The Winter's Tale
The play revolves around the story of King Leontes, who becomes paranoid and jealous of his wife Hermione's friendship with his best friend King Polixenes of Bohemia. Leontes accuses Hermione of being unfaithful and orders her imprisonment. When she gives birth to a daughter, Mamillius, he orders the baby to be abandoned. However, the oracle of Delphi reveals that Hermione is innocent and that Leontes' actions are punishment enough. Years later, Leontes' son Mamillius dies under mysterious circumstances, leading to a series of tragic events that ultimately lead to the restoration of Leontes' family and the reconciliation of his relationships with those he has wronged.
By William Shakespeare · First published 1611 · Genre: Drama, Romance, Tragedy · 15 chapters · 47,736 words
First lines
Antechamber in Leontes' palace.
Enter Camillo and Archidamus.
What this Textopian page supports
The Winter's Tale is listed on Textopian as a play by William Shakespeare, dated 1611 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: William Shakespeare
- Date: 1611 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Comedy, Pastoral
- Length: 47,736 words
- Structure: 15 chapters, 848 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Winter's Tale?
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- Where does Drama first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Henry Vi Part I by William Shakespeare
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Genres
- Drama — The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's plays, presenting characters in conflict and complex situations often leading to tragic consequences, common to the Drama genre.
- Romance — The play contains elements of romance including the relationship between Leontes and Hermione, Florizel and Perdita.
- Tragedy — The play contains elements of tragedy, with King Leontes' jealousy leading to a series of catastrophic events, including the death of his wife and son, a recurring element in the Tragic genre.
- Comedy — Despite its tragic elements, the play is also labeled as a comedy due to its humorous characters like Autolycus and a happy resolution which is typical in the Comedy genre.
Tags
romance · tragedy · fantasy · magic · illusion · reality · betrayal · jealousy · love · hate · power · ambition
Contents
- SCENE I
- SCENE I
- SCENE I
- SCENE I
- SCENE I
- SCENE II
- SCENE II
- SCENE II
- SCENE II
- SCENE II
- SCENE III
- SCENE III
- SCENE III
- SCENE III
- SCENE IV