English 304: Shakespeare: Major Plays (Prof. Boyer)

The best beginning procedure is always to familiarize yourself with the cast of characters and then to read the play (or at least an act or a scene) all the way through so that you know what's happening. The notes can help if you're stuck, but try to get the big picture of a scene before getting bogged down in details. Read through, then go back and clear up details. Then you're ready to think about the questions.

Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5
Return to list of English 304 reading questions 

ACT 1

1.1
1.	What do we learn from the opening of the scene (1.1.1-40)? Who is visiting whom, and which kingdom are they in? What is expected to happen the next summer? Why is Sicilia (Leontes) so kind to Bohemia (Polixenes)? Who is Mamillius and why is he being praised?
1.2
1.	How long has Polixenes been in Sicilia (1.2.1-2)? When does he plan to leave? What does Leontes ask him to do? Who is Hermione and what does she add to the discussion (1.2.27-46)? How does she get Polixenes to agree to stay (1.2.47-61). What important thing about Hermione do we tend to ignore while reading that would be very obvious on stage?
2.	How does Polixenes describe his and Leontes' boyhoods (1.2.61-88)?
3.	How does Leontes respond to Hermione's success in getting Polixenes to stay (1.2.88-89)? When, according to Leontes, did Hermione once before spoke well (1.2.90-110)?
4.	How does Leontes behave when Hermione and Polixenes go off together (1.2.111-121)? What is wrong with him? How does his discussion with Mamillius help the development of his response (1.2.121-148)?
5.	Does Leontes tell Hermione and Polixenes what is bothering him? What do they talk about instead (1.2.148-181)?
6.	What does Leontes say he is doing when Hermione and Polixenes leave again (1.2.181ff)? Read Leontes' speech (1.2.186-208) carefully. What is he saying? What does he believe is going on between Hermione and Polixenes? Look back carefully at what has happened so far in the scene. Can you tell when Leontes first becomes jealous? Has anyone caused his jealousy in the way Iago causes Othello's?
7.	What happens in the scene between Leontes and Camillo (1.2.209-351)? How convinced is Camillo of the truth of Leontes' suspicions? How willing is Leontes to listen to Camillo's ideas? How easy do you think it will be to prove to Leontes that his suspicions are false?
8.	What does Leontes order Camillo to do (1.2.314-320)? Why does Camillo say that he will do it? Once Leontes leaves at line 351, what does Camillo resolve to do (1.2.352-364)?
9.	In the scene between Polixenes and Camilla (1.2.365-465), how does Polixenes respond when Camillo tells him what he has been ordered to do? What do the two of them decide to do? What problems might their departure cause?

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ACT 2

2.1
1.	In the first part of the scene (2.1.1-34), what sort of tale does Mamillius say he will tell? Why is line 27 worth noting?
2.	What happens when Leontes and the lords enter after line 34? Notice Leontes' wonderful description of his jealousy in 2.1.41-47. How does Hermione respond to Leontes' accusations? Why can't Leontes afford to think he is wrong (2.1.102-105)? What happens to Hermione by line 127?
3.	In the last part of the scene (2.1.128-201), how willing is Leontes to listen to his lords? Are there any lords that believe he is right in his accusations? (Compare the lords in this scene to Kent in the first scene of King Lear.) Notice Leontes' claim of prerogative in 2.1.163-172. How willing is he to listen to advice?
4.	What has Leontes say he has done to provide confirmation of his accusations (2.1.182-195)? Why, according to Leontes, does Hermione need to be imprisoned (2.1.195-198)?
5.	What do you make of Antigonus' last speech (2.1.200-201)? Is it appropriate considering the circumstances? What does it suggest?
2.2
1.	Who is Paulina and why has she come to the prison at the beginning of the scene? What has happened to Hermione in prison (2.2.25-32)? What does Paulina decide to do about it (2.2.32-45)?
2.	How does Paulina convince the jailer to let her take the baby (2.2.59-69)? Notice the language of Paulina's speech, especially lines 62-64). This is a theme that will return, a theme connected with the child.
2.3
1.	In the first part of the scene (2.3.1-26), what condition is Leontes in? Why? What has happened to Mamillius? What sort of revenge does Leontes plan on Polixenes and Camillo? How else will he get revenge?
2.	How effective are the lords in controlling Paulina (2.3.26-39)? How does Leontes respond to her arrival (2.3.39-52)?
3.	What does Paulina tell Leontes and how does he respond (2.3.52-130)? What is the effect of having Paulina being more willing to stand up to Leontes than the lords are? Notice how similar her role is to that of Kent in the opening scene of King Lear. In Paulina we have a second strong example (after Kent) of what Richard Strier calls "faithful servants," who through disobedience are actually faithful to their lords.
4.	In the next portion of the scene (2.3.131-193), what happens to the baby girl? What happens as a result of Antigonus' plea to let the child live? Does Antigonus see any hope for the child (2.3.185-192)?
5.	What will happen as a result of the return of the messengers sent to Delphi (2.3.193-207). What knowledge might Shakespeare have of state trials in England in which a queen is accused of treason? How fair might such a trial be?

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ACT 3

3.1
1.	What is the effect of this short scene between the two messengers sent to Delphi, Cleomenes and Dion? Do they know what the oracle says?
3.2
1.	Where are we in this scene? What is happening?
2.	What does the indictment accuse Hermione of (3.1.12-19)?
3.	How does Hermione respond? Read 3.1.20-74 carefully, especially Hermione's speeches. How well does she present her case? How does she compare to Leontes in this portion of the scene?
4.	Notice the language of dreams in 3.2.75-82, and continue through the remainder of that speech (to line 89).
5.	Read Hermione's next speeches carefully (3.2.89-121). Which of Hermione's "prerogatives" have been violated (the term isn't used, but could be, especially related to lines 101-104? How does she answer the accusations (3.2.108-112)? To what does she turn for judgment (3.2.112-114)? Is this a wise move?
6.	The trial scene and especially Hermione's speeches in her own defense are very reminiscent of the divorce trial of Henry VIII's first queen, Katharine of Aragon, in 1529. Shakespeare (possibly working with another writer) dramatized this scene a few years after The Winter's Tale in Henry VIII (called All Is True by the Oxford editors and so appearing under that title in the Norton Shakespeare). For Katherine's speeches see 2.4.11-130, pp. 3149-3152.
7.	What preparations are made for the reading of the oracle (3.2.122-130)? What does the oracle say (3.2.131-134)? How easily understood is the oracle? (Oracles from classical literature on are notoriously vague; for a more typical example see Cymbeline 5.5.232-237, p. 3032.)
8.	What are the responses to the reading of the oracle? How, especially, does Leontes respond (3.2.138-139)? Is this a wise response to an oracle of a god?
9.	What happens next (3.2.140-143)? What is the effect of having the death of Mamillius reported at exactly this moment? What effect does it have on Leontes (3.2.144-145)? What effect does it have on Hermione (3.2.145-147)? What does Leontes say will happen (3.2.147-151)?
10.	Does Leontes now understand his mistake? (See 3.2.151-170.)
11.	Paulina returns and delivers the equivalent of a messenger's speech in classical tragedy. Read her speechs carefully (3.2.173-230). Leontes thought everything could be made well again quickly and easily (3.2.153-154). Does Paulina see it that way? Notice especially 3.2.205-212. And given Leontes' response to Paulina in 2.3, is anything surprising about 3.2.212-213? Might this line even deserve a laugh? What would be the effect of laughter in the audience at this point of the play?
12.	How does Leontes now plan to live the rest of his life (3.2.230-241)?
3.3
1.	Where are we now? Where is Bohemia? What is Antigonus doing (3.3.1-14)? What is the weather like?
2.	Read Antigonus' speech (3.3.14-56) carefully. What do we learn from his report of his dream? What is the child's name to be? What does it mean? What does Antigonus believe has happened to Hermione? What things does Antigonus leave with the baby?
3.	What happens to Antigonus (3.3.56-57)? Note one of the most famous of Shakespeare's stage directions.
4.	What happens next? Is this still tragic? What is the effect of having a comic old man come on stage after Antigonus has been chased off by the bear?
5.	What is the old shepherd's response to finding the baby (3.3.67-72)? Who does he think the child's parents are?
6.	What happens when the clown (his son) enters at 3.3.75? What do we learn about the fate of Antigonus and the ship he was on (3.3.76-102)? Is it surprising to have these events reported in such a humorous way? What is the effect of that? (Notice, especially in lines 99-102, how these characters are related in their pity to the nameless servants in the scene of Gloucester's blinding in King Lear, 3.7.)
7.	Lines 103-105, as we shall see, are a hinge between the two very different parts of the play. What are the two "sides" of the hinge?
8.	What do the shepherd find with the baby (3.3.107-124)? What will the two men do now? What will happen to Perdita?

