Winter's Tale Act 3 Scene 2

In class we were only able to watch of act 3 scene 2, but that was enough to spark my interest to the skilled use of interpretations different than I’d imagined myself. I was immediately interested in the depiction of Leontes at Hermione’s trial, instead of being impassioned about his opening to the trial, as I’d imagined, he seemed either to morose or to senile to even be able to remember his opening speech. Instead, it was written on a piece of paper which he produce and read a in a monotone voice with no emotion what so ever. Leontes’ Speech:

“This sessions, to our great grief we pronounce,
Even pushes 'gainst our heart: the party tried
The daughter of a king, our wife, and one
Of us too much beloved. Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, since we so openly
Proceed in justice, which shall have due course,
Even to the guilt or the purgation.
Produce the prisoner.”

You would think these words would be spoken with passionate remorse rather than read from a sheet of paper. I think the reading could even lead us to believe that Leontes was not even the original author of his speech. This interpretation of Leontes gives me the impression that he no longer cares for Hermione, which I believe he further proves by his condemnation of her even after higher authority has disproved him. It is ironic that in his speech he states there will be justice, “Even to the guilt or the purgation”, however when her purity is proven he goes back on this statement.

The way Hermione is depicted in this scene is also someone different than I’d imagined her at this point. She is brought into court in rags and shackles; she is also obviously quite sore, which leads us to believe she has just had the baby. Her hair is frazzled, and she looks about as far as royalty as she could get. I think this interpretation immediately leads us to sympathize with her, and further turns us against the obvious callousness of Leontes. Also quite opposite of her husband, Hermione’s speech is passionate and obviously sincere. She pleaded that she was “not guilty”; her reasoning and appeals were clearly found moving by the rest of the court, but not Leontes. We see her misery most clearly after profession of innocence when Leontes still threatens her life, and she says she wishes for death. “Sir, spare your threats:/ The bug which you would fright me with I seek./ To me can life be no commodity:”

After Hermione’s death we see Paulina’s character spring to life. Her closeness to Hermione is clear in grief and rage upon her death. She seems so out of it that she assaults the king, throwing him to the ground, despite our conceived assumptions of protocol in court. She says what the audience has been thinking about Leontes’ behavior all along, “Thy tyranny/ Together working with thy jealousies,/ Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle/ For girls of nine, O, think what they have done/ And then run mad indeed, stark mad!”. She is portrayed as strong and brash, unafraid to speak her mind even to the king, who is obviously in the wrong.