The Winter’s Tale

The Winter’s Tale

By William Shakespeare.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dramatis Personae
4. The Winter’s Tale
   1. Act I
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
   2. Act II
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
   3. Act III
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
   4. Act IV
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
   5. Act V
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
5. Colophon
6. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on a transcription from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on digital scans from the HathiTrust Digital Library.

The source text and artwork in this ebook are believed to be in the United States public domain; that is, they are believed to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. They may still be copyrighted in other countries, so users located outside of the United States must check their local laws before using this ebook. The creators of, and contributors to, this ebook dedicate their contributions to the worldwide public domain via the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces ebook editions of public domain literature using modern typography, technology, and editorial standards, and distributes them free of cost. You can download this and other ebooks carefully produced for true book lovers at standardebooks.org.

Dramatis Personae

• Leontes, king of Sicilia

• Mamillius, young prince of Sicilia

• Camillo, lord of Sicilia

• Antigonus, lord of Sicilia

• Cleomenes, lord of Sicilia

• Dion, lord of Sicilia

• Polixenes, king of Bohemia

• Florizel, prince of Bohemia

• Archidamus, a lord of Bohemia

• Old shepherd, reputed father of Perdita

• Clown, his son

• Autolycus, a rogue

• A mariner

• A gaoler

• Hermione, queen to Leontes

• Perdita, daughter to Leontes and Hermione

• Paulina, wife to Antigonus

• Emilia, a lady attending on Hermione

• Mopsa, shepherdess

• Dorcas, shepherdess

• Other lords and gentlemen, ladies, officers, and servants, shepherds, and shepherdesses

• Time, as chorus

Scene: Sicilia, and Bohemia.

The Winter’s Tale

Act I

Scene I

Antechamber in Leontes’ palace.

	Enter Camillo and Archidamus.
Archidamus	If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia, on the like occasion whereon my services are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.
Camillo	I think, this coming summer, the King of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which he justly owes him.
Archidamus	Wherein our entertainment shall shame us we will be justified in our loves; for indeed⁠—
Camillo	Beseech you⁠—
Archidamus	Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my knowledge: we cannot with such magnificence⁠—in so rare⁠—I know not what to say. We will give you sleepy drinks, that your senses, unintelligent of our insufficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as little accuse us.
Camillo	You pay a great deal too dear for what’s given freely.
Archidamus	Believe me, I speak as my understanding instructs me and as mine honesty puts it to utterance.
Camillo	Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trained together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal necessities made separation of their society, their encounters, though not personal, have been royally attorneyed with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embassies; that they have seemed to be together, though absent, shook hands, as over a vast, and embraced, as it were, from the ends of opposed winds. The heavens continue their loves!
Archidamus	I think there is not in the world either malice or matter to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of the greatest promise that ever came into my note.
Camillo	I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: it is a gallant child; one that indeed physics the subject, makes old hearts fresh: they that went on crutches ere he was born desire yet their life to see him a man.
Archidamus	Would they else be content to die?
Camillo	Yes; if there were no other excuse why they should desire to live.
Archidamus	If the king had no son, they would desire to live on crutches till he had one. Exeunt.

Scene II

A room of state in the same.

	Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, Camillo, and Attendants.
Polixenes	Nine changes of the watery star hath been The shepherd’s note since we have left our throne Without a burthen: time as long again Would be fill’d up, my brother, with our thanks; And yet we should, for perpetuity, Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cipher, Yet standing in rich place, I multiply With one “We thank you” many thousands moe That go before it.
Leontes	Stay your thanks a while; And pay them when 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 winds at home, to make us say “This is put forth too truly:” besides, I have stay’d To tire your royalty.
Leontes	We are tougher, brother, Than you can put us to’t.
Polixenes	No longer stay.
Leontes	One seven-night longer.
Polixenes	Very sooth, to-morrow.
Leontes	We’ll part the time between’s then; and in that I’ll no gainsaying.
Polixenes	Press me not, beseech you, so. There is no tongue that moves, none, none i’ the world, So soon as yours could win me: so it should now, Were there necessity in your request, although ’Twere needful I denied it. My affairs Do even drag me homeward: which to hinder Were in your love a whip to me; my stay To you a charge and trouble: to save both, Farewell, our brother.
Leontes	Tongue-tied, our queen? speak you.
Hermione	I had thought, sir,