Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter Leontes, Lords, and Officers. LEONTES
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 cleared
Of being tyrannous, since we so openly 5
Proceed in justice, which shall have due course
Even to the guilt or the purgation.
Produce the prisoner. OFFICER
It is his Highness’ pleasure that the Queen
Appear in person here in court. 10 | Meanwhile, in a courtroom in Sicily, Leontes makes a big speech about
how he’s merely seeking “justice” by putting his wife on trial. |
Enter Hermione, as to her trial, Paulina, and Ladies. Silence! LEONTES Read the indictment. OFFICER reads Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes,
King of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned
of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, 15
King of Bohemia, and conspiring with Camillo
to take away the life of our sovereign lord the King, thy
royal husband; the pretense whereof being by circumstances
partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to
the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didst counsel 20
and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by
night. | Hermione enters the courtroom and an Officer reads an indictment –
Hermione is accused of adultery with Polixenes (which is treason against
King Leontes) and conspiring with Camillo to kill Leontes. |
HERMIONE
Since what I am to say must be but that
Which contradicts my accusation, and
The testimony on my part no other 25
But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me
To say “Not guilty.” Mine integrity,
Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,
Be so received. But thus: if powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do, 30
I doubt not then but innocence shall make
False accusation blush and tyranny
Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know,
Whom least will seem to do so, my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, 35
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, though devised
And played to take spectators. For behold me,
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe
A moiety of the throne, a great king’s daughter, 40
The mother to a hopeful prince, here standing
To prate and talk for life and honor fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief, which I would spare. For honor,
’Tis a derivative from me to mine, 45
And only that I stand for. I appeal
To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be so; since he came,
With what encounter so uncurrent I 50
Have strained t’ appear thus; if one jot beyond
The bound of honor, or in act or will
That way inclining, hardened be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near’st of kin
Cry fie upon my grave. 55 | Hermione stands up and delivers an eloquent and dignified speech about
how she knows that, even if she were to plead “not guilty,” Leontes
wouldn’t believe her. She’s hoping and praying, however, that divine
justice will prevail. She also pleads with Leontes to consider the fact
that she’s a queen, the daughter of a king, the mother of a prince, and
the loving wife Leontes used to love – before he went crazy with
irrational jealousy, that is. |
LEONTES I ne’er heard yet
That any of these bolder vices wanted
Less impudence to gainsay what they did
Than to perform it first. HERMIONE That’s true enough, 60
Though ’tis a saying, sir, not due to me. LEONTES
You will not own it. HERMIONE More than mistress of
Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not
At all acknowledge. For Polixenes, 65
With whom I am accused, I do confess
I loved him as in honor he required,
With such a kind of love as might become
A lady like me, with a love even such,
So and no other, as yourself commanded, 70
Which not to have done, I think, had been in me
Both disobedience and ingratitude
To you and toward your friend, whose love had
spoke,
Even since it could speak, from an infant, freely 75
That it was yours. Now, for conspiracy,
I know not how it tastes, though it be dished
For me to try how. All I know of it
Is that Camillo was an honest man;
And why he left your court, the gods themselves, 80
Wotting no more than I, are ignorant. LEONTES
You knew of his departure, as you know
What you have underta’en to do in ’s absence. HERMIONE Sir,
You speak a language that I understand not. 85
My life stands in the level of your dreams,
Which I’ll lay down. | Leontes is all “whatever” and Hermione points out that she did nothing
wrong when she was kind and loving toward Polixenes. As the wife of
Polixenes’ childhood friend, she was obligated to be sweet to him. In
fact, Leontes asked her to be nice to his friend. As for conspiring with Camillo, she doesn’t know anything about that. |
LEONTES Your actions are my dreams.
You had a bastard by Polixenes,
And I but dreamed it. As you were past all shame— 90
Those of your fact are so—so past all truth,
Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as
Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself,
No father owning it—which is indeed
More criminal in thee than it—so thou 95
Shalt feel our justice, in whose easiest passage
Look for no less than death. | Leontes says Hermione had a love child with Polixenes, so he’s had someone get rid of the “brat.” |
HERMIONE Sir, spare your threats.
The bug which you would fright me with I seek.
