Jeannine North 2012 The Winters Tale Act 1

©Jeannine. North 2012 The Winter’s Tale Act 1 Scene 2

©Jeannine. North 2012 Lines 1 – 27 (‘Nine changes…Farewel l, our brother. ’) • This is the bit where… • Leontes attempts to persuade Polixenes to stay a bit longer. Polixenes refuses. • Explore the change in rhythm at line 10. • What is significant about lines 19 -21?

Lines 27 – 86 (‘Tongue-tied… He’ll stay, my lord. ’) • This is the bit where… • Hermione attempts to persuade Polixenes to stay a bit longer. She succeeds. ©Jeannine. North 2012 • What is the significance of lines 39 -44? • ‘A lady’s ‘verily’’s/As potent as a lord’s’ (49 – 50). Is it? • What is ironic in l. 51? • Explore lines 66 -85.

©Jeannine. North 2012 Lines 86 – 107 (‘At my request…while a friend. ’) • This is the bit where… • Leontes reminds Hermione of her marriage vows, and they compare these ‘words’ (i. e. their marriage vows) to those she has just spoken to Polixenes. This is a bit weird. • Does Leontes believe in the affair at this point? If so, when, exactly? How do you know? • Do we experience pity and fear in this section? Why/not?

©Jeannine. North 2012 Lines 107 – 208 (‘Too hot, too hot!. . . thou’rt an honest man. ’) • This is the bit where… • Leontes’ becomes overtaken by a delusion of Hermione’s unfaithfulness. His language and behaviour reflect his growing ‘conviction’ of this notion. • Explore the imagery in 107 -119 and 183 -205. • What do you notice about Leontes’ speech in 119 -145? • What do 148, 168 -9 and 171 have in common ?

Lines 209 – 360 (‘Camillo …Here comes Bohemia. ’ • This is the bit where… • Leontes tells Camillo that Hermione is ‘slippery’ and orders him to poison Polixenes. Camillo refuses to believe Leontes’ assertions, yet says that he will obey Leontes’ commands. In a soliloquy, he reveals that he feels torn, and leaves the decision up to to fate: ‘Happy star reign now!’ ©Jeannine. North 2012 • Look at 209 -30. In what ways do Camillo’s words arouse ‘pity and fear’? • Based on 264 -329, what do you consider to be Leontes’ hamartia? • How does Camillo act as a foil here?

Lines 360 – 460 (‘This is strange … Come sir, away. ’) • This is the bit where… • Camillo tells Polixenes everything. He is not surprised but, on the contrary had guessed that something was up. Camillo agrees to help Polixenes flee Sicilia immediately. ©Jeannine. North 2012 • What impact would 360 -407 have on a live theatre audience? • Explore the imagery in 412 -426. • Do you consider the end of this scene to be part of the play’s peripeteia?