The Winter's Tale

In the following essay, Roger Trienens examines Leontes's apparently sudden and unfounded jealousy in Act I, scene ii, of The Winter's Tale. Trienens observes that most critics view Leontes's jealousy as either a weakness in Leontes's nature, or as improbable, and a flaw in Shakespeare's construction of the play. In the second essay, Michael Taylor examines the character of Leontes as an "innocent" figure. Taylor argues that by the play's end, this primal innocence is replaced by a new and more mature type of innocence, in which both intellect and passion, nature and art, are combined.

Roger J. Trienens
[In the following essay, Trienens examines Leontes's apparently sudden and unfounded jealousy in Act I, scene ii, of The Winter's Tale. Trienens observes that most critics view Leontes's jealousy as either a weakness in Leontes's nature, or as improbable, and a flaw in Shakespeare's construction of the play. Unsatisfied with such interpretations, Trienens highlights the problem with both views before presenting his own. Trienens argues that Leontes's jealousy does not appear suddenly, but rather is demonstrated from the play's beginning.]

The Winter's Tale | Leontes