ACT 1
Scene 2

...he had one.
Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, Camillo, and Attendants.

... Speak you.
I had thought, sir, to have held my peace until
You had drawn oaths from him not to stay. You, sir,
Charge him too coldly. Tell him you are sure
All in Bohemia’s well. This satisfaction
The bygone day proclaimed. Say this to him,
He’s beat from his best ward.

...Well said, Hermione.
To tell he longs to see his son were strong.
But let him say so then, and let him go.
But let him swear so and he shall not stay;
We’ll thwack him hence with distaffs.
To Polixenes.
Yet of your royal presence I’ll adventure
The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia
You take my lord, I’ll give him my commission
To let him there a month behind the gest
Prefixed for ’s parting.—Yet, good deed, Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o’ th’ clock behind
What lady she her lord.—You’ll stay?

... No, madam.
Nay, but you will?

...may not, verily.
Verily?
You put me off with limber vows. But I,
Though you would seek t’ unsphere the stars with oaths,
Should yet say “Sir, no going.” Verily,
You shall not go. A lady’s “verily” is
As potent as a lord’s. Will you go yet?
Force me to keep you as a prisoner,
Not like a guest, so you shall pay your fees
When you depart and save your thanks. How say you?
My prisoner or my guest? By your dread “verily,”
One of them you shall be.

...you to punish.
Not your jailer, then,
But your kind hostess. Come, I’ll question you
Of my lord’s tricks and yours when you were boys.
You were pretty lordings then?

...be boy eternal.
