The First Folio is the sole authority for this play. The print house copy appears to have been Ralph Crane’s transcript either of Shakespeare’s fair copy or a promptbook.
THE WINTER’S TALE also contains Shakespeare’s best (or, perhaps, most infamous) stage direction:
“Exit pursued by a bear” (3.3.58 / TLN 1500)
The play is about as true a romantic tragicomedy (or “mixed-bag”) as you can get. It starts up as a COMEDY. Then rather suddenly — “If this be nothing” (1.2.295 / TLN 389) — turns into a TRAGEDY. Upon our arrival in Bohemia (at 3.3) and the entrance of the Shepherd (3.3.59 / TLN 1501), it will turn again into a PASTORAL. But, as in all of Shakespeare’s romances, in the end the protagonists are reconciled and something lost is miraculously recovered.
Subdivisions of ACTS & SCENES are according to the FOLIO.
1.1: line 1
1.2: line 48
2.1: line 583
2.2: line 819
2.3: line 897
3.1: line 1144
3.2: line 1173
3.3: line 1136
4.1: line 1578
4.2: line 1612
4.3: line 1667
4.4: line 1795
5.1: line 2724
5.2: line 3009
5.3: line 3183
_______________
Entrances & exits of Characters
According to their order of appearance.
• (2,47) reads “enters at line 2, exits at line 47″.
• DISGUISED as Doricles (1796,2262)
is inserted at the end of a character’s list (in this case Florizel’s) to indicate the “duration” of said disguise.
• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
CAMILLO (Lord of Leontes’ Court)
(2,47) (49,582) (1613,1666) (1857,2552) (3184,3369) DISGUISED (1857,2324)
Archidamus (a Bohemian Lord)
(2,47)
LEONTES (King of Sicily)
(49,453) (628,818) (989,1143) (1174,1435) (2725,3008) (3184,3369)
HERMIONE (his Queen)
(49,264) (584,733) (1185,1338) (3208,3369) [RIP @ 1388] DISGUISED as a Statue (3208,3312)
Mamillius (his son)
(49,294) (584,660) RIP @ 1329
POLIXENES (King of Bohemia)
(49,264) (467,582) (1613,1666) (1857,2285) (3184,3369) DISGUISED (1857,2260)
ANTIGONUS (Lord of Leontes’ Court)
(628,818) (928,1124) (1437,1500) RIP
PAULINA (wife of Antigonus)
(820,896) (928,1058) (1185,1338) (1357,1435) (2725,3008) (3184,3369)
Jailer
(824,842) (844,896)
Emilia (attendant of Hermione)
(844,896)
Cleomines (Lord of Leontes’ Court)
(1145,1172) (1303,1435) (2725,2868) (2878,3008)
Dion (Lord of Leontes’ Court)
(1145,1172) (1303,1435) (2725,3008)
Mariners
(1437,1456)
SHEPHERD
(1501,1577) (1857,2309) (2566,2711) (3131,3182)
CLOWN (Shepherd’s son)
(1520,1577) (1700,1785) (1857,2144) (2566,2711) (3131,3182)
Time
(1579,1611)
AUTOLICUS (a rogue singer)
(1668,1794) (2043,2144) (2471,2723) (3010,3182)
FLORIZEL (Son of King Polixenes)
(1796,2552) (2878,3008) (3184,3369) DISGUISED as Doricles (1796,2262)
PERDITA (long lost daughter of Leontes)
(1796,2552) (2878,3008) (3184,3369)
Mopsa & Dorcas (shepherdesses)
(1857,2144)
Servant announcing the “dance of twelve satyrs”
(2145,2163)
Twelve Satyrs (stage direction: “Here a dance of twelve satyrs”)
(2164)
Sicilian Gent#1 (3010,3120)
Sic. Gent#2 (3029,3120)
Sic. Gent#3 (3052,3120) ___________
The play takes place in two distinct locations:
• SICILY (1,1435) & again (2724,3369)
• BOHEMIA (1436,2723)
The SICILIAN characters are:
LEONTES
CAMILLO
HERMIONE
MAMILLIUS
ANTIGONUS
PAULINA
EMILIA
CLEOMINES & DION
PERDITA
And the BOHEMIAN characters:
POLIXENES
ARCHIDAMUS
SHEPHERD
CLOWN
AUTOLICUS
FLORIZEL
MOPSA & DORCAS
THE TWELVE SATYRS
___________
POLIXENES as a Gentleman (1857,2260), Conscious
CAMILLO as a Gentleman (1857,2260), Conscious
FLORIZEL as Doricles (1796,2262), Conscious
HERMIONE as a Statue (3208,3312), Conscious
PERDITA is disguised (1796,2552) (2878,3008), Un-conscious
•(2164)
Type: Maske (red)
Title: A Dance of Twelve Satyres
•(3208,3312)
Type: Gulling (green)
Title: The Queenes Picture