Romance Between Leontes And Hermione example essay topic
372 words
Romance and Tragedy in The Winter's Tale Five works Cited In The Winter's Tale, the line between romance and tragedy runs thin and almost blends together. The romantic ending would not be possible without the tragic beginning. For example, how could the romance between Leontes and Hermione take place in the end without the almost tragic mistake that Leontes makes in the first three acts of the play? Specific characters are responsible for the way the play turns out, with or without the help of the Fates. Paulina, for example, understands her role and mission as Hermione's friend, and uses her manipulative abilities to influence Leontes. Her faith in the oracle and her vision of the romantic possibilities fuels this responsibility. Perdita's return to Sicilia and her original family may have been influenced by lucky coincidence, yet the shepherd takes on the responsibility of ensuring Perdita's survival. In addition, the unexpected kindness of Autolycus is also responsible for the happy ending. Furthermore, Hermione's representation as a woman of strength... The Characters of Hermione, Perdita, and Paulina in The Winters Tale Although Hermione is one of the main characters, we see very little of her in the play. She is horribly betrayed by her husband, but we never really see her feelings on the subject.
In many other plays, Shakespeare uses asides and soliloquies to give insight into the characters mind. Hermione must be having complex and very troubling thoughts, but we never see them. Hermione is in Act I Scene ii where she plays the perfect royal hostess. In Act I Scene, she is accused of adultery with Polixenes by Leontes and taken to prison. She is not seen agian until Act Scene ii, where she stands trial for her treason. Immediately after this scene, she dies, or appears to die, offstage.
The audience is given no indication that she is still alive until Act V Scene, where the statue becomes flesh. Hermione is portrayed as an innocent victim throughout the play. When her husband fist becomes jealous, she is puzzled by his behavior and wonders if affairs of state are bothering him.
