The Winter's Tale

William Shakespeare

Description

Polixenes is visiting the kingdom of Sicilia, and is enjoying catching up with his old friend. However, after nine months, Polixenes yearns to return to his own kingdom to tend to affairs and see his son. Leontes desperately attempts to get Polixenes to stay longer, but is unsuccessful. Leontes then decides to send his wife, Queen Hermione, to try to convince Polixenes. Hermione agrees and with three short speeches is successful. Leontes is puzzled as to how Hermione convinced Polixenes so easily, and Leontes suddenly goes insane and suspects that his pregnant wife has been having an affair with Polixenes and that the child is a bastard.

Informations

• Publié par: Interactive Media
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781910833551
• Langue: English

Extrait

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
The Winter’s Tale



LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW
PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA
TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING
New Edition
Published by Sovereign Classic
www.sovereignclassic.net
This Edition
First published in 2015
Copyright © 2015 Sovereign Classic
Contents
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Leontes, King of Sicilia
Mamillius, young Prince of Sicilia
Camillo, Antigonus, Cleomenes, Dion, four lords of Sicilia
Hermione, Queen to Leontes
Perdita, Daughter to Leontes and Hermione
Paulina, Wife to Antigonus
Emilia, a lady
Polixenes, King of Bohemia
Florizel, Prince of Bohemia
Old Shepherd, reputed father of Perdita
Clown his son
Autolycus, a rogue
Archidamus, a lord of Bohemia
Mopsa, Dorcas, shepherdesses
Other Lords and Gentlemen and Servants
Shepherds and Shepherdesses
A Mariner
A Gaoler
Ladies attending the Queen
Satyrs for a dance
Time, as Chorus
Scene: Sicilia and Bohemia
ACT I
SCENE I. ANTECHAMBER IN LEONTES’ PALACE.
Enter CAMILLO and ARCHIDAMUS
ARCHIDAMUS
If you shall c hance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia, on the like occas ion whereon my services are now on foot, you shal l see, as I have said, great difference bet wixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.
CAMILLO
I thin k, this coming summer, the King of Sicilia means to pay B ohemia the visitation which he justly owes him.
ARCHIDAMUS
Whe rein our en tertainment shall shame us we will be justified in o ur loves; for indeed--
CAMILLO
Beseec h you,--
ARCHIDAMUS
Ver ily, I spea k it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with such magnificence--in so rare--I know not what to sa y. We will give you sleepy drinks, that your sens es, unintelligent of our insufficience, may, though th ey cannot praise us, as little accuse us.
CAMILLO
Yo u pa y a grea t deal too dear for what’s given freely.
ARCHIDAMUS
Bel ieve me, I speak as my understanding instructs me and as mine ho nesty puts it to utterance.
CAMILLO
Sicili a cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trai ned together in their childhoods; and there rooted b etwixt them then such an affection, which cannot c hoose but branch now. Since their more mature di gnities and royal necessities made separation of their society, their encounters, though not per sonal, have been royally attorneyed with interchan ge of gifts, letters, loving embassies; tha t they have seemed to be together, though absent, shook hands, as over a vast, and embraced, as i t were, from the ends of opposed winds. The hea vens continue their loves!
ARCHIDAMUS
I t hink there is not in the world either malice or matter to alte r it. You have an unspeakable comfort of you r young prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of t he greatest promise that ever came into my note.
CAMILLO
I very well ag ree with you in the hopes of him: it is a gallant c hild; one that indeed physics the subject, makes old hearts fresh: they that went on crutches ere h e was born desire yet their life to see him a man.
ARCHIDAMUS
Wou ld they els e be content to die?
CAMILLO
Yes; i f there were no other excuse why they should desire to live .
ARCHIDAMUS
If the king ha d no son, they would desire to live on crutches ti ll he had one.
Exeunt
SCENE II. A room of state in the same.
Enter LEONTES, HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, POLIXENES, CAMILLO, and Attendants
POLIXENES
Nine changes o f the watery star hath been The shepherd’s note since we have left our throne Without a burt hen: time as long again Would be find up, my brother, with our thanks; And yet we sho uld, for perpetuity, Go hence in de bt: and therefore, like a cipher, Yet standing i n rich place, I multiply With one ‘We t hank you’ many thousands moe That go before it.
LEONTES
Stay your than ks a while; And pay them w hen you part.
POLIXENES
Sir, that’s to -morrow. I am question’ d by my fears, of what may chance Or breed upon our absence; that may blow No sneaping wi nds at home, to make us say ‘This is put f orth too truly:’ besides, I have stay’d To tire your r oyalty.
LEONTES
We are tougher , brother, Than you can p ut us to’t.
POLIXENES
No longer stay .
LEONTES
One seven-nigh t longer.
POLIXENES
Very sooth, to -morrow.
LEONTES
We’ll part the time between’s then; and in that I’ll no gainsa ying.
POLIXENES
