courtly clothes, back to his home to raise her as his own. In the note, he found that her name was Perdita and that she was of noble birth.
Perdita grew to be a beautiful girl with grace and charm impossible to find in a peasant girl. The Prince of Bohemia, Florizel, was the son of Polixenes and discovered Perdita while hunting near the Shepherd’s home. He continued to come to the Shepherd’s home under the pretense of befriending them as a private gentleman so that he could continue seeing Perdita.
Polixenes was confused about where his son left to go every day and so decided to follow him in disguise, together with Camillo. The King Polixenes was surprised to find that Perdita was far more charming and mannered than any peasant girl should be and found that his son, Florizel, was deeply in love with her.
Florizel called the two strange men over to witness his betrothal to Perdita, not knowing that it was his father and his trusted friend, but when they arrived, the King revealed himself and forbade their marriage. Camillo, however, remained behind and attempted to befriend the two. He knew that Leontes had long ago repented from his mad ways and suggested that the two of them elope to Sicily. So, together with the Shepherd, the two left for Sicily and took Perdita’s baby things with them.
Leontes was polite and hospitable, but he was immediately taken with Perdita and couldn’t believe how similar she looked to his late Queen Hermione. He remarked that his daughter would have looked just like her if he hadn’t sent her away. The Shepherd, hearing this, presented the letter and baby things that Perdita was found with and the King became convinced that she was indeed his long-lost daughter. He joyfully welcomed her home and rewarded the Shepherd for taking care of her and returning her to him.
Polixenes soon arrived, having rushed to Sicily to prevent their impending marriage, but he found the match acceptable when he discovered that she was the daughter of his friend. Leontes, however, soon fell to despair as he lamented the loss of his wife at his own hands. Paulina, seeing this, remarked that she had kept a statue of Queen Hermione in her home so that she might remember her and offered for the King Leontes to come and see it.

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