http://www.npr.org/2015/05/14/406470976/a-fortune-in-folios-one-man-s-hunt-for-shakespeare-s-first-editions

I find it very interesting, how Shakespeare leaves the final scene in a “Winters Tale”.  Instead of making it known whether Hermione was resurrected or if she had been faking her death for all these years, he leaves it up to the audience for interpretation.  I feel as though Hermione faked her death with the help of Paulina because she knew she had been wrongfully accused of adultery and refused to let the king win.  We discussed in class how Hermione was a strong woman, and at times even showed some pretty bad ass characteristics such as when she threatened Leontes at the end of the first act.  The fact that she was a strong, proud woman as well as the fact that no one actually saw her die except Paulina (death happened off stage), gives the audience enough hints to put together a theory that she’s been hiding under the radar for years now.  Another aspect that leads me to believe Hermione never really died is when Paulina had King Leontes promise to never marry again, maybe believing one day the two of them could reform their union after Leontes had grieved enough to their liking.  It is pretty cool the way the play comes to an end in that it started with two Kings and two kingdoms whom clearly had some competition with one another, both had concerns of who their heirs would be, Leontes had insecurity issues which ruined a friendship, and a marriage (all of these events taking place in “winter”).  As the play comes to an end we have the “resurrection of the Queen before her King, who knows he has done wrong and wants to make amends for his mistakes, we have Polixenes and Leontes coming together as friends once again, and the realization that Perdita is in fact Leonte’s and Hermione’s daughter who now can marry the love of her life, Florizel.  Now both kingdoms have the heirs they always wanted, the same heirs at that, and the King is reunited with his Queen.  What began with death, and drama in the winter season ends with rebirth, amends, and re- alliances in the spring time.

Hermonie supposedly died when she was accused of adultery with Polixenes. During her trial she fainted and was taken away than later confirmed dead by Paulina “I say she’s dead; I’ll swear ‘t” (3.2.201). In act five, scene three Leontes takes his daughter to see the statue of her dead mother at Paulina’s house. Leontes is distraught that Hermonie is dead and he feels that he has robbed the kingdom of their queen. He feels guilt for her death because he accused her of adultery with his friend Polixenes. Paulina shows Leontes the lifelike statue that seems as if it has aged sixteen years the way that Hermonie would have aged. He is amazed at how lifelike the statue is and wants to kiss it. Paulina stops him and tells him that the paint is not dry and that he would ruin it if he touched it. She than tells him that she can make the statue move and begins to play music and cast a spell to make the statue come to life. The statue of Hermonie than comes to life and hugs Leontes “She hangs about his neck; if she pertain to life, let her speak too” (5.3.113). I think that when Hermonie fainted and was taken away during her trial she and Paulina agreed to trick people into thinking she was dead. She did this because she was wrongfully accused of having an affair with Polixenes and wanted to teach her husband a lesson. She knew that Leontes was jealous and he had no other reason for accusing her “But what your jealousies awake, I tell you ‘Tis rigor, not law” (33.2.111). Leontes jealousy drove him to accuse his wife of adultery and even throw her in jail. I think that Paulina and Hermonie where in it together because of the way that Paulina supposedly tries to comfort Leontes about his dead wife. She tells Leontes that he killed the perfect woman and that he should not try to find another wife “To make the perfect woman, she you killed would be unparalleled” (5.1.15). I think that Hermonie planed to fake her own death because she felt betrayed because her king accused her of adultery only because he was jealous and wanted to make him realize that he was wrong.

