SYNOPSIS

By J. ELLIS BURDICK

ACT I

Polixenes, king of Bohemia, wishes to terminate his visit to his old school friend Leontes, king of Sicily, but he is prevailed upon to stay longer when Hermione, Sicily's queen, adds her entreaties to her lord's. This incident arouses Leontes to an insane jealousy concerning the honor of his wife and his friend. Camillo, one of his courtiers, promises to prepare a poisoned drink and give it to Polixenes, but instead of fulfilling his agreement, he tells the Bohemian king of his danger and flees with him to Bohemia.

ACT II

Leontes, when he knows of Polixenes' flight, believes his suspicions to be well founded. He imprisons Hermione in a dungeon, where after a short time she gives birth to a daughter. The child is carried to its father by Paulina, a lady of the court. The king disavows the babe and orders Antigonus, Paulina's husband, to carry it to some remote and desert place, quite out of his dominions, there to leave it "without more mercy, to its own protection and favor of the climate."

ACT III

Hermione is brought to trial. She is proved innocent by the words of the Delphic oracle:-"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

found." Leontes declares there is no truth in the oracle and orders the sessions to proceed. But while he is speaking a servant rushes in and announces the death of his only son. Hermione faints at this news, and the king, repentant now and believing the oracle, orders her to be taken → hence and tenderly cared for. In a few moments Paulina reënters and announces the queen's death. The unhappy Leontes resolves to do the daily penance of visiting the chapel where lie the bodies of his wife and son. In the meantime, Antigonus comes to the coast of Bohemia with the babe, who has been named Perdita because she is counted as lost forever. As he leaves the child, he is pursued, caught, and devoured by a bear. Perdita is rescued by a shepherd, who brings her up as his own child.

ACT IV

Sixteen years pass by. Perdita has grown to be a lovely maid and is secretly courted by Florizel, son of Polixenes. The latter, accompanied by Camillo and both of them in disguise, go to the shepherd's house to spy on the prince. They arrive just as the young people are about to conclude a marriage contract. The king is very angry and the lovers decide to leave the country. Camillo secretly offers his services to them and assures them that they will be welcomed at the court of Sicily.

ACT V

Leontes does royally welcome the prince and his bride, and in the latter he perceives a likeness to his dead queen. The old shepherd, having come to Sicily also, now produces the clothes and the remaining jewels (he had sold some to purchase flocks) which he had found with the babe. Perdita's identity is disclosed. The joy of Leontes and Polixenes, who had pursued the runaways, over the marriage of their children is very great. Furthermore, Paulina invites the court to view a life-like statue of the late queen. It is so perfect as to seem living. At last it moves

and embraces Leontes and he finds in his arms the wife he

had mourned as dead for so many years. Hermione tells him how she had lived with Paulina awaiting the time when the prophecy should be fulfilled and Perdita found again. As a reward for their services, Leontes marries Paulina to

Camillo.

THE WINTER'S TALE

ACT FIRST

SCENE I

Antechamber in Leontes' palace.

Enter Camillo and Archidamus.

Arch. If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia, on the like occasion whereon my services are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

Cam. I think, this coming summer, the King of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which he justly owes him.

'Arch. Wherein our entertainment shall shame us we will be justified in our loves; for in- 10 deed

Cam. Beseech you,

Arch. Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with such magnificence-in so rare-I know not what to say. We will give you sleepy drinks, that your senses, unintelligent of our insufficience,