Shakespeare’s late romance divides into two tonal halves: the first a tragedy of irrational jealousy as King Leontes of Sicilia destroys his family on an unfounded suspicion; the second a pastoral comedy set sixteen years later in Bohemia. The play’s famous stage direction — ‘Exit, pursued by a bear’ — is the hinge between the two worlds, and its final scene one of the most extraordinary in Shakespeare.
Written around 1610–1611, The Winter’s Tale remains endlessly surprising. This free EPUB is formatted for any e-reader.