Quotes (The Winter’s Tale)

This section explains the key quotes in the play The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare. Below are the key quotes from The Winter's Tale, along with explanations of their significance to the themes, characters, and overall structure of the play. Understanding these quotes will help you to analyse the play's key moments and themes effectively.

 “Too hot, too hot!” (Leontes, Act 1, Scene 2)

Context: Leontes begins to suspect an affair between Hermione and Polixenes.

Explanation: This marks the onset of Leontes’ irrational jealousy. The repetition of “too hot” reflects his feverish paranoia and foreshadows the destructive power of his jealousy. It also highlights his internal emotional instability.

 “My heart dances, but not for joy, not joy.” (Leontes, Act 1, Scene 2)

Context: Leontes is consumed by jealousy and inner turmoil.

Explanation: This oxymoronic statement encapsulates Leontes’ emotional confusion, suggesting that his heart is unsettled by a dark force rather than happiness. It highlights the destructive nature of his suspicions.

 “I have tremor cordis on me: my heart dances; but not for joy, not joy.” (Leontes, Act 1, Scene 2)

Context: Leontes continues to express his jealousy and suspicion.

Explanation: This phrase emphasises his growing physical and emotional unease, with "tremor cordis" (heart tremors) symbolising his internal chaos. Shakespeare presents jealousy as a force that disturbs not only the mind but the body as well.

 “It is a heretic that makes the fire, not she which burns in’t.” (Paulina, Act 2, Scene 3)

Context: Paulina defends Hermione’s innocence after Leontes accuses her of infidelity.

Explanation: Paulina critiques Leontes, implying that his false accusations make him the sinner, while Hermione, though persecuted, remains pure. This highlights Paulina's role as a voice of truth and reason, contrasting with Leontes' irrationality.

 “I am a feather for each wind that blows.” (Leontes, Act 2, Scene 3)

Context: Leontes realises how his irrationality has led him astray.

Explanation: This metaphor suggests that Leontes is easily swayed by his emotions, lacking self-control. It marks a moment of reflection as he recognises his volatility and vulnerability to destructive impulses.

 “A sad tale’s best for winter.” (Mamillius, Act 2, Scene 1)

Context: Mamillius begins to tell a story to his mother, Hermione.

Explanation: This line reflects the play's title and tone. The phrase connects the melancholic atmosphere of the tale to the literal and metaphorical winter of the characters’ lives. It foreshadows the dark events that will soon unfold.

 “The innocent babe truly begotten, and the King shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found.” (Oracle, Act 3, Scene 2)

Context: The Oracle of Delphi declares Hermione’s innocence.

Explanation: This prophecy confirms that Hermione has been wrongfully accused and that Leontes will suffer consequences unless his lost child, Perdita, is found. The prophecy becomes a key driver of the play's resolution and underscores the themes of loss and restoration.

 “I am sorry that I have turned you to the bidding of my disliking.” (Leontes, Act 3, Scene 2)

Context: Leontes, after hearing the Oracle, begins to realise his mistakes.

Explanation: This marks the beginning of Leontes’ repentance. He acknowledges that he forced others to comply with his unjust commands, demonstrating his growing awareness of his tyranny.

 “Exit, pursued by a bear.” (Stage direction, Act 3, Scene 3)

Context: The famous stage direction that follows Antigonus after he leaves baby Perdita in the wilderness.

Explanation: This surreal moment combines tragedy with absurdity. The bear symbolises the wild forces of nature that threaten human lives and foreshadows the unpredictability of the play’s later acts. The suddenness of Antigonus’ death also marks the transition from tragedy to a more pastoral, magical tone in the play.

 “This is the chase: I am gone forever.” (Antigonus, Act 3, Scene 3)

Context: Antigonus realises his impending death as he is pursued by the bear.

Explanation: Antigonus’ fatalistic acceptance of his death reflects the brutal consequences of Leontes' tyranny. It is also a reminder of the fragility of human life within the larger forces of fate and nature.