Press me not, beseech you, so. There is no to ngue that moves, none, none i’ the world, So soon as you rs could win me: so it should now, Were there nec essity in your request, although ‘Twere needful I denied it. My affairs Do even drag m e homeward: which to hinder Were in your l ove a whip to me; my stay To you a charg e and trouble: to save both, Farewell, our brother.
LEONTES
Tongue-tied, o ur queen? speak you.
HER MIONE
I had thought, sir, to have held my peace until You have drawn oaths from him not to stay. You, sir, Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are sure All in Bohemia ’s well; this satisfaction The by-gone da y proclaim’d: say this to him, He’s beat from his best ward.
LEONTES
Well said, Her mione.
HERMIONE
To tell, he lo ngs to see his son, were strong: But let him sa y so then, and let him go; But let him sw ear so, and he shall not stay, We’ll thwack h im hence with distaffs. Yet of your ro yal presence I’ll adventure The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia You take my lo rd, I’ll give him my commission To let him the re a month behind the gest Prefix’d for’s parting: yet, good deed, Leontes, I love thee no t a jar o’ the clock behind What lady-she her lord. You’ll stay?
POLIXENES
No, madam.
HER MIONE
Nay, but you w ill?
POLIXENES
I ma y not, ver ily.
HERMIONE
Veril y! You pu t me off with limber vows; but I, Though you wou ld seek to unsphere the stars with oat hs, Should yet say ‘Sir, no going.’ Verily, You shall not go: a lady’s ‘Verily’ ‘s As potent as a lord’s. Will you go yet? Force me to ke ep you as a prisoner, Not like a gue st; so you shall pay your fees When you depar t, and save your thanks. How say you? My prisoner? o r my guest? by your dread ‘Verily,’ One of them yo u shall be.
POLIXENES
Your guest, th en, madam: To be your pri soner should import offending; Which is for m e less easy to commit Than you to pu nish.
HERMIONE
Not y our gaole r, then, But your kind hostess. Come, I’ll question you Of my lord’s t ricks and yours when you were boys: You were prett y lordings then?
POLIXENES
We w ere, fair queen, Two lads that thought there was no more behind But such a day to-morrow as to-day, And to be boy eternal.
HERMIONE
Was n ot my lor d The verier wag o’ the two?
POLIXENES
We w ere as twi nn’d lambs that did frisk i’ the sun, And bleat the one at the other: what we changed Was innocence for innocence; we knew not The doctrine o f ill-doing, nor dream’d That any did. Had we pursued that life, And our weak s pirits ne’er been higher rear’d With stronger blood, we should have answer’d heaven Boldly ‘not gu ilty;’ the imposition clear’d Hereditary our s.
HERMIONE
By th is we gat her You have tripp ’d since.
POLIXENES
O my most sacr ed lady! Temptations ha ve since then been born to’s; for In those unfle dged days was my wife a girl; Your precious self had then not cross’d the eyes Of my young pl ay-fellow.
HERMIONE
Grace to boot! Of this make n o conclusion, lest you say Your queen and I are devils: yet go on; The offences w e have made you do we’ll answer, If you first s inn’d with us and that with us You did contin ue fault and that you slipp’d not With any but w ith us.
LEONTES
Is he won yet?
HERMIONE
He’ll stay my lord.
LEONTES
At my request he would not. Hermione, my d earest, thou never spokest To better purp ose.
HERMIONE
Never ?
LEONTES
Never, but onc e.
HERMIONE
What! have I t wice said well? when was’t before? I prithee tell me; cram’s with praise, and make’s As fat as tame things: one good deed dying tongueless Slaughters a t housand waiting upon that. Our praises ar e our wages: you may ride’s With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs ere With spur we b eat an acre. But to the goal: My last good d eed was to entreat his stay: What was my fi rst? it has an elder sister, Or I mistake y ou: O, would her name were Grace! But once befor e I spoke to the purpose: when? Nay, let me ha ve’t; I long.
LEONTES
Why, t hat was when Three crabbed months had sour’d themselves to death, Ere I could ma ke thee open thy white hand And clap thyse lf my love: then didst thou utter ‘I am yours fo r ever.’
HERMIONE
‘Tis grace ind eed. Why, lo you no w, I have spoke to the purpose twice: The one for ev er earn’d a royal husband; The other for some while a friend.
LEONTES
[Aside ] Too ho t, too hot! To mingle frie ndship far is mingling bloods. I have tremor cordis on me: my heart dances; But not for jo y; not joy. This entertainment May a free fac e put on, derive a liberty From heartines s, from bounty, fertile bosom, And well becom e the agent; ‘t may, I grant; But to be padd ling palms and pinching fingers, As now they ar e, and making practised smiles, As in a lookin g-glass, and then to sigh, as ‘twere The mort o’ th e deer; O, that is entertainment My bosom likes not, nor my brows! Mamillius, Art thou my bo y?
MAMILLIUS
Ay, my good lo rd.
LEONTES
I’ fec ks! Why, that’s my bawcock. What, hast smutch’d thy n ose? They say it is a copy out of mine. Come, captain, We must be nea t; not neat, but cleanly, captain: And yet the st eer, the heifer and the calf Are all call’d neat.--Still virginalling Upon his palm! --How now, you wanton calf! Art thou my ca lf?
MAMILLIUS
Yes, if you wi ll, my lord.
LEONTES
Thou w ant’st a rough pash and the shoots that I have, To be full lik e me: yet they say we are Almost as like as eggs; women say so, That will say anything but