The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of The Winter’s Tale with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare, a so-called ‘problem play’ that is believed to be one of the last works he ever wrote. It tells the story of Leontes, King of Sicily, who comes to (mistakenly) believe that his wife Hermione is having an affair with his friend Polixenes, King of Bohemia. After attempting to have Polixenes killed, he publicly accuses Hermione of adultery and banishes their newborn daughter. However, he comes to his senses after the apparent deaths of both Hermione and their young son, and spends the remainder of the play trying to atone for his actions. William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights in English literary history, and the popularity of his works remains undiminished even today, several centuries after his death.

Find out everything you need to know about The Winter’s Tale in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:

• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9782808017022

Book preview

ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT AND POET

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.

Died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.

Notable works:

Venus and Adonis (1593), poem

Hamlet (1603), play

Macbeth (1623), play

William Shakespeare is regarded as the most influential writer in English history. His 37 plays have been performed countless times, and have been reproduced and adapted across a broad range of periods and cultural contexts. As well as the plays, which can be loosely divided into tragedies, histories and comedies, Shakespeare wrote a number of narrative poems and sonnets. He also had an indelible influence on the English language itself, bringing a huge variety of words and phrases – as varied as swagger, bubble, mind’s eye and heart of gold – into regular usage.

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and had three children with her. Their only son, Hamnet, died at the age of 11. Very little else is known about Shakespeare’s life, which he spent between Stratford-upon-Avon and London. It is clear, however, that his literary talents were matched by a shrewd entrepreneurial spirit. He made a number of profitable investments in his lifetime, which gave him the financial freedom to devote himself to acting and writing. In 1599, Shakespeare and his acting