ive intended primarily for entertainment, in verse or prose, and presented in
terms of chivalric life.” (1976:57)
According to Charles Frey, “the elemental story of journey and, sometimes of
return, forgiveness, and reconciliation are much stressed in Shakespeare’s
romances.” All these elements and more can be seen in the play in question.
John K. Hale states that “Romance is an elastic term containing motifs of travels,
wanderings, disguises, sea-journeys, sea storms, shipwrecks, poisons, oracles,
courts, separations and mistakes of identity.”
The play in question does include an undeniable amount of travel and adventure.
Antigonus in order to carry Leontes’ order, travels through sea to Bohemia to
abandon the newborn baby Perdita. The adventure and fleeing of Perdita with
Florizel to Sicilia. The voyage of the old shepherd, his son, Autolycus, Polixenes
and Camillo to Sicilia and the travel of Dion and Cleomenes to the Oracle all
emphasize the adventurous element of the Romance.
Romances have another central element that is of love. Lovers may face many
challenges and pass over obstacles in order to be with one they love. Such is the
case with Perdita and Florizel. In their relationship the obstacle is king Polixenes’
disapproval of the unusual match between a prince of noble rank and a lowly
daughter of a shepherd. But this obstacle is eventually tacked when it is revealed
that Perdita really is a princess and that she is Leontes’ daughter. The couple
unite after their challenges and so fulfilling a characteristic of Romance.
Another characteristic of a Romance is reunification. Leontes and Hermoine get
separated due to Leontes’ jealousy and they have to overcome a challenging
conflict-where the oracle must be fulfilled, Perdita must be found, Leontes’ must
fully repent over his unjust actions and the queen must truly forgive her husband-
before they can reunite again after sixteen years. Reunification also takes place
between king Leontes and Polixenes wher they both shed happy tears. Perdita is
reunited with her mother and father. Camillo is reunited with his former master,
Leontes.
Time is another characteristic of a Romance. According to John K. Hale, Romance
features “a plot that unfolds over much space and time, and includes fantastical
elements.” And true enough The Winter’s Tale does have a gap and leap of
sixteen years between its two parts “…that I slide/ O’er sixteen years…” (Act 4,
Scene 1). In the first part we are introduced to a Sicilian winter where Leontes
suspects his wife of adultery with his childhood friend Polixenes. In his fit of
jealousy he orders for Hermoine to be imprisoned. His calls his own daughter
Perdita a bastard and commands his lord to abandon her in some desolate place.
It gets too late for Leontes to realize his mistake as he because he already loses
his son (his heir) and his wife. A span of sixteen years pass before we come across
a Bohemian summer where life is good, where Perdita is brought up by an old
shepherd and is courted by a prince. Leontes spends these sixteen years
miserably in repentance.
This play also incorporates fantastical and supernatural elements. Time is
represented as a winged creature carrying an hourglass.
“Now take upon me, in the name of Time,
To use my wings. Impute it not a crime
To me or my swift passage…” (Act 4, Scene 1)
Another supernatural aspect of the play is when in the last scene in apparently
trying to bring Hermoine back from death to life, Paulina seems to be casting
spells upon the statue.
“Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach;
Strike all that look upon with marvel.” (Act 5, Scene 3)
Supernatural can also be depicted in Antigonus’ dream of Hermoine where she is
crying and shrieking. It is in this dream that Antigonus is told by Hermoine to
name the baby girl Perdita.
“... in pure white robes, / Like very sanctity, did approach/ My cabin where I lay;
thrice bow’d before me,” (Act 3, Scene 3)
The role of divine powers must not be ignored in a Romance. According to Charles
Frey, “All romances depict dramatic epiphanies when divine powers make
themselves manifest and creatures on this worldly plane are reminded of the
towering forces which intersect and influence their little linear lives.” In The
Winter’s Tale, Cleomenes and Dion are sent to Delphos to Apollos temple by
Leontes to bring all facts and truth from the oracle. Much of the play is influenced
by divine powers. The oracle proves to be true and only in fulfilling its conditions
do the characters come together.
“… Cleomenes and Dion, have
Been both to Delphos, and from thence have brought
The seal’d up oracle, by the hand deliver’d
Of great Apollos’ priest…” (Act 3, Scene 2)
The title of the play itself is a big implication of it being a Romance. The Winter’s
Tale is often called by critics an old housewives’ tale or a tale told sitting by the
fire on a dark winter night. The title elicits our imagination. It has a dreamy effect
on the reader. Shakespeare himself hints upon it in the following line of Mamillius
from the play, “A sad tale’s best for winter.”
One of the major characteristics of a Romance is that it appeals to the emotions,
feelings and sensitivity of the audience. Shakespeare does not fail to stir up the
emotions of his audience in this play. One watching or reading the play will
experience a rollercoaster of emotions. We feel indignation at Leontes’ unjust
behavior towards the innocent queen and his baby daughter. We as everyone
else in the play know that Hermoine has not committed adultery and the regard
she bears for Polixenes is only that of a friend for the sake of being courteous but
Leontes in his incredible jealousy violates all laws of nature by condemning his
queen and their newborn baby daughter saying things like “… I have said/ She’s
an adulteress; and I have with whom” (Act 2, Scene 1). Disregarding his wife’s
honor by saying “Away with her! To prison!” evokes the reader’s emotions of
indignation and anger. We feel relieved when the oracle proves Hermoine to be
innocent but then grief lashes upon us when the queen apparently dies and our
hearts break upon reading Paulina’s words, “…‘woe’ the queen, the queen’/ The
sweet’st, dear’st creature’s dead,” (Act 3, Scene 2). However, our anger at king
Leontes shifts towards sympathy at his words,
“… Once a day I’ll visit
The chapel where they lie, and tears shed there
Shall be my recreation” (Act 3, Scene 2)
Our feelings of pity are thus evoked as Leontes realizes his huge mistake, loses his
family, his heir, his peace and spends the next sixteen years in unending
repentance. Speaking of emotional characters, Antigonus’ emotional soliloquy
evoke and touch upon our tender feelings as he is extremely distressed to leave
the baby girl in the wilderness expressing in his words, “… Weep I cannot, / But
my heart bleeds and most accursed am I/ To be by oath enjoin’d to this.” (Act 3,
Scene 3). Talking about the emotional aspect of Romance, we also feel amused at
Autolycus’ tricks when he picks Clown’s pocket and robs him of his money while
pretending to have been beaten by someone. How he fools people at the sheep-
shearing festival by offering to sell ballads with unrealistic tales makes us snort
with laughter. The audience and the reader without any doubt feel joy when the
family reunites, the lost princess is found and the lovers and friends of the play
reunite. When Leontes and Polixenes come across each other they are both
reported to be shedding tears of joy. “There might you have beheld one/ joy
crown another, so and in such manner that it seemed sorrow wept to take leave
of them, / for their joy waded in tears.” (Act 5, Scene2)