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ACT 4

4.1
1.	How much time has passed since the end of act 3? How do we know? Who is Florizel? What has happened to Perdita? How old is she now, and who does she think she is?
4.2
1.	What does Camillo want (4.2.3-7)? How does Polixenes respond (4.2.8-21)?
2.	What is his current concern (4.2.21-40)? Who is Florizel? Whom is he in love with? Why doesn't it surprise us that her father has grown rich?
3.	What plan does Polixenes have (4.2.40-47)?
4.3
1.	How does the tone of the play change at the beginning of 4.3? Who is Autolycus? What is his history (4.3.13-14)? What does he do (4.3.23-29)? What does his name suggest about him? (See note 7 to line 24.)
2.	What happens when Autolycus encounters the Clown (4.3.29-108)? Where is the Clown going when he meets Autolycus?
4.4
1.	Notice, in the opening stage direction, Florizel's disguise as Doricles and Perdita's costume of Queen of the Feast. Are we surprised that Florizel and Perdita are together? Can you predict now how this friendship will help to resolve the other issues of the play?
2.	How comfortable is Perdita in her costume/role (4.4.1-14)? How did Florizel first meet her (4.4.14-16)? What bothers Perdita and how does Florizel respond (4.4.16-52)? Who enters almost as soon as Florizel finishes? Do you think the audience should recognize Polixenes and Camillo at this point?
3.	What happens when Perdita gives the new guests flowers (4.4.73-161)? Pay special attention to the debate about grafting (lines 79-108). Notice the opposition of art and nature in the discussion, and especially the idea of "great creating nature" (line 88), which echoes 2.2.63, where it is connected with the infant Perdita. And notice that what Polixenes is arguing for (grafting) is a plant version of what Florizel and Perdita would do if married.
4.	Who shows up at the feast (4.4.182ff)? What sorts of ballads does he have (4.4.250-279)? Do you trust the truthfulness of the ballads?
5.	When Florizel talks to Polixenes and Camillo again and asks them to witness his betrothal to Perdita (4.4.329-405), why won't Florizel tell his father about his proposed marriage? What happens as a result (4.4.405-429)? How does Perdita respond (4.4.429-438)?
6.	What suggestion for solving Florizel's problems with his father does Camillo make (4.4.438-583)? What does Camillo stand to gain from this suggestion?
7.	How successful has Autolycus been (4.4.584-603)? What happens when Autolycus encounters Camillo and Florizel (4.4.604-644)? What is the next step in Camillo's plan to get to Sicilia (4.4.645-650)?
8.	Why are the Old Shepherd and the Clown going to King Polixenes (4.4.668ff)? What do they fear will happen? What are they taking with them? Why are these things important? How does Autolycus offer to help them (4.4.692ff)? Where is the King, and what does Autolycus say to make the Old Shepherd and the Clown more uncomfortable (4.4.737-800)? How does Autolycus view his actions (4.4.801-810)?

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ACT 5

5.1
1.	How far have things gotten in Sicilia in the sixteen years since Hermione's death? What are the lords urging Leontes to do (5.1.1-6 and 24-34)? How do Paulina and Leontes respond (5.1.34-69)? What does Leontes swear to Paulina, and how does she respond (5.1.69-84)?
2.	Who has arrived, and how do Leontes and Paulina respond to the descriptions (5.1.85-122)?
3.	How does Leontes greet Florizel and Perdita (5.1.123-177)? How and why does his response to them change (5.5.178-232)? Who is reported to be with Polixenes and Camillo (5.1.185-201)? Why is it important that they are there?
5.2
1.	And so we get to see the wonderful, long-awaited reunion of father and daughter-don't we? What happens to the reunion? What is the effect of having it merely reported, and by people who say "You had to be there"? Actually, Shaespeare has already written a wonderful father-daughter reunion, for Pericles. In that play, Pericles has been travelling over the Mediterranean lamenting his lost wife and daughter Marina, who, unknown to him, had been sold into slavery and forced to work in a brothel (where she converts every customer). When Pericles' ship comes to town, she is sent to cheer him up. The meeting is in scene 21 of Pericles, pp. 2766-2772.
2.	What happened when Leontes and Polixenes meet, as described by the gentlemen for Autolycus, who, like us, has been kept from seeing the event (5.2.1-83)?
3.	Where are they all going now, and why (5.2.84-101)?
4.	Why, according to Autolycus, did it take this long for the truth to be revealed (5.5.102-110)? What has happened to the Old Shepherd and the Clown, and what will happen to Autolycus (5.5.111-157)?
5.3
1.	What happens when they all go to see Hermione's statue? Read 5.3.1-129 carefully. How would this scene appear to a theater audience, which does not have the stage directions to read but can only see what happens on stage and hear what the actors say?
2.	How does Leontes settle the remaining issues (5.3.136-156)?

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