Characters
Leontes, King of Sicily
Mamillius, Prince of Sicily
Lords of Sicily:- Camillo, Antiognous, Cleomenes, Dion
Polixenes, King of Bohemia and friend of Leontes
Florizel, a prince, son of Polixenes
An old shepherd, believed to be father of Perdita
Hermoine, wife of Leontes, Queen of Sicily
Perdita, daughter of Leontes and Hermoine
Paulina, wife of Antigonus
Emilia, a lady serving Hermoine
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Leonte, King of Sicily, and his Queen, the lovely Hermoine, once lived together in the greatest happiness. The love that they felt for each other made Leontes so happy that he had nothing left to wish for, except that he sometimes desired to see again his old companion and schoolfriend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia, and to introduce his friend to his queen.
Leontes and Polixenes had been brought up together as children but after the deaths of their fathers. each one had to rule his own kingdom. So they had not met for many years, though they often exchanged gifts, letters and loving messages.
At last after a repeated invitations, Polixenes came from Bohemia to the Sicilian court to pay his friend's Leontes a visit. At first this visit gave nothing but pleasure to Leontes. He begged the queen to show special care and attention to his dear friend and he seemed to have found perfect happiness now that he was with his old companion. They talked about old times; they remembered their schooldays and their youthful games. They told stories of these to Hermoine, who always took a cheerful part in these conversations.
When, after a long stay, Polixenes was preparing to leave, Hermoine, at her husband's wish, begged him to stay longer.
And now this good queen's sorrow began. Polixenes had refused to stay when Leontes asked him, but Hermoine's gentle words persuaded him to do so. Leontes had no reason at all to doubt either the honesty of his friend Polixenes or the excellent character of his good queen, but he was immediatly seized with an uncomforatable jealousy. Everything that Hermoine did for Polixenes although it was only done to please her husband, increased the unfortunate king's jealousy. Suddenly, Leontes changed from a true friend, and the best and most loving of husbands, into a wild and cruel creature. He sent for Camillo, one of the lords of his court, and told him of his suspicions about his wife's unfaithfulness. Then he ordered Camillo to poison Polixenes.
Camillo was a good man, who knew that there was no truth in Leontes' suspicions. So instead of poisoning Polixenes, he told him about his master's orders and agreed to escape with him from Sicily. Polixenes, with Camillo's help, arrived safely in his own kingdom of Bohemia. From that time, Camillo lived in the king court and became his chief friend and adviser.
The escape of Polixenes made the jeolous Leontes even more angry. He went to the queen's rooms, where her little son Mumillius was just beginning to tell his mother one of his best stories to amuse her. Taking the child away, the king sent Hermoine to prison.
Though Mamillius was a very young child, he loved his mother dearly. When he saw her treated so badly and realized that she had been taken away from him, he became very unhappy. Gradually he lost his desire to eat and sleep, until it was thought that his sadness would kill him.
