susylamb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Silly me thinking I’ve conquered Shakespeare and could end on a cheery/ wintery note. Lol
This rounds out my year of Shakespeare with my Bard Along Book Club. Ending thoughts?
I did it and survived. I still don’t love him. Better to see a play than to read or hear it. I’ll just go visit him in theatres. 🤣
This rounds out my year of Shakespeare with my Bard Along Book Club. Ending thoughts?
I did it and survived. I still don’t love him. Better to see a play than to read or hear it. I’ll just go visit him in theatres. 🤣
nal_o64's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
davidcopperfield's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alexdibo's review against another edition
3.0
2.5! This was SO meh. I do NOT think that jerk king should have gotten his wife back, that's all I'm gonna say.
sdcunningham96's review against another edition
Leontes and Polixenes are childhood friends and they both are kings. Polixenes is visiting King Leontes and the pregnant Queen Hermione when the old King genes kick in and Leontes goes madman, deciding that Hermione is pregnant because of Polixenes! That new baby isn’t his!
Leontes imprisons Queen Hermione, over the protests of his nobles, and sends two of his lords, Cleomenes and Dion, to the Oracle at Delphos for what he is sure will be confirmation of his suspicions. He then orders Camillo, a Sicilian Lord, to poison Polixenes. Camillo instead warns Polixenes and they both flee to Bohemia.
Hermione gives birth in prison to a baby girl. Paulina takes the baby to the king, in hopes he’ll see the resemblance, but he doesn’t. He orders Paulina's husband, Lord Antigonus, to take the child and abandon it in a desolate place.
At Hermione’s trial, the Oracle returns with great news: Hermione and Polixenes are innocent, Camillo is an honest man, and that Leontes will have no heir until his lost daughter is found.
Leontes done fucked up.
Paulina tells Leontes that his wife died of a broken heart after their son (Mamillius) died, and he must find his daughter.
Antigonus, meanwhile, abandons the baby on the coast of Bohemia (Fun Fact, there is no cost of Bohemia), reporting that Hermione appeared to him in a dream and bade him name the girl Perdita. He leaves gold with the baby before taking a hike.
But a violent storm suddenly appears (Shakespeare loves those!), wrecking the ship on which Antigonus arrived.
Antigonus takes pity on the child, but is chased away in one of Shakespeare's most famous stage directions: "Exit, pursued by a bear."
“Exit, pursued by a bear."
“Exit, pursued by a bear."
BEST LINE EVA!
BUT BACK TO THE STORY: Perdita is rescued by a shepherd and his son, also known as "Clown."
"Time" enters and announces the passage of sixteen years.
Camillo, now in the service of Polixenes, begs the Bohemian king to allow him to return to Sicilia, but he says no. Polixenes has his own problems: his son, Prince Florizel, is in love with a lowly Shepard girl named Perdita.
Bohemia: It’s a sheep sharing festival! The host is the Shepard’s daughter, Perdita. Prince Florizel is going to marry her. In disguise are Polixenes and Camilo as lowly peasants. Polixenes confronts his son and tells him to call off the marriage, but instead (With the aid of Camillo) Perdita and Florizel leave town.
Leontes welcomes the young couple to the land of Sicilia. Florizel pretends to be on a diplomatic mission from his father, but his cover is blown when Polixenes and Camillo, too, arrive in Sicilia. Polixenes won’t allow them to marry, but Perdita says she’s rich and shows her jewelry she had as a baby. Leontes realizes this is his long-lost daughter.
Now they can marry. Then Leontes shows Perdita her mother, which is really a statue he made in her likeness. Perdita looks at it, and then the statue comes back to life. Hermione is alive!
Happy ending! Except that Mamilius is dead and they spent years wasted in separation because Leontes decided to go crazy one day. Moral of story: Don’t be jealous. Which I guess is timely, considering it’s the same moral that’s in Raging Bull
Leontes imprisons Queen Hermione, over the protests of his nobles, and sends two of his lords, Cleomenes and Dion, to the Oracle at Delphos for what he is sure will be confirmation of his suspicions. He then orders Camillo, a Sicilian Lord, to poison Polixenes. Camillo instead warns Polixenes and they both flee to Bohemia.
Hermione gives birth in prison to a baby girl. Paulina takes the baby to the king, in hopes he’ll see the resemblance, but he doesn’t. He orders Paulina's husband, Lord Antigonus, to take the child and abandon it in a desolate place.
At Hermione’s trial, the Oracle returns with great news: Hermione and Polixenes are innocent, Camillo is an honest man, and that Leontes will have no heir until his lost daughter is found.
Leontes done fucked up.
Paulina tells Leontes that his wife died of a broken heart after their son (Mamillius) died, and he must find his daughter.
Antigonus, meanwhile, abandons the baby on the coast of Bohemia (Fun Fact, there is no cost of Bohemia), reporting that Hermione appeared to him in a dream and bade him name the girl Perdita. He leaves gold with the baby before taking a hike.
But a violent storm suddenly appears (Shakespeare loves those!), wrecking the ship on which Antigonus arrived.
Antigonus takes pity on the child, but is chased away in one of Shakespeare's most famous stage directions: "Exit, pursued by a bear."
“Exit, pursued by a bear."
“Exit, pursued by a bear."
BEST LINE EVA!
BUT BACK TO THE STORY: Perdita is rescued by a shepherd and his son, also known as "Clown."
"Time" enters and announces the passage of sixteen years.
Camillo, now in the service of Polixenes, begs the Bohemian king to allow him to return to Sicilia, but he says no. Polixenes has his own problems: his son, Prince Florizel, is in love with a lowly Shepard girl named Perdita.
Bohemia: It’s a sheep sharing festival! The host is the Shepard’s daughter, Perdita. Prince Florizel is going to marry her. In disguise are Polixenes and Camilo as lowly peasants. Polixenes confronts his son and tells him to call off the marriage, but instead (With the aid of Camillo) Perdita and Florizel leave town.
Leontes welcomes the young couple to the land of Sicilia. Florizel pretends to be on a diplomatic mission from his father, but his cover is blown when Polixenes and Camillo, too, arrive in Sicilia. Polixenes won’t allow them to marry, but Perdita says she’s rich and shows her jewelry she had as a baby. Leontes realizes this is his long-lost daughter.
Now they can marry. Then Leontes shows Perdita her mother, which is really a statue he made in her likeness. Perdita looks at it, and then the statue comes back to life. Hermione is alive!
Happy ending! Except that Mamilius is dead and they spent years wasted in separation because Leontes decided to go crazy one day. Moral of story: Don’t be jealous. Which I guess is timely, considering it’s the same moral that’s in Raging Bull
sophieglp's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
benjfleck's review against another edition
4.0
The Winter's Tale: Or, Bros Before Hoes and other Moral Ineptitudes
As I read my way through Shakespeare's plays, The Winter's Tale is never really mentioned alongside his classics, so I when I read it, I do declare I hath enjoyed it greatly. Maybe because I hath had such low expectations!? Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. Leontes and Polixenes are childhood bffs who grow up to rule opposing kingdoms. Polixenes comes to visit Leontes but then wants to go home. When Leontes sends his pregnant wife, Hermione, to convince Polixenes to stay and it works, he immediately jumps to Hermione having an affair with Polixenes and from there DRAAAAAMA!
What struck me as interesting was the massive time jump that occurs in this play and how we pick up so many years later and it's still just 24 hour drama. It was a fascinating and fun turn of events at the end and I, myself, was surprised. Some great classic Shakespeare hijinks and disguises too!
Only issue I have is why this was called The Winter's Tale and not some other dramatic thing. Maybe it's an old wives' tale lesson to not be a dumbass? That fits.
As I read my way through Shakespeare's plays, The Winter's Tale is never really mentioned alongside his classics, so I when I read it, I do declare I hath enjoyed it greatly. Maybe because I hath had such low expectations!? Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. Leontes and Polixenes are childhood bffs who grow up to rule opposing kingdoms. Polixenes comes to visit Leontes but then wants to go home. When Leontes sends his pregnant wife, Hermione, to convince Polixenes to stay and it works, he immediately jumps to Hermione having an affair with Polixenes and from there DRAAAAAMA!
What struck me as interesting was the massive time jump that occurs in this play and how we pick up so many years later and it's still just 24 hour drama. It was a fascinating and fun turn of events at the end and I, myself, was surprised. Some great classic Shakespeare hijinks and disguises too!
Only issue I have is why this was called The Winter's Tale and not some other dramatic thing. Maybe it's an old wives' tale lesson to not be a dumbass? That fits.
sakura_m's review against another edition
I started reading it because one of the characters is named Hermione, and then was pleasantly surprised by the stage direction, "Exit, pursued by a bear." The plot was dramatic, humorous, and charming - if anyone wants to venture outside of the typical plays read in school, I'd highly recommend this one.This play is also of bizarre historical importance (for trivia fans) as it is one of the earliest instances of the word "dildo" in written record in English, being published around 1610-1611(and it's the one time Shakespeare uses it in all his writings).
bellatora's review against another edition
3.0
Abridged version: (inspired by Madeline's great abridged versions)
Act I
LEONTES, KING OF SICILY: You are my bestest friend since childhood, Polixenes!
POLIXENES, KING OF BOHEMIA: You are my bestest friend too, Leontes! But it’s been 9 months and, y’know, I need to get home to my kingdom and son and all.
KING LEONTES: NOOOOOO. I need you in my life! Stay, stay!
QUEEN HERMIONE: I agree with my husband.
KING POLIXENES: Well, shucks, fine, I’ll stay a little longer.
KING LEONTES: MY WIFE IS A CHEATING WHORE.
CAMILLO: Wait, what?
KING LEONTES: Kill Polixenes! The only reason he’s staying is because of the queen! They’re totally doing it behind my back!
CAMILLO: Hey, Polixenes, you might want to skiddaddle. Leontes is in a killing mood.
KING POLIXENES: Yeah, I’m just going to bounce. Queen Hermione should totally be okay. Laters!
Act II
KING LEONTES: YOU ARE A DIRTY WHORE HERMIONE! AND THE BABY YOU’RE CARRYING IS DEFINITELY POLIXENES’ BASTARD!
QUEEN HERMIONE: What?
NOBLES: What?
KING LEONTES: TO THE JAIL WITH YOU, WOMAN!
*Queen Hermione goes to jail and gives birth*
KING LEONTES: BURN THE BASTARD BABY!
ANTIGONUS: Yeah, I’m going to have to say no to that one.
KING LEONTES: OKAY THEN ABANDON IT IN THE WOODS.
ANTIGONUS: That I can do.
Act III
QUEEN HERMIONE: I’m innocent!
KING LEONTES: LIES!
APOLLO'S ORACLE: The queen’s innocent. Polixenes is innocent. King Leontes is a tyrant.
KING LEONTES: LIES!
SERVANT: Your son died!
KING LEONTES: Apollo is totes angry I accused him of lying! My bad! My wife is totally innocent.
*Queen Hermione dies of grief*
KING LEONTES: D’oh!
ANTIGONUS: Baby-abandoning time! Well, my job’s done so I guess I’m going to be killed off.
*Exit, pursued by a bear* [actual stage direction!]
SHEPHERD: Ooh, a baby! And gold! Shiny!
Act IV
TIME: Sixteen years pass! Whee! King Leontes’ daughter, Perdita, is raised by the shepherd and grows up pretty. King Polixenes’ son, Florizel, grows up a romantic.
FLORIZEL: I love you!
PERDITA: I love you more!
FLORIZEL: Let’s get married!
KING POLIXENES *in disguise*: What would your father say about this?
Florizel: There’s a reason I’m not telling him.
KING POLIXENES: *takes off disguise* Darn straight there’s a reason! Death to the Shepherd! Mauling for Perdita! Disinheritance if you ever speak of the shepherd’s daughter again!
FLORIZEL: That is so unfair! I don’t want to be the stupid king of your stupid kingdom anyway! We’re going to elope!
*Perdita and Florizel run off to King Leontes’ court*
Act V
KING LEONTES: My dead wife was the most perfect, angelic, saint-like woman ever!
*Perdita and Florizel arrive*
FLORIZEL: I am totally not eloping with a shepherdess.
KING LEONTES: Aww, what a sweet couple.
LORD: Florizel’s father is here. And Florizel is totally eloping with a shepherdess.
KING LEONTES: Let’s go talk to your father, Florizel.
FLORIZEL: Aw man.
RANDOM EXTRAS: King Leontes’ finding out Perdita was his lost daughter and reuniting with her was so touching. Too bad the audience couldn’t see it! We’ll just talk about how the Shepherd showed up and revealed Perdita’s true heritage and King Leontes and King Polixenes became friends again and now Perdita and Florizel can get married and everyone cried from happiness.
PERDITA: Let's all go see my mother’s statue!
QUEEN HERMIONE'S STATUE: I came to life! Or maybe I was never dead and was just pretending to be a statue! Who knows! Happy endings all around!
Actual review: This is one of the more cracked-out Shakespeare plays I've read, what with the random bear-chasing (and devouring!) and the maybe-statue-coming-to-life/maybe-Hermione-just-pretending-to-be-a-statue thing. I didn't like King Leonte's random wife-accusing. At least Othello was convinced by the devious Iago that his wife was cheating. King Leontes came up with his insane troll logic by himself. I also tend to have a problem with Shakespeare's comedies in general. I think they can be hilarious when performed, but they really rely on good comedic timing/acting that just does not translate when you're reading it by yourself. I was intrigued by the unrepentant rogue Autolycus (cut from the abridged version) because he revels in his badness. I think a good actor could make him incredibly fun.
