For next week: Act 3, scenes 1 and 2.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Winter's Tale, Act 2, Scene 3
Paul and I just finished reading this scene, and this is the question we are both asking: Leontes is pissed off at Paulina, at Antigonus, at Hermione, at the baby. He rails and shouts and threatens to kill them all. But he doesn't. Being the king, he's perfectly able to kill anyone he pleases. And he's certainly angry enough. But no one, in fact, dies (although we do learn that Mamillius is ominously ill). Why does Leontes, who seems to have no limit to his jealousy and rage, restrain himself from taking the final step?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Conor says:
Maybe on the inside Leontes really believes they're all innocent, and he's just throwing a tantrum.
Allison says:
I think I agree with Conor; it seems like maybe deep down inside there might be a scrap of sanity remaining in Leontes. Perhaps some tiny part of him is awaiting the ruling from the Oracle in order to quell some doubt that he's been betrayed. Or, even if he has no doubt at all and is just holding off on killing anybody until he gets the official word from the Oracle in order to justify his beliefs to others, that would also imply that part of his mind is still functioning rationally.
I'm pretty worried about Mamillius by the way, but I'm less worried about the new baby. As long as she's not tossed into a fire, we can hope for and ending to the play in which she is alive and fate, after a series of misadventures all around, returns her to her family.
Leontes is a bully and like so many bullies, is afraid especially when confronted by strong opposition. Paulina isn't afraid to speak her mind because, I believe, she really does love both Leontes and Herminone. She has truned out to be "the scold". I agree that Leontes must have at least a few shreds of decency left in his crazed mind.
I'm wondering how L will respond to the oracle. Like he responds to everyone else? Or will he finally acknowledge someone else's supremacy? I'm thinking that, with his family and his courtiers, he's painted himself into a corner. He can't say, "I was wrong," because kings aren't supposed to be wrong. What will they think of him if he shows weakness? Is it better to be an unreasonable bully or a wavering piss-ant? There are a lot of basic man-power-patriarch issues at stake here. It reminds me, in a way, of "King Lear."
Post a Comment