The Winter's Tale | Pastoral Elements
In the first essay, Peter Lindenbaum examines the pastoral elements of the play, noting how pastoral life in Bohemia offers a sharp contrast to the world of the Sicilian court. Lindenbaum argues that although Perdita is presented as an idealized figure and serves as the primary spokesperson of the pastoral world and its values, the pastoral world itself is not romanticized. Thomas McFarland, in the second essay, traces Shakespeare's treatment of pastoral elements in The Winter's Tale. McFarland identifies the ways in which the normlly light and carefree pastoral vision is undercut by sadness and ambivalence throughout the play.
Peter Lindenbaum
[In the essay that follows, Lindenbaum examines the pastoral elements of the play, noting how pastoral life in Bohemia offers a sharp contrast to the world of the Sicilian court. Lindenbaum argues that although Perdita is presented as an idealized figure and serves as the primary spokesperson of the pastoral world and its values, the pastoral world itself is not romanticized. Lindenbaum maintains that Shakespeare presents a time of time as destructive, but through his depiction of pastoral life and Perdita's attitude toward life, we, the audience, are able to...
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