Winter’s tale starts developing quickly, right out of the gate.  You are painted a picture of 2 Kings from 2 different types of kingdoms whom grew up best friends. Sicily which seems to be the more beautiful of the 2 with more entertainment and things to offer.  Bohemia sounds like it’s beautiful in its own right but with less entertainment and more love and hospitality.  Polixenes has been visiting his good friend Leontes for quite some time now, 9 months to be exact, but finally feels it is time for him to head back to his kingdom in Bohemia.  Polixenes makes it seem like he really needs to head home, which makes me wonder if there may be trouble back home, he’s homesick, or just wants to get back to his throne and ensure all is well.  Leontes attempts to get his friend to stay one week longer but fails terribly in his persuasion, which is where Hermione (Leonte’s pregnant wife) comes into play.  She has a much better use of language and has little to no trouble persuading Polixenes to stay for an additional week, which immediately makes Leontes feel uneasy and insecure.  He starts to put pieces together and forming his own theory of the relationship his Queen and his so called “best friend” may have.  He see’s the way they communicate, how Polixenes was easily swayed by Hermione, as well as the subtle yet possibly valuable piece of information that he’s been in Sicily 9 months and his ready to pop wife is ready to give birth any day now.  My initial thoughts are why is Leontes so insecure.  I understand Kings always must watch their own backs, game plan for any possible situation they could face, and be the most aware man in the room at all times but he went zero to one hundred so quick!  Not a half an hour goes by and he went from begging Polixenes to stay to deciding to have him poisoned.  That’s irrational if you ask me!  Since they’re best friends and seem to have competed against one another all their lives, I can’t help but wonder what they both look like.  Is Polixenes an extremely good looking King whom Leontes constantly compares himself to?  Does he worry about his performance in the bedroom with Hermione making him question if she would look for affection elsewhere?  With so little evidence I’m so curious as to why Leontes jumped to such extremes.  Is he crazy or just incredibly good at reading body language?  I couldn’t figure out for myself what I thought, until I continued reading and saw how he threw his own Queen in prison, and even wanted to burn his own daughter.  He took a theory with little to no evidence and ran with it, and at this moment of the play he sees only what he wants to see (didn’t see his physical qualities in his baby daughter).  After reading through Acts 1 and 2 I can’t wait to see if he is indeed crazy (which I believe more and more with each line I read), or if he was right all along.  It also will be interesting to see if Polixenes chooses to retaliate after learning of Leontes intentions for him, or when Hermione gets out of prison if she will keep true on her threat,”I never wish’d to see you sorry; now I trust I shall”.  A theory I could see taking place is Leontes is wrong and no adultery took place, however Polixenes and Hermione go after him, defeat him and do end up together in the end.  Would be rather ironic if this was the crazy kings fate.

This play opens up with two commoners laying down the groundwork for this play. Two Kingdoms and 2 Kings and their friendship with each other. At this point still unsure whether it’s a comedy or tragedy. Leontes and Polixenes shows up and Leontes is trying to convince Polixenes to stay a while longer. Polixenes refuses but is persuade through Leontes’s wife Hermoine words. This is where the main plot is introduced, Leontes is a jealous man that thinks his wife and Polixenes are having an affair. Now this is rather interesting, for one it seems like Leontes jealously was already present before the play actually started. We are given no real explanation of why Leo believed himself a cuckold but instead Leo begins a tirade and assasination of his wife’s character. He even compares her to a horse, My wife’s a hobby-horse, deserves a name
As rank as any flax-wench that puts to, Before her troth-plight: say’t and justify’t. when trying to justify himself to his servant Camillo. Leontes repeated notions of himself being betrayed and his confidence in his wife infidelity is bizarre, like Iago in Othello, he seems to spout accusations for the justification of his own actions. So sure in this matter, he even commands his sevant Camillo to poison his good friend Polixeness. Thankfully Camillo seems to actually have some semblance of honor and reveals Leo’s plot to Polixeness who proceeds to exit Leo’s country along side Camillo.

Unfortunly this only furthers Leo’s delusions and he imprisions his wife. Finding Camillo’s abandonment, Leo explains it as Polixenes hiring Camillo as an assassin to kill him. Ignoring the fact that Leo was the one who actually tried to order Camillo to poison his once friend. This only furthers my belief that Leo is a completely irrational character using and spinning events around himself to justify his own actions. Despite everybody else in the kingdom insistence that Hermoine is a pure character, Leo ignores all and parades down his path of idiocy. Like when his son Mamilus falls ill, somehow Leo spins that to believe the child fell ill because of his mother’s infidelity. Leo proceeds to show himself a truly despicable man when he orders the death of his newborn daughter believing it to be a bastard via fire but relents and sends her off into the woods instead. It is also clear that Leo is a extremely misogynistic person as he lambasted a Lord for being unable to control his wife. This deep seeded hatred for woman might also explain why he is so quick to condemn his wife.

So that’s basically what occurs in Acts 1/2, it seems this might be a tragedy considering the main character is an irrational moron. .

It is interesting to see how passion shifts Leontes from tenderness (toward both his wife and his friend so much so as to ask the former to prolong the latter’s stay) to suspicion to conviction. Each stage is marked by a certain stubbornness— Leontes would not stop asking his friend to keep him company, plaguing himself with doubts about his wife’s fidelity/his friend’s loyalty, and planning to rid the suspected couple once his belief is established. Yet I find it curious too how quick each stage transitions into another. When he starts questioning his wife and Polixenes’s interactions, he at least asks Camillo for confirmation (“Didst note it?” “Didst perceive it?”). Once he convinces himself, though, nobody can (or is even allowed to) say otherwise. Since the critical event lacks stage directions, I wonder how Polixene and Hermoine’s supposedly flirtatious gestures are portrayed on stage. What exactly does Leontes see, if anything at all, that would launch him into such incredible assaults toward those he holds so dear? How is it different than the intimate (and innocent?) act (“give’t me in mine ear”) between Hermoine and her own son?

