Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter Leontes. LEONTES
Nor night nor day no rest. It is but weakness
To bear the matter thus, mere weakness. If
The cause were not in being—part o’ th’ cause,
She th’ adult’ress, for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank 5
And level of my brain, plot-proof. But she
I can hook to me. Say that she were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest
Might come to me again.—Who’s there? | Back at the Sicilian palace, Leontes paces around muttering about how his “adultress” wife should be burned at the stake. |
Enter a Servant. SERVANT My lord. 10 LEONTES How does the boy? SERVANT He took good rest tonight. ’Tis hoped
His sickness is discharged. LEONTES To see his nobleness,
Conceiving the dishonor of his mother. 15
He straight declined, drooped, took it deeply,
Fastened and fixed the shame on ’t in himself,
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,
And downright languished. Leave me solely. Go,
See how he fares. Servant exits. 20
Fie, fie, no thought of him.
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me—in himself too mighty,
And in his parties, his alliance. Let him be
Until a time may serve. For present vengeance, 25
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
Laugh at me, make their pastime at my sorrow.
They should not laugh if I could reach them, nor
Shall she within my power. | A Servant enters with news of Mamillius, who has been pretty sick lately. The ever delusional Leontes suggests that Mamillius is ill because he’s so ashamed that his mom’s a floozy. Leontes sends his servant away to check on his son and mutters to himself about how Polixenes and Camillo are probably off somewhere laughing at him right now. |
Enter Paulina, carrying the baby, with Servants,
Antigonus, and Lords. LORD You must not enter. 30 PAULINA
Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me.
Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas,
Than the Queen’s life? A gracious innocent soul,
More free than he is jealous. ANTIGONUS That’s enough. 35 SERVANT
Madam, he hath not slept tonight, commanded
None should come at him. PAULINA Not so hot, good sir.
I come to bring him sleep. ’Tis such as you
That creep like shadows by him and do sigh 40
At each his needless heavings, such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking. I
Do come with words as medicinal as true,
Honest as either, to purge him of that humor
That presses him from sleep. 45 | Paulina bursts through the door carrying Leontes's newborn daughter while a Servant and a Lord try to restrain her. Leontes has demanded total privacy (turns out he hasn’t been sleeping very well at night) but Paulina insists on showing Leontes proof that he’s been acting irrational and unjust. |
LEONTES What noise there, ho? PAULINA
No noise, my lord, but needful conference
About some gossips for your Highness. LEONTES How?—
Away with that audacious lady. Antigonus, 50
I charged thee that she should not come about me.
I knew she would. ANTIGONUS I told her so, my lord,
On your displeasure’s peril and on mine,
She should not visit you. 55 LEONTES What, canst not rule her? PAULINA
From all dishonesty he can. In this,
Unless he take the course that you have done—
Commit me for committing honor—trust it,
He shall not rule me. 60 | Leontes looks at Antigonus and asks him why he can’t “control” his wife, but Paulina isn’t having any of his nonsense. |
ANTIGONUS La you now, you hear.
When she will take the rein I let her run,
But she’ll not stumble. PAULINA Good my liege, I come—
And I beseech you hear me, who professes 65
Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
Your most obedient counselor, yet that dares
Less appear so in comforting your evils
Than such as most seem yours—I say I come
From your good queen. 70 LEONTES Good queen? PAULINA
Good queen, my lord, good queen, I say “good
queen,”
And would by combat make her good, so were I
A man, the worst about you. 75 LEONTES Force her hence. PAULINA
Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes
First hand me. On mine own accord I’ll off,
But first I’ll do my errand.—The good queen,
For she is good, hath brought you forth a 80
daughter—
Here ’tis—commends it to your blessing. She lays down the baby. | Paulina says she’s come to Leontes as his loyal servant to convince him of his “evils” against the queen, Hermione. Leontes tells Paulina to scram, but before the Servant can drag her away, Paulina whips out the baby and shows it to Leontes. |
LEONTES Out!
