©JeannineNorth2012
The Winter’s
Tale
Act 1 Scene 2
©JeannineNorth2012
Lines 1 – 27
(‘Nine
changes…Farewell,
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.
©JeannineNorth2012
• 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.
©JeannineNorth2012
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?
©JeannineNorth2012
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 183205.
• 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!’
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• 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?
©JeannineNorth2012
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.
• 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?