We come across the idea of innocence quite often in both acts. Piloxene mentions it when describing his and Leonte’s youth but suggests that it has been corrupted after they met their wives. Hermoine appeals to it when she is condemned by her husband. Is Leontes in a way still innocent because he sees only what he wants to see and remains ignorant of what lies outside his (somewhat perverse) imagination, like a boy? Is he sinful because he allows himself to be overwhelmed by jealousy? I have yet to find a redeeming quality in Leontes, but I can’t help but think that he’s somewhat a victim of his own childish demeanor. He calls people liars the second they disagree with him.

We also see a battle between sensual information and words. Leontes’s impression of what happens leads him to deny other people’s loyalty and intelligence, but Hermoine (who has “twice said well” and chooses words instead of tears ) and Paulina (Hermoine’s “advocate to the loud’st”) try to fight back with their speech. It seems that Leonte’s  force has superiority by the end of Act II–for Hermoine is imprisoned and Paulina sent back–but perhaps the oracle from Delphi ( a supreme form of words?) could reverse this.

In Act 4 Iago continues to plot against Othello and everyone else. At the very beginning, as Iago is planting more seeds in Othello’s head by saying “To kiss in private?” (IV.i.4) and “Or to be naked with her friend in bed/An hour or more, not meaning any harm?” (IV.i.6-7) He practically drives Othello nuts and into a trance. Then appears Cassio and Iago convinces him that Othello has had a second epilepsy attack, that is best not to bother him. When Othello recovers Iago tells him that Cassio has come and that he shall hear Cassio tell how he and Desdemona have betrayed Othello, as Othello spies on them but remains hidden. Iago is brilliant enough to whisper as he mentions Bianca’s name to Cassio when they speak, so that Othello only hears Cassio’s reaction and laughing, which irritates Othello even more. What drives Othello mad is when Bianca enters with the handkerchief that Othello had given to Desdemona. By far the most shocking event in Act Four scene one is when Othello strikes Desdemona, it is so unexpected for readers and even Lodovico cannot believe his eyes. In Act Four scene two, Othello questions Emilia but he does not believe a word she says nor does he answer Desdemona’s questions regarding what is the matter with him? The most interesting exchange that takes in this scene is between Iago and Roderigo, in which Roderigo is no longer patient and wants to address Desdemona himself about the jewelry he had sent her but Iago refuses stating that Cassio will remain in Cyprus and Othello will take Desdemona to Mauritania, unless Roderigo kills Cassio allowing Othello and Desdemona to remain in Cyprus. In Act Four scene three, Desdemona foreshadows her demise. She believes she will die, yet does not know why and she sings the “Willow” song, which she heard her mother’s maid Barbary singing as she died for being in love with a lunatic.

In Act Five scene one Iago and Roderigo’s plan to kill Cassio takes place, Iago assures Roderigo that he will be by his side and that the two of them cannot lose to Cassio. Roderigo attacks Cassio but Cassio is protected by his coat and Cassio ends up injuring Roderigo, when suddenly Iago comes from the back and attacks Cassio’s leg. Both men are crying out for help when Gratiano, Lodovico and Iago approach them. However, Iago admits beforehand that both Cassio and Roderigo must die in order for his plan to work, so he kills Roderigo as he says “Oh, damned Iago! Oh, inhuman dog!” (V.i.64) Bianca comes out and is in shock that Cassio is hurt but Iago blames her for what has happened to Cassio. Emilia also enters and is told what has happened and Iago sends her off to tell Othello and Desdemona. However, in Act Five scene two Othello is plotting to kill Desdemona while she sleeps but he wakes her. He asks her if she has prayed and she says she has and then he asks her if she has committed any sins and she replies that she hasn’t. He tells her that Cassio has been killed by Iago and Desdemona begins to weep, she begs live one more night but Othello does not listen and smothers her twice, the second time believing she is still alive after he hears Emilia’s voice. Emilia enters and gives him the news and then Desdemona cries out “Oh, falsely, falsely murdered!” (V.ii.121) “A guiltless death I die.” (V.ii.126) “Nobody; I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell!” (V.ii.128) Emilia damns Othello and he tells her that her husband, Iago has shown him the light and been a great friend. Emilia in shock can only repeat “my husband,” not believing him until Iago, Gratiano, Montano enter and then Iago is found out by Emilia who he stabs and kills. Iago tries to flee but is captured and brought back, Othello stabs him but does not kill him, instead he kills himself and Desdemona, Emilia and Othello lie on the bed.