To me can life be no commodity. 100
The crown and comfort of my life, your favor,
I do give lost, for I do feel it gone,
But know not how it went. My second joy
And first fruits of my body, from his presence
I am barred like one infectious. My third comfort, 105
Starred most unluckily, is from my breast,
The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth,
Haled out to murder; myself on every post
Proclaimed a strumpet; with immodest hatred
The childbed privilege denied, which longs 110
To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i’ th’ open air, before
I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what blessings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore proceed. 115
But yet hear this (mistake me not: no life,
I prize it not a straw, but for mine honor,
Which I would free), if I shall be condemned
Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else
But what your jealousies awake, I tell you 120
’Tis rigor, and not law. Your Honors all,
I do refer me to the oracle.
Apollo be my judge. | Hermione points out the injustices she’s suffered: she’s lost her position as queen, she’s been rejected by her husband, she’s been barred from seeing her first-born child, Mamillius, and her second-born child has been taken away from her and is probably dead. Plus, Hermione wasn’t even allowed the “childbed privilege” (she wasn’t allowed to rest and recuperate in private after giving birth, which has left her physically weak). History Snack: Hermione is referring to what’s called a “lying in” period. A mother’s right to rest and recuperate in seclusion (only her closest women friends, relatives, and servants were allowed to hang out in her private chamber) after giving birth was a huge deal in Shakespeare’s England, so it totally stinks that Hermione was deprived of this important right. Then Hermione demands to hear what the Oracle had to say about the matter. |
LORD This your request
Is altogether just. Therefore bring forth, 125
And in Apollo’s name, his oracle. Officers exit. HERMIONE
The Emperor of Russia was my father.
O, that he were alive and here beholding
His daughter’s trial, that he did but see
The flatness of my misery, yet with eyes 130
Of pity, not revenge. Enter Cleomenes, Dion, with Officers. OFFICER, presenting a sword
You here shall swear upon this sword of justice
That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have
Been both at Delphos, and from thence have
brought 135
This sealed-up oracle, by the hand delivered
Of great Apollo’s priest, and that since then
You have not dared to break the holy seal
Nor read the secrets in ’t. CLEOMENES, DION All this we swear. 140 LEONTES Break up the seals and read. | Cleomenes and Dion (our happy tourists) enter the courtroom fresh from
their vacation in Delphos and deliver a sealed letter from the Oracle. |
OFFICER reads Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless,
Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant,
his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King shall
live without an heir if that which is lost be not 145
found. LORDS
Now blessèd be the great Apollo! HERMIONE Praised! LEONTES Hast thou read truth? OFFICER
Ay, my lord, even so as it is here set down. 150 LEONTES
There is no truth at all i’ th’ oracle.
The sessions shall proceed. This is mere falsehood. | The Officer reads the super-secret letter, which totally clears Hermione and Polixenes' names. The last part of the letter says that Leontes isn’t going to have an heir if the baby he threw away isn’t found, which means that Mamillius, who has been pretty sick, probably isn’t going to live much longer. Everybody except Leontes yells “blessed be the great Apollo!” Leontes proclaims the Oracle to be a big fat liar. |
Enter a Servant. SERVANT
My lord the King, the King! LEONTES What is the business? SERVANT
O sir, I shall be hated to report it. 155
The Prince your son, with mere conceit and fear
Of the Queen’s speed, is gone. LEONTES How? Gone? SERVANT Is dead. LEONTES
Apollo’s angry, and the heavens themselves 160
Do strike at my injustice. Hermione falls. How now there? PAULINA
This news is mortal to the Queen. Look down
And see what death is doing. | Then a servant runs into the courtroom and announces that Mamillius has died because he was so afraid something terrible would happen to his mother. Hermione falls to the ground. Leontes announces that Apollo’s angry because he doubted the Oracle and Paulina yells at Leontes that Hermione is dying. |
LEONTES Take her hence. 165
Her heart is but o’ercharged. She will recover.
I have too much believed mine own suspicion.
Beseech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life. Paulina exits with Officers carrying Hermione. Apollo, pardon 170
My great profaneness ’gainst thine oracle.
I’ll reconcile me to Polixenes,
New woo my queen, recall the good Camillo,
Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy;
For, being transported by my jealousies 175
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose
Camillo for the minister to poison
My friend Polixenes, which had been done
But that the good mind of Camillo tardied
My swift command, though I with death and with 180
Reward did threaten and encourage him,
Not doing it and being done. He, most humane
And filled with honor, to my kingly guest
Unclasped my practice, quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the hazard 185
Of all incertainties himself commended,
No richer than his honor. How he glisters
Through my rust, and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker! | Leontes orders someone to take the queen somewhere and try to revive her. Then Leontes prays to the god Apollo and begs forgiveness for doubting the Oracle and for unfairly accusing his wife and his friend of infidelity. |
Enter Paulina. PAULINA Woe the while! 190
O, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it,
Break too! LORD What fit is this, good lady? PAULINA, to Leontes
What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me?
