A Winter's Tale -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 10:28:54 04/20/08 Sun
Author: Shannon
Subject: A Winter's Tale

As we have already seen, Shakespeare often plays with mimesis in his plots. The late Romance, A Winter's Tale, is no exception. The most obvious set of mimetic doubles are the two kings, Leontes and Polixenes. There are few distinctions between them: both are kings, both are married and have sons about the same age; they shared the same education and youthful adventures; they even call eachother brothers. Polixenes picks up on their sameness when he describes this youth: "We were as twinned lambs that did frisk i'th'sun/ and bleat the one at th'other."
Their mutual affection has surpassed time and distance: "They were trained together in their childhood and there rooted betweixt them such an affection which cannot chose but branch now....they have seemed to be together though absent, shook hands as over vast,and embraced as it were from the ends of opposed winds." Of course, once this distanced is decreased by Polixenes long visit to Leontes' court, a rivalry which causes the play's tragic events rapidly emerges. Havning urged his friend to prolong his stay, Leontes convinces himself to distrust his best-friend and his own wife, ultimately accusing them of adultery and treason.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: A Winter's Tale -- Betsy Peters, 09:14:18 04/21/08 Mon