A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o’ door.
A most intelligencing bawd. 85 PAULINA Not so.
I am as ignorant in that as you
In so entitling me, and no less honest
Than you are mad—which is enough, I’ll warrant,
As this world goes, to pass for honest. 90 LEONTES Traitors,
Will you not push her out? To Antigonus. Give her
the bastard,
Thou dotard; thou art woman-tired, unroosted
By thy Dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard, 95
Take ’t up, I say. Give ’t to thy crone. | Leontes calls Paulina a “man-like witch” and accuses her of spying on him. Paulina, who seems to be the only one willing to stand up to Leontes, tells the king he’s bonkers. Leontes tells his Lords to get the “bastard” out of his sight and screams that Antigonus is hen-pecked by his wife (that’s an insult, in case you were wondering). |
PAULINA, to Antigonus Forever
Unvenerable be thy hands if thou
Tak’st up the Princess by that forced baseness
Which he has put upon ’t. 100 LEONTES He dreads his wife. PAULINA
So I would you did. Then ’twere past all doubt
You’d call your children yours. LEONTES A nest of traitors! ANTIGONUS
I am none, by this good light. 105 PAULINA Nor I, nor any
But one that’s here, and that’s himself. For he
The sacred honor of himself, his queen’s,
His hopeful son’s, his babe’s, betrays to slander,
Whose sting is sharper than the sword’s; and will 110
not—
For, as the case now stands, it is a curse
He cannot be compelled to ’t—once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten
As ever oak or stone was sound. 115 | While Leontes rants and raves, Paulina tells him off – she demands that Leontes acknowledge his child and his wife’s innocence. |
LEONTES A callet
Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her
husband
And now baits me! This brat is none of mine.
It is the issue of Polixenes. 120
Hence with it, and together with the dam
Commit them to the fire. PAULINA It is yours,
And, might we lay th’ old proverb to your charge,
So like you ’tis the worse.—Behold, my lords, 125
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father—eye, nose, lip,
The trick of ’s frown, his forehead, nay, the valley,
The pretty dimples of his chin and cheek, his
smiles, 130
The very mold and frame of hand, nail, finger.
And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it
So like to him that got it, if thou hast
The ordering of the mind too, ’mongst all colors
No yellow in ’t, lest she suspect, as he does, 135
Her children not her husband’s. | Leontes calls Paulina a “callat” (a shrew and/or a tramp) and some other obnoxious names, threatens to have her burned at the stake, and yells at Antigonus for not being able to keep his wife in line. Paulina points out how much the baby girl looks like Leontes and says she doesn’t care what Leontes does to her – he needs to take care of his baby and his baby’s mama. |
LEONTES A gross hag!—
And, losel, thou art worthy to be hanged
That wilt not stay her tongue. ANTIGONUS Hang all the husbands 140
That cannot do that feat, you’ll leave yourself
Hardly one subject. LEONTES Once more, take her hence. PAULINA
A most unworthy and unnatural lord
Can do no more. 145 LEONTES I’ll ha’ thee burnt. PAULINA I care not.
It is an heretic that makes the fire,
Not she which burns in ’t. I’ll not call you tyrant;
But this most cruel usage of your queen, 150
Not able to produce more accusation
Than your own weak-hinged fancy, something
savors
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, scandalous to the world. 155 LEONTES, to Antigonus On your allegiance,
Out of the chamber with her! Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? She durst not call me so
If she did know me one. Away with her! PAULINA, to Lords
I pray you do not push me; I’ll be gone.— 160
Look to your babe, my lord; ’tis yours. Jove send her
A better guiding spirit.—What needs these hands?
You that are thus so tender o’er his follies
Will never do him good, not one of you.
So, so. Farewell, we are gone. She exits. 165 LEONTES, to Antigonus
Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.
My child? Away with ’t! Even thou, that hast
A heart so tender o’er it, take it hence,
And see it instantly consumed with fire.
Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight. 170
Within this hour bring me word ’tis done,
And by good testimony, or I’ll seize thy life,
With what thou else call’st thine. If thou refuse
And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so.
The bastard brains with these my proper hands 175
Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire,
For thou sett’st on thy wife. | Leontes orders Antigonus to get rid of the kid, or else. Then Leontes
gets all Lady Macbeth on us and threatens to “dash out” the kid’s
“brains” with his own hands if Antigonus doesn’t obey him. |
ANTIGONUS I did not, sir.
These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
Can clear me in ’t. 180 LORDS We can, my royal liege.
He is not guilty of her coming hither. LEONTES You’re liars all. LORD
Beseech your Highness, give us better credit.
We have always truly served you, and beseech 185
So to esteem of us. And on our knees we beg,
As recompense of our dear services
Past and to come, that you do change this purpose,
Which being so horrible, so bloody, must
Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel. 190 LEONTES
I am a feather for each wind that blows.
Shall I live on to see this bastard kneel
And call me father? Better burn it now
Than curse it then. But be it; let it live.
It shall not neither. To Antigonus. You, sir, come 195
you hither,
You that have been so tenderly officious
With Lady Margery, your midwife there,
To save this bastard’s life—for ’tis a bastard,
So sure as this beard’s gray. What will you 200
adventure
To save this brat’s life? ANTIGONUS Anything, my lord,
That my ability may undergo
And nobleness impose. At least thus much: 205
I’ll pawn the little blood which I have left
To save the innocent. Anything possible. LEONTES
It shall be possible. Swear by this sword
Thou wilt perform my bidding. ANTIGONUS, his hand on the hilt I will, my lord. 210 LEONTES
Mark, and perform it, seest thou; for the fail
Of any point in ’t shall not only be
Death to thyself but to thy lewd-tongued wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry 215
This female bastard hence, and that thou bear it
To some remote and desert place quite out
Of our dominions, and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to it own protection
And favor of the climate. As by strange fortune 220
It came to us, I do in justice charge thee,
On thy soul’s peril and thy body’s torture,
That thou commend it strangely to some place
Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up. | After screaming at the servants, Leontes decides he wants Antigonus to
take the little “bastard” out to the middle of nowhere and abandon it to
the harsh elements. If someone comes along and saves it, fine.
Otherwise, too bad. |
ANTIGONUS
I swear to do this, though a present death 225
Had been more merciful.—Come on, poor babe.
He picks up the baby.
Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say,
Casting their savageness aside, have done
Like offices of pity. To Leontes. Sir, be prosperous 230
In more than this deed does require.—And blessing
Against this cruelty fight on thy side,
Poor thing, condemned to loss. He exits, carrying the baby. LEONTES No, I’ll not rear
Another’s issue. 235 | Antigonus agrees to take the baby for a little ride and says he really hopes a bird or a bear will decide to nurse it and raise it as its own. (We know you’re probably snickering at Antigonus right now but this kind of stuff happens all the time in fairy tales, which is kind of what The Winter’s Tale is. Check out “Genre” for more on this.) |
Enter a Servant. SERVANT Please your Highness, posts
From those you sent to th’ oracle are come
An hour since. Cleomenes and Dion,
Being well arrived from Delphos, are both landed,
Hasting to th’ court. 240 LORD, to Leontes So please you, sir, their speed
Hath been beyond account. LEONTES Twenty-three days
They have been absent. ’Tis good speed, foretells
The great Apollo suddenly will have 245
The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords.
Summon a session, that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady; for, as she hath
Been publicly accused, so shall she have
A just and open trial. While she lives, 250
My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me,
And think upon my bidding. They exit. | Antigonus leaves with the baby and a Servant enters with news that
Cleomenes and Dion have returned from their trip to see the Oracle in
“Delphos.” (Remember, Leontes sent some guys to visit the Oracle to
verify Hermione’s guilt or innocence.) |