‘What is the symbolism of the weather in the play? Cite specific examples to support your answer.’
In the Shakespearean tragic-comedy, A Winter’s Tale, the seasons depicted play an integral role in the audience’s understanding of the events occurring. The seasons of winter and spring permit the audience to be emotionally immersed into the plat, thus, allowing for them to become engulfed by the mood plaguing specific events at specific times.
The play commences in Sicilia when it is winter. The season at hand may act as a fore-runner to the events that will occur. However, one must first focus on the actual season, and what characterizes it. Winter is basically the coldest season in temperate countries. It has the shortest days and longest nights. Further, the season, winter, connotes a doom and gloom mood. It symbolizes death, an absence of hope, bleak or frozen feelings, cold emotions and feelings and unfruitfulness.
In A Winter’s Tale, the symbolism aforementioned alludes to that which is to come. For instance in Act 1, Scene 2, Leontes is of the opinion that his wife, Hermoine, is having an affair with his long time friend, the King of Bohemia, Polixenes. He arrives at this conclusion as his attempts to get his friend to stay longer in Sicilia fails, while his wife succeeds in persuading Polixenes to stay. “Leontes: Is he won yet? Hermoine: he’ll stay my Lord. Leontes: At my request he would not.Hermoine, my dearest, thou never spokest to better purpose.” He further accuses his wife of being unchaste and claims that his son, Mamillus, is not his, but Polixenes’. His accusations and assumptions in this instance displays his bleak and frozen feelings, in that, he is not willing to accept any other reasoning for his wife’s relations with Polixenes, thus reflecting the weather, winter.
Additionally, the symbolism of winter is reflected in Leontes’ plot to kill Polixenes, by way of poisoning him. “—mightst bespice a cup, to give mine enemy a lasting wink; which draught to me were cordial.” This depicts his cold- hearted ways and his disregard for human life. The gloom of winter is further prolonged as Polixenes and Camillo flee Sicilia, as there is an absence of hope amongst the two, in that, their hopes that Leontes will change his mind is thwarted.
The mood of the trial scene also reflects the gloom of winter, in that, disparity and injustice is evident.Hermoine is set to trial for her “infidelity”, Mamillus is found out to be dead and Hermoine faints and is later proclaimed dead. The aura of death and despair is reflected by the season of winter.
The theme of death is further prolonged when Antigonus is killed by a bear after setting down Perdita, Hermoine’s daughter, in Bohemia. Also, the death of the Mariner, by being engulfed by a wave during a storm in his boat, portrays the theme of death.
Subsequently, spring in the play brings about comic relief. The season, spring, denotes the season which is the transition from winter to summer. It connotes however, feelings of rebirth, renewal and re-growth. In essence, the season of spring in A Winter’s Tale lightens the audience’s gloomy mood. For example, in Act 4, Scene 3, Autolycus, enters singing a ballad, this automatically gives way of a lighter mood in the play. He, disguises himself as a peddler, fools the clown and steals his money. Moreover, the audience is greeted by a happy Florizel, Polixenes’ son, and Perdita, in love. Although Polixenes is against his son’s relations with a commoner, a shepherd’s daughter, they continue on in their adulation.
Spring also symbolises rejuvenation, in that Florizel and Perdita flee Bohemia and travel to Sicilia, and escape Polixenes’ restrictions. Rejuvenation or restoration is evident when Perdita discovers that Leontes is her father and Hermoine is deemed alive.
On the contrary, the season of winter can be looked at from two perspectives. The gloom and doom aspect and the aspect of purity and innocence. During winter, it snows, in most instances. Snow is normally white, and white symbolises purity and innocence. The innocence of winter is reflected in Hermoine’s innocence when Leontes’ accuses her of infidelity, as well as, Perdita’s innocence as a child, a she is abandoned. Camillo’s resistance, by disobeying his king’s orders to poison Polixenes and helping him flee Sicilia, renders purity and kind-heartedness.
In Conclusion, the seasons within the play, winter and spring, act as a fore-runner for what is to come. Winter reflects a gloomier and cold mood, while spring represents a time of restoration. Conversely, winter may have a double connotation, and may be regarded as a representative of urity and innocence.
