The Winter's Tale

Hermione is the Queen of Sicilia, the devoted wife of Leontes. She is the daughter of an Emperor of Russia and mother to both Mamillius and Perdita. All of Sicilia believes her to be the most virtuous woman and several characters come to her defense when Leontes spreads lies about her infidelity. Camillo risks his life and flees the country because he believes Hermione to be innocent, and Antigonus also risks his life to uphold her innocence and that of her daughter. She is not only characterized by her virtue, but her assertiveness.

Her testimony during her trial is a significant moment that shows how willing she is to defend her honor from her own husband’s slander. Despite being imprisoned and believing her daughter to be dead, Hermione remains collected and aware of her own situation, saying, “Since what I am to say must be but that / Which contradicts my accusation and / The testimony on my part no other / But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me / To say ‘not guilty:’ mine integrity / Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it, Be so received” (3.2.1233-7). Even while admitting she has nothing left to live for, she is still more rational and impartial than Leontes.

Hermione’s whereabouts for 16 years are uncertain, with certain elements suggesting Paulina hid her while others suggesting an actual death and resurrection. Her final line, directed only toward the gods and her daughter, is “preserved / Myself to see” Perdita’s return (5.3.3437-44). The timing of her resurrection not only coincides with the fulfillment of the Oracle’s prophecy and her daughter’s return, but acts as the culmination of Leontes’s penance—making Hermione a reward of sorts. Even so, she does not speak to Leontes after her resurrection, complicating her role as a reward. Her time as a statue, whether literal or metaphorical, and subsequent resurrection also cast her as a Christ-like figure. Hermione is made a scapegoat for Leontes’s jealousy, her truth contrasting with his self-righteousness.

Not unlike her friend Hermione, Paulina embodies truth. A noblewoman close to Hermione, whom she honors and defends even after her supposed death, Paulina is married to Antigonus, a confidant of Leontes, and has three daughters, all of whom are believed to be virtuous by her husband. She is devout in her faith, being the character most concerned with the fulfillment of the Oracle’s prophecy and holding Leontes to it. In a way, she herself functions as an oracle, telling him the truth and prophesying his downfall when he refuses to listen to her. He calls Paulina a witch, suspecting her of performing magic when she tries to reason with him and admonishing Antigonus for not controlling his wife. Just before Hermione’s resurrection, Paulina alludes to the king’s former accusations saying “you’ll think— / Which I protest against—I am assisted / By wicked powers” (5.3.3395-7). Though some believe Hermione is brought back to life through magic, Paulina knows the only power she wields is that of truth. Rather than performing witchcraft, she speaks her mind in the presence of the king, something Leontes initially rebukes but eventually rewards her for.

In the latter half of the play, Paulina takes on the role of Leontes’s moral compass, pushing him to atone for his sins by bringing up the past. He sees her as the person “Who hast the memory of Hermione” (5.1.2878) and, seeing her as an extension of the late queen, puts his fate in her hands. He even allows her to determine whether or not he should remarry. Though she keeps Leontes repentant, it is all in service of Hermione. This makes her one of the most virtuous characters in the play, the other being Camillo, to whom she is promised to marry by Leontes.

Polixenes is the King of Bohemia and childhood friend of Leontes. Leontes suspects him of having an affair with his wife Hermione, but Polixenes only honors Hermione as he would a queen. In the first half of the play, he is framed as virtuous, but the latter half frames him as a tyrannical father and king concerned with the continuation of his bloodline. When he learns his son, Florizel, has been associating with a shepherd’s daughter and intends to marry her, Polixenes threatens her family with execution and Florizel with disownment. When he learns the shepherd’s daughter is Perdita, Sicilia’s princess, he has few qualms about their marriage and reconciles with Leontes.

Camillo is a nobleman from Sicilia who is characterized by his honesty and morality. Though he outwardly agrees to Leontes’s poisoning of Polixenes, he instead warns the other king and flees to Bohemia with him. After 16 years, he recognizes his former king’s repentance and wishes to return home. When Camillo witnesses Polixenes’s harsh treatment of his son, he urges Florizel and Perdita to escape with him to Sicilia. Though his actions may read as fickle, he only does so to adhere to his moral compass. This makes him one of the most virtuous characters in the play, the other being Paulina, to whom he is promised to marry by Leontes.