Overall, the play’s last two acts are very tragic but my consolation lies in knowing that Othello and Desdemona truly loved one another. Their love was so immense that they both wound up dead lying side by side in the end. I had never read the play before this class but I had watched the movie O (2001) based on Othello and I highly recommend the class to watch it if they enjoyed reading Othello.

In Act 2 we see Iago’s evil plan finally taking shape. While Cassio is on guard Iago persuades him to get drunk and leave his post. Cassio returns and stabs Montano after Montano tries to break up an argument between Cassio and Roderigo. As a result, Othello fires Cassio from his position as lieutenant. Iago tells Cassio in order to gain his position back he should persuade Desdemona to plead with Othello on his behalf; therefore Othello frequently sees Cassio suspiciously talking to Desdemona. In act 3 Iago manages to frame Cassio by placing Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s room; as well as making Othello believe his wife is cheating on him with Cassio. In my opinion, Iago is most similar to Aaron, from Titus Andronicus, because he really seems to revel in his evilness; telling the audience each step in his evil plot. At this point in the play I am almost certain the genre of this play is revenge tragedy because we have several people, Iago, Cassio, Othello, and Desdemona, who have all been wronged and have someone they can exact revenge on.

In Act III we are introduced the character of the Clown. He appears in two seemingly minor scenes and speaks only briefly, and yet I was left with an impression that his inclusion in the play was not a mere accident.

Observing the Clowns speech, I was drawn to the way in which he appears to obfuscate the language of others, and yet appears prescient in his knowledge.

In the first scene he enters following Cassio and a band of musicians. Music is a trope of Shakespearean plays often associated with peace, harmony, and trust. Yet the Clown appears to tell the musicians that Othello wishes them to cease playing.

From the Merchant of Venice there is the quote:

“The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.”

Granted this is taken from a different play, I still believe we can view the Clowns representation for the opinion of Othello as foreshadowing of the foul and tragic actions that are to overwhelm Othello. Because the Clown states Othello wishes no music, we can imagine he, Othello, is becoming close minded to any peace, harmony, or trust between himself and those whom he feels or is about to feel betrayed by, such as Cassio and Desdemona.

Cassio then questions the Clown:

“Dost thou hear, my honest friend?”

“No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.”

Shakespeare is here again using the Clown as a representation on the state of Othello. The Clowns lines are likely speaking of both Cassio and Iago, as Othello is not hearing the honest friend, Cassio, but hearing the other, Iago.  And yet Othello believes Iago to be the honest one, and so the clown depicts this by referring to Cassio as the other.

The second and final appearance of the clown is in scene 4 when he speaks to Desdemona. In this conversation Shakespeare utilizes the confusion of the word lie, meaning either to speak dishonest or to lay in bed i.e make whoopee.

“Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?”

“I dare not say he lies any where.”

“Why, man?”

“He’s a soldier, and for one to say a soldier lies, is stabbing.”

“Go to: where lodges he?”

“To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie”

“Can any thing be made of this?”

“I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a lodging and say he lies here or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.”

The obvious relation of this conversation to the main plot is how there is a great deal of confusion going on between who is lying on someone, being dishonest, and who is lying with someone, sleeping together.

Also following this conversation, we then witness a series of lies. Up until now, the only real liar was Iago, but in scene 4 after the Clown brings to direct attention this confusion of lies, we see Emilia lie to Desdemona after stealing the handkerchief, Desdemona lie to Othello about it not being lost, and Othello lie to Desdemona about the origin of the handkerchief. And so once more the Clown appears as a foreshadowing figure and as a chronicler of the thematics and tensions of the play.

It begins at nights in the streets of Venice when Iago is complaining to Roderigo about Othello choosing Cassio, one with little experience instead of him to be his lieutenant. Iago only served Othello for his own gain and there are implications that he will be a focal character in the play. Just from the way he speaks of Othello disdainfully, we know that he will seek a form of revenge against him. He is also the only one aware of the fact that Othello, now mentioned as a Moor has ran away with Desdemona, the daughter of Brabantio a Venetian nobleman and he betrayed him by revealing his secret.

Iago is reflective of Richard III because he has a self awareness of how villainous he is and he has no remorse about it. This is also when we begin to see forms of racism, such as when Roderigo refers to Othello as “the thicklips” (1.1.65)

In Scene 2, he puts on a show for Othello to make sure that he believes in his allegiance by telling him that Roderigo has betrayed him and threatens him with violence again making a false show. There is a reference to Janus, a two-faced god and since since he himself is two-faced which was displayed when his personality changed from backbiting as soon as Othello steps away to becoming friendly when he comes back displayed the many different faces that he has.  As Othello and Desdemona’s relationship was accepted, Iago plans to use Roderigo as a pawn to separate the couple and to get his revenge.