Roy Lotz's Reviews > The Winter's Tale

When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o’ the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that, move still, still so,
And own no other function.

After slogging my way through the problem plays, the late tragedies, and the early romances, this play is a sweet relief. Shakespeare here returns to form with this delightful work. The play is easy to enjoy: winsome characters, pastoral romance, and a whimsical plot. I particularly liked Shakespeare’s depiction of sexual jealousy in the play’s beginning acts, as Leontes’ hysterical suspicion becomes a form of incurable madness. Here we can see how jealousy, once it has taken hold, can use the same warped logic as a conspiracy theory: the slightest supporting evidence is seized upon, and everything contrary is ignored or dismissed as a lie.

The enormous scene four of the fourth act is a particular jewel. Seldom has Shakespeare portrayed young love so convincingly. And, of course, the thief and song-peddlar Autolyclus is a comic delight. For my part, the seacoast of Bohemian and the living statue only add to the many charms of this work.