The Winter’s Tale Suffering Quotes Page 2

Did Leontes just say what we think he said? After learning that Mammilius has fallen ill, Leontes blames the condition on the “dishonour” Hermione has supposedly brought her family. But the truth is that Mammilius has fallen ill because he’s been taken away from his beloved mother, who has been unfairly accused of adultery and treason.

When Paulina visits Leontes, who hasn’t been sleeping well at night, she says that she’s come with “medicinal” words. That is, she’s come to talk some sense into Leontes before it’s too late. Paulina hopes that, by showing Leontes the truth (that Hermione is faithful and Perdita is his daughter), Leontes will be cured, so to speak, of his suffering. Paulina sees herself as a kind of “physician” to the soul and she says as much a few lines later (2.3.5).

Clearly tormented, Antigonus doesn’t want to ditch baby Perdita in the wilderness and says he’s willing to risk his life to avoid hurting the child. Leontes, however, bullies him into doing it anyway by threatening his life. As we know, Antigonus will lose his life while performing the deed (he’s eaten by a bear), which causes Paulina to suffer the loss of a beloved husband.