Act IV reminds me of previous plays we’ve read as it brings the heavy use of disguise and unknown identity. We see Perdita, whom nobody knows is actually a princess; Florizel, who hides the fact that he’s a prince and is going by “Doricles”; Autolycus in multiple disguises; and Polixenes, in disguise so no one see’s he’s the king.
Florizel as Doricles reminds me of The Taming of The Shrew, where Lucentio disguises himself as Cambio to gain access to Bianca. Also, Polixenes in disguise reminds me of Henry V, where Henry disguises himself in order to find out what people really think of him.
The use of disguise doesn’t seem to bring about much disaster here; it is the “Spring” (read: happier) part of the play after all. However, I wonder about whether it’s right for Florizel and Polixenes to be in disguises. There seems to be a recurring theme in Shakespeare of kings and noblemen disguising themselves as “lesser” men – and like we brought up in Henry V, is that really moral? And how do we judge its morality – if disguise is a means to a good end (as is what happens to Florizel), is it still moral, or is the very act of disguise – of leaders taking a peek on society without its knowing – immoral?
Good observations; there’s lots more to say about the way dressing up and dressing down reflect on the revelations about class and social status that become so prominent in the last acts of the play.
Act IV of The Winter’s Tale defiantly reminds me a lot about The Taming of The Shrew. The theme of concealment and disguise plays a big role in the forth act of The Winter’s Tale. In her small soliloquy, we see how uncomfortable Perdita is in her clothes, she says,
Now Jove afford you cause!
To me the difference forges dread; your greatness
Hath not been used to fear. Even now I tremble
To think your father, by some accident,
Should pass this way as you did: O, the Fates!
How would he look, to see his work so noble
Vilely bound up? What would he say? Or how
Should I, in these my borrow’d flaunts, behold
The sternness of his presence? (4.4 17-23)
Perdita recognizes that it is wrong to be in costume, to be “fixed” up. She understands that this is not who she really is. In some ways, when I think of Perdita I think of Kate from The Taming of The Shrew. Both, women feel uncomfortable in the concealment they have been put in. However, this sense of concealment brings out something deeper. Throughout the end of act IV, we really see who Perdita is, she is in love with Florizel, and is very connected to nature and her surroundings. Similar to Perdita, Kate too, has changed after her concealment. She is aware of what’s important and is true to her feelings for Petruchio. I begin to see how clothing is just a means of showing your social class; it has nothing to do with who you truly are.