Let’s read Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale! Act I scene 2 is one of the longest in the play, containing a ton of story. The first part of it, though, sets the stage (heh) for everything that is to follow.

One of the many reasons Shakespeare’s plays have endured is because of their adaptability. After hundreds of years, actors and directors are still finding new takes in the material. The setup of this scene is simple, which means there’s a lot of wiggle room. Upon first read, it feels like flowery poetry for the sake of flowery poetry. But when we approach it from a character/emotional point of view, there’s multiple ways to tell this story.

King Leontes of Sicilia and King Polixenes of Bohemia are childhood friends, despite their two nations being far apart. Polixenes has been in Sicilia for a cordial visit. He wants to leave to check on things back home, while Leontes wants him to stay a bit longer. Leontes has his wife Hermoine do some convincing on his behalf. Upon seeing Hermoine and Polixenes heap praise on each other, Leontes develops a furious jealousy.

The question is whether Leontes’ jealousy is unfounded, or if there really is something romantic going on with Hermoine and Polixenes. It’s all open to interpretation. A turn of events in act III will reveal Hermoine innocent of any wrongdoing, but can we trust that information?

Further, Hermoine is going to have a baby in act II, and many productions will depict her as pregnant during this scene. This could serve as a connection between her and Leontes, making his jealousy all the more false and unhinged. But what if Polixenes is really the father? Wouldn’t that be a complication, and it can be depicted all through looks exchanged by characters, by their body language, or by emphasizing a key word here and there.

In her offer to get Polixenes to stay longer, Hermoine talks about being a host versus being a jailer. This might foreshadow her upcoming imprisonment. Polixenes then tells her stories of his and Leontes’ youth, how as boys they had freedom to do what they wanted and had little to know knowledge of good or evil. Can we interpret this as romantic toward Hermoine, with him saying their affair doesn’t have be right or wrong? Or is this more foreshadowing, with the two of them being blind as to how this interaction in front of Leontes will lead to their downfall?

Then there’s Leontes’ aside, where he reveals his jealousy. This is a lot. He says his wife and Polixenes are too “hot” and that they’re flaunting “entertainment” in front of everyone. He says their actions stir his heart, and not in a good way. This speech is a great opportunity for an actor to shed all the formal, stately kingliness and explode with real anger.

There’s a lot more ups and downs before the scene ends. We’ll get to that next time.

Next: Along came Camillo.

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