What wheels, racks, fires? What flaying? Boiling 195
In leads or oils? What old or newer torture
Must I receive, whose every word deserves
To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny,
Together working with thy jealousies,
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle 200
For girls of nine, O, think what they have done,
And then run mad indeed, stark mad, for all
Thy bygone fooleries were but spices of it.
That thou betrayedst Polixenes, ’twas nothing;
That did but show thee of a fool, inconstant 205
And damnable ingrateful. Nor was ’t much
Thou wouldst have poisoned good Camillo’s honor,
To have him kill a king: poor trespasses,
More monstrous standing by, whereof I reckon
The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter 210
To be or none or little, though a devil
Would have shed water out of fire ere done ’t.
Nor is ’t directly laid to thee the death
Of the young prince, whose honorable thoughts,
Thoughts high for one so tender, cleft the heart 215
That could conceive a gross and foolish sire
Blemished his gracious dam. This is not, no,
Laid to thy answer. But the last—O lords,
When I have said, cry woe!—the Queen, the Queen,
The sweet’st, dear’st creature’s dead, and vengeance 220
for ’t
Not dropped down yet. | Paulina announces that someone should cut the laces on her bodice. Translation: Paulina’s on the verge of fainting because things are so awful – plus, it doesn’t help matters that her bodice is so tight that she can hardly breathe. Paulina catches her breath and lays into Leontes for being such a tyrant. She taunts him by saying that maybe he should torture her (by flaying her, boiling her, or putting her on the “rack”) like he’s tortured his innocent family. She calls him a fool for betraying Polixenes’ friendship, ruining Camillo’s honor, and causing Mamillius’s death. Then Paulina drops a bomb – she announces that Hermione has died. |
LORD The higher powers forbid! PAULINA
I say she’s dead. I’ll swear ’t. If word nor oath
Prevail not, go and see. If you can bring 225
Tincture or luster in her lip, her eye,
Heat outwardly or breath within, I’ll serve you
As I would do the gods.—But, O thou tyrant,
Do not repent these things, for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can stir. Therefore betake thee 230
To nothing but despair. A thousand knees
Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In storm perpetual, could not move the gods
To look that way thou wert. 235 | Paulina says she hopes Leontes never repents for his sins because she
wants him to spend the rest of his life in a state of despair. |
LEONTES Go on, go on.
Thou canst not speak too much. I have deserved
All tongues to talk their bitt’rest. LORD, to Paulina Say no more.
Howe’er the business goes, you have made fault 240
I’ th’ boldness of your speech. PAULINA I am sorry for ’t.
All faults I make, when I shall come to know them,
I do repent. Alas, I have showed too much
The rashness of a woman. He is touched 245
To th’ noble heart.—What’s gone and what’s past
help
Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction
At my petition. I beseech you, rather
Let me be punished, that have minded you 250
Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege,
Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman.
The love I bore your queen—lo, fool again!—
I’ll speak of her no more, nor of your children.
I’ll not remember you of my own lord, 255
Who is lost too. Take your patience to you,
And I’ll say nothing. | Leontes, who seems to recognize the implications of his jealousy and tyranny, announces that he deserves every single thing Paulina has to say. A Lord steps in and tries to get Paulina to pipe down. Paulina announces that she’s sorry for speaking so harshly to Leontes and asks forgiveness for being such a mouthy and “foolish” woman. (Paulina is probably being sarcastic here, but some actors and literary critics argue that she’s being sincere, so we’ll leave it to you to decide.) |
LEONTES Thou didst speak but well
When most the truth, which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Prithee, bring me 260
To the dead bodies of my queen and son.
One grave shall be for both. Upon them shall
The causes of their death appear, unto
Our shame perpetual. Once a day I’ll visit
The chapel where they lie, and tears shed there 265
Shall be my recreation. So long as nature
Will bear up with this exercise, so long
I daily vow to use it. Come, and lead me
To these sorrows. They exit. | Leontes says Paulina’s right to chastise him and he’s going to seek
repentance by visiting the dead bodies of his wife and son every day. |