Very early in the play, Leontes is deeply loving towards his wife and his best friend. However, when he observes them seeming affectionate towards each other, he quickly turns violently jealous. Scholars have difficulty accounting for why this happens because there does not seem to be an outside motivation for it. Whatever the reason, Leontes' jealousy becomes more and more violent, such that he first arranges to murder his friend and then puts his wife on trial. He refuses to believe the Delphic Oracle when it says that Hermione is innocent. Only when Paulina reports that she is dead does he show regret. The play indicates that he mourns her and his actions for the next 16 years, portraying a humility he has never shown before. When she is revealed to be alive (or the statue of her comes to life, depending on your interpretation of the play) he is shocked and grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment