The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

Act 2 - Scene 3

A room in LEONTES’ palace.

Leontes : Nor night nor day no rest: it is but weakness [p]To bear the matter
thus; mere weakness. If [p]The cause were not in being,--part o' the
cause, [p]She the adulteress; for the harlot king [p]Is quite beyond
mine arm, out of the blank [p]And level of my brain, plot-proof; but
she [p]I can hook to me: say that she were gone, [p]Given to the fire,
a moiety of my rest [p]Might come to me again. Who's there?

First Servant : My lord?

Leontes : How does the boy?

First Servant : He took good rest to-night; [p]'Tis hoped his sickness is discharged.

Leontes : To see his nobleness! [p]Conceiving the dishonour of his mother, [p]He
straight declined, droop'd, took it deeply, [p]Fasten'd and fix'd the
shame on't in himself, [p]Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his
sleep, [p]And downright languish'd. Leave me solely: go, [p]See how he
fares. [p][Exit Servant] [p]Fie, fie! no thought of him: [p]The
thought of my revenges that way [p]Recoil upon me: in himself too
mighty, [p]And in his parties, his alliance; let him be [p]Until a
time may serve: for present vengeance, [p]Take it on her. Camillo and
Polixenes [p]Laugh at me, make their pastime at my sorrow: [p]They
should not laugh if I could reach them, nor [p]Shall she within my
power.

First Lord : You must not enter.

Paulina : Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me: [p]Fear you his tyrannous
passion more, alas, [p]Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent
soul, [p]More free than he is jealous.

Antigonus : That's enough.

Second Servant : Madam, he hath not slept tonight; commanded [p]None should come at
him.

Paulina : Not so hot, good sir: [p]I come to bring him sleep. 'Tis such as
you, [p]That creep like shadows by him and do sigh [p]At each his
needless heavings, such as you [p]Nourish the cause of his awaking:
I [p]Do come with words as medicinal as true, [p]Honest as either, to
purge him of that humour [p]That presses him from sleep.

Leontes : What noise there, ho?

Paulina : No noise, my lord; but needful conference [p]About some gossips for
your highness.

Leontes : How! [p]Away with that audacious lady! Antigonus, [p]I charged thee
that she should not come about me: [p]I knew she would.

Antigonus : I told her so, my lord, [p]On your displeasure's peril and on
mine, [p]She should not visit you.

Leontes : What, canst not rule her?

Paulina : From all dishonesty he can: in this, [p]Unless he take the course that
you have done, [p]Commit me for committing honour, trust it, [p]He
shall not rule me.

Antigonus : La you now, you hear: [p]When she will take the rein I let her
run; [p]But she'll not stumble.

Paulina : Good my liege, I come; [p]And, I beseech you, hear me, who
profess [p]Myself your loyal servant, your physician, [p]Your most
obedient counsellor, yet that dare [p]Less appear so in comforting
your evils, [p]Than such as most seem yours: I say, I come [p]From
your good queen.

Leontes : Good queen!

Paulina : Good queen, my lord, [p]Good queen; I say good queen; [p]And would by
combat make her good, so were I [p]A man, the worst about you.

Leontes : Force her hence.

Paulina : Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes [p]First hand me: on mine
own accord I'll off; [p]But first I'll do my errand. The good
queen, [p]For she is good, hath brought you forth a daughter; [p]Here
'tis; commends it to your blessing.

Leontes : Out! [p]A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o' door: [p]A most
intelligencing bawd!

Paulina : Not so: [p]I am as ignorant in that as you [p]In so entitling me, and
no less honest [p]Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll
warrant, [p]As this world goes, to pass for honest.

Leontes : Traitors! [p]Will you not push her out? Give her the bastard. [p]Thou
dotard! thou art woman-tired, unroosted [p]By thy dame Partlet here.
Take up the bastard; [p]Take't up, I say; give't to thy crone.

Paulina : For ever [p]Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou [p]Takest up the
princess by that forced baseness [p]Which he has put upon't!

Leontes : He dreads his wife.

Paulina : So I would you did; then 'twere past all doubt [p]You'ld call your
children yours.

Leontes : A nest of traitors!

Antigonus : I am none, by this good light.

Paulina : Nor I, nor any [p]But one that's here, and that's himself, for
he [p]The sacred honour of himself, his queen's, [p]His hopeful son's,
his babe's, betrays to slander, [p]Whose sting is sharper than the
sword's; [p]and will not-- [p]For, as the case now stands, it is a
curse [p]He cannot be compell'd to't--once remove [p]The root of his
opinion, which is rotten [p]As ever oak or stone was sound.

Leontes : A callat [p]Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband [p]And
now baits me! This brat is none of mine; [p]It is the issue of
Polixenes: [p]Hence with it, and together with the dam [p]Commit them
to the fire!

Paulina : It is yours; [p]And, might we lay the old proverb to your
charge, [p]So like you, 'tis the worse. Behold, my lords, [p]Although
the print be little, the whole matter [p]And copy of the father, eye,
nose, lip, [p]The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the
valley, [p]The pretty dimples of his chin and cheek, [p]His
smiles, [p]The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger: [p]And
thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it [p]So like to him that
got it, if thou hast [p]The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all
colours [p]No yellow in't, lest she suspect, as he does, [p]Her
children not her husband's!

Leontes : A gross hag [p]And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd, [p]That wilt
not stay her tongue.

Antigonus : Hang all the husbands [p]That cannot do that feat, you'll leave
yourself [p]Hardly one subject.

Leontes : Once more, take her hence.

Paulina : A most unworthy and unnatural lord [p]Can do no more.

Leontes : I'll ha' thee burnt.

Paulina : I care not: [p]It is an heretic that makes the fire, [p]Not she which
burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant; [p]But this most cruel usage of
your queen, [p]Not able to produce more accusation [p]Than your own
weak-hinged fancy, something savours [p]Of tyranny and will ignoble
make you, [p]Yea, scandalous to the world.

Leontes : On your allegiance, [p]Out of the chamber with her! Were I a
tyrant, [p]Where were her life? she durst not call me so, [p]If she
did know me one. Away with her!

Paulina : I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone. [p]Look to your babe, my
lord; 'tis yours: [p]Jove send her [p]A better guiding spirit! What
needs these hands? [p]You, that are thus so tender o'er his
follies, [p]Will never do him good, not one of you. [p]So, so:
farewell; we are gone.

Leontes : Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this. [p]My child? away with't!
Even thou, that hast [p]A heart so tender o'er it, take it
hence [p]And see it instantly consumed with fire; [p]Even thou and
none but thou. Take it up straight: [p]Within this hour bring me word
'tis done, [p]And by good testimony, or I'll seize thy life, [p]With
what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuse [p]And wilt encounter
with my wrath, say so; [p]The bastard brains with these my proper
hands [p]Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire; [p]For thou set'st
on thy wife.

Antigonus : I did not, sir: [p]These lords, my noble fellows, if they
please, [p]Can clear me in't.

Lords : We can: my royal liege, [p]He is not guilty of her coming hither.

Leontes : You're liars all.

First Lord : Beseech your highness, give us better credit: [p]We have always truly
served you, and beseech you [p]So to esteem of us, and on our knees we
beg, [p]As recompense of our dear services [p]Past and to come, that
you do change this purpose, [p]Which being so horrible, so bloody,
must [p]Lead on to some foul issue: we all kneel.

Leontes : I am a feather for each wind that blows: [p]Shall I live on to see
this bastard kneel [p]And call me father? better burn it now [p]Than
curse it then. But be it; let it live. [p]It shall not neither. You,
sir, come you hither; [p]You that have been so tenderly
officious [p]With Lady Margery, your midwife there, [p]To save this
bastard's life,--for 'tis a bastard, [p]So sure as this beard's
grey, [p]--what will you adventure [p]To save this brat's life?

Antigonus : Any thing, my lord, [p]That my ability may undergo [p]And nobleness
impose: at least thus much: [p]I'll pawn the little blood which I have
left [p]To save the innocent: any thing possible.

Leontes : It shall be possible. Swear by this sword [p]Thou wilt perform my
bidding.

Antigonus : I will, my lord.

Leontes : Mark and perform it, see'st thou! for the fail [p]Of any point in't
shall not only be [p]Death to thyself but to thy lewd-tongued
wife, [p]Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee, [p]As thou art
liege-man to us, that thou carry [p]This female bastard hence and that
thou bear it [p]To some remote and desert place quite out [p]Of our
dominions, and that there thou leave it, [p]Without more mercy, to its
own protection [p]And favour of the climate. As by strange
fortune [p]It came to us, I do in justice charge thee, [p]On thy
soul's peril and thy body's torture, [p]That thou commend it strangely
to some place [p]Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.

Antigonus : I swear to do this, though a present death [p]Had been more merciful.
Come on, poor babe: [p]Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and
ravens [p]To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say [p]Casting
their savageness aside have done [p]Like offices of pity. Sir, be
prosperous [p]In more than this deed does require! And
blessing [p]Against this cruelty fight on thy side, [p]Poor thing,
condemn'd to loss!

Leontes : No, I'll not rear [p]Another's issue.

Servant : Please your highness, posts [p]From those you sent to the oracle are
come [p]An hour since: Cleomenes and Dion, [p]Being well arrived from
Delphos, are both landed, [p]Hasting to the court.

First Lord : So please you, sir, their speed [p]Hath been beyond account.

Leontes : Twenty-three days [p]They have been absent: 'tis good speed;
foretells [p]The great Apollo suddenly will have [p]The truth of this
appear. Prepare you, lords; [p]Summon a session, that we may
arraign [p]Our most disloyal lady, for, as she hath [p]Been publicly
accused, so shall she have [p]A just and open trial. While she
lives [p]My heart will be a burthen to me. Leave me, [p]And think upon
my bidding.

Previous: Act 2 - Scene 2

Next: Act 3 - Scene 1

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