Monday, November 23, 2009
King Leontes Realization
For this post I decided to talk about King Leontes'passage during the trial of the Queen Hermionie. I found thie Kings speech significant because it was a complete change of heart on his feelings of the Queen, his son, and Polixenes. Before the oracle delivered the message Leontes was stubborn, and felt completely sure that Hermionie had comitted adultery, however after he heard news of his son dying, and the queen later dying, King Leontes finally comes to realization. It is also significant because the conflict in the play seems to be over now, since the trial is over and the King has acknowledged his faults. It will be very interesting to See where Shakespeare will take us now since 2 of the main characters have died and the King now sees the truth
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Kofi, I agree with you that before the Oracle, Leontes was stubborn and positive that Hermione was guilty of her relationship with Polixenes. It is also odd that he is the judge for his own trial. Mamillius dies because he worries for his mother Hermione and she dies as well in result of Mamillius' death. After his two beloved people dies, he begins to point his finger at himself, blaming this catastophe on himself. You mentioned that King Leontes finally comes to realization. What kind of realization is this? Is he truly realizing and feeling guilty for his false suspicions of Hermione, or is he feeling sorry only because of her death? It took two people's deaths for Leontes to finally realize what he has gotten himself into. Leontes put Hermione in jail, orders Camillo to poison Polixenes, orders Antigonus to get rid of the baby, and indirectly kills his wife and son. After all this, he finally ocmes to realization that his suspicion of Hermione was too much. It makes me assume that Leontes does not realize that he went overboard, but he only feels remorse because of Mamillius' and Hermione's death. Leontes assumed Hermione, so I am going to assume Leontes as well.
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