Act I
LEONTES, KING OF SICILY: You are my bestest friend since childhood, Polixenes!
POLIXENES, KING OF BOHEMIA: You are my bestest friend too, Leontes! But it’s been 9 months and, y’know, I need to get home to my kingdom and son and all.
KING LEONTES: NOOOOOO. I need you in my life! Stay, stay!
QUEEN HERMIONE: I agree with my husband.
KING POLIXENES: Well, shucks, fine, I’ll stay a little longer.
KING LEONTES: MY WIFE IS A CHEATING WHORE.
CAMILLO: Wait, what?
KING LEONTES: Kill Polixenes! The only reason he’s staying is because of the queen! They’re totally doing it behind my back!
CAMILLO: Hey, Polixenes, you might want to skiddaddle. Leontes is in a killing mood.
KING POLIXENES: Yeah, I’m just going to bounce. Queen Hermione should totally be okay. Laters!
Act II
KING LEONTES: YOU ARE A DIRTY WHORE HERMIONE! AND THE BABY YOU’RE CARRYING IS DEFINITELY POLIXENES’ BASTARD!
QUEEN HERMIONE: What?
NOBLES: What?
KING LEONTES: TO THE JAIL WITH YOU, WOMAN!
*Queen Hermione goes to jail and gives birth*
KING LEONTES: BURN THE BASTARD BABY!
ANTIGONUS: Yeah, I’m going to have to say no to that one.
KING LEONTES: OKAY THEN ABANDON IT IN THE WOODS.
ANTIGONUS: That I can do.
Act III
QUEEN HERMIONE: I’m innocent!
KING LEONTES: LIES!
APOLLO'S ORACLE: The queen’s innocent. Polixenes is innocent. King Leontes is a tyrant.
KING LEONTES: LIES!
SERVANT: Your son died!
KING LEONTES: Apollo is totes angry I accused him of lying! My bad! My wife is totally innocent.
*Queen Hermione dies of grief*
KING LEONTES: D’oh!
ANTIGONUS: Baby-abandoning time! Well, my job’s done so I guess I’m going to be killed off.
*Exit, pursued by a bear* [actual stage direction!]
SHEPHERD: Ooh, a baby! And gold! Shiny!
Act IV
TIME: Sixteen years pass! Whee! King Leontes’ daughter, Perdita, is raised by the shepherd and grows up pretty. King Polixenes’ son, Florizel, grows up a romantic.
FLORIZEL: I love you!
PERDITA: I love you more!
FLORIZEL: Let’s get married!
KING POLIXENES *in disguise*: What would your father say about this?
Florizel: There’s a reason I’m not telling him.
KING POLIXENES: *takes off disguise* Darn straight there’s a reason! Death to the Shepherd! Mauling for Perdita! Disinheritance if you ever speak of the shepherd’s daughter again!
FLORIZEL: That is so unfair! I don’t want to be the stupid king of your stupid kingdom anyway! We’re going to elope!
*Perdita and Florizel run off to King Leontes’ court*
Act V
KING LEONTES: My dead wife was the most perfect, angelic, saint-like woman ever!
*Perdita and Florizel arrive*
FLORIZEL: I am totally not eloping with a shepherdess.
KING LEONTES: Aww, what a sweet couple.
LORD: Florizel’s father is here. And Florizel is totally eloping with a shepherdess.
KING LEONTES: Let’s go talk to your father, Florizel.
FLORIZEL: Aw man.
RANDOM EXTRAS: King Leontes’ finding out Perdita was his lost daughter and reuniting with her was so touching. Too bad the audience couldn’t see it! We’ll just talk about how the Shepherd showed up and revealed Perdita’s true heritage and King Leontes and King Polixenes became friends again and now Perdita and Florizel can get married and everyone cried from happiness.
PERDITA: Let's all go see my mother’s statue!
QUEEN HERMIONE'S STATUE: I came to life! Or maybe I was never dead and was just pretending to be a statue! Who knows! Happy endings all around!
Actual review: This is one of the more cracked-out Shakespeare plays I've read, what with the random bear-chasing (and devouring!) and the maybe-statue-coming-to-life/maybe-Hermione-just-pretending-to-be-a-statue thing. I didn't like King Leonte's random wife-accusing. At least Othello was convinced by the devious Iago that his wife was cheating. King Leontes came up with his insane troll logic by himself. I also tend to have a problem with Shakespeare's comedies in general. I think they can be hilarious when performed, but they really rely on good comedic timing/acting that just does not translate when you're reading it by yourself. I was intrigued by the unrepentant rogue Autolycus (cut from the abridged version) because he revels in his badness. I think a good actor could make him incredibly fun.