 “Thou met’st with things dying, I with things newborn.” (Shepherd, Act 3, Scene 3)

Context: The Shepherd reflects on finding Perdita as a baby.

Explanation: This line encapsulates the theme of death and rebirth that runs throughout the play. While the old order (represented by figures like Antigonus) dies, new hope and life (symbolised by Perdita) emerge. It foreshadows the eventual reconciliation and renewal in the final acts.

 “For I have heard it said there is an art which in their piedness shares with great creating nature.” (Polixenes, Act 4, Scene 4)

Context: Polixenes speaks to Perdita about the relationship between art and nature.

Explanation: This debate reflects one of the play’s central concerns: the tension between the natural world and human artifice. Polixenes suggests that human creations (art) should work harmoniously with nature, a sentiment that parallels the play’s blend of tragic and pastoral elements.

 “Grace and remembrance be to you both.” (Perdita, Act 4, Scene 4)

Context: Perdita greets her disguised father, Polixenes, and Camillo.

Explanation: This greeting reflects Perdita’s grace and natural nobility. Despite being raised in humble circumstances, her royal lineage and innate virtue shine through, symbolising the purity and regeneration that will ultimately heal the fractured families.

 “The fairest flowers o' the season are our carnations and streak’d gillyvors, which some call nature’s bastards.” (Perdita, Act 4, Scene 4)

Context: Perdita discusses flowers with Polixenes, symbolising natural beauty.

Explanation: Perdita’s metaphor of ‘nature’s bastards’ reflects the play’s theme of legitimacy and illegitimacy, as well as the natural versus the artificial. It subtly refers to her own hidden status as a royal child raised among shepherds.

 “Of that fatal country Sicilia, prithee speak no more.” (Camillo, Act 4, Scene 4)

Context: Camillo longs to return to Sicilia, but Florizel does not want to hear of it.

Explanation: This reflects the distance between the past (associated with Sicilia and Leontes’ tyranny) and the idyllic present in Bohemia. The contrast between the two settings highlights the play’s shifts in tone from tragedy to romance.

 “Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent, as I by thine a wife.” (Florizel, Act 4, Scene 4)

Context: Florizel declares his love for Perdita.

Explanation: This line underscores themes of love and union. Florizel’s vow to Perdita shows the play’s exploration of reciprocal relationships and the importance of consent, contrasting with the earlier, coercive actions of Leontes.

 “The very princess I spake of, and the king her father!” (Shepherd, Act 5, Scene 2)

Context: The Shepherd realises Perdita’s true identity.

Explanation: This moment of recognition and revelation ties into the theme of identity and the restoration of order. Perdita’s royal heritage is revealed, moving the play towards its resolution and the reunification of the family.

 “You gods, look down and from your sacred vials pour your graces upon my daughter’s head.” (Leontes, Act 5, Scene 1)

Context: Leontes prays for forgiveness and grace as he recognises Perdita.

Explanation: Leontes’ repentance is central to the play’s theme of redemption. His plea to the gods highlights his deep regret and desire for divine mercy, setting the stage for the emotional reconciliation that follows.

 “If this be magic, let it be an art lawful as eating.” (Leontes, Act 5, Scene 3)

Context: Leontes marvels at the statue of Hermione coming to life.

Explanation: This line reflects the play’s blending of magic and reality in the final act. It also represents Leontes' acceptance of the miraculous, showing his journey from scepticism and jealousy to awe and faith.

 “It is required you do awake your faith.” (Paulina, Act 5, Scene 3)

Context: Paulina asks Leontes to believe in the ‘resurrection’ of Hermione.

Explanation: This quote highlights the theme of faith, a crucial element in the play’s final moments. Shakespeare suggests that forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal all require a belief in the possibility of miracles, both literal and emotional.

These quotes form the backbone of The Winter’s Tale, reflecting its core themes of jealousy, redemption, forgiveness, and the tension between art and nature. As you revise, focus on how these quotes contribute to character development and the overall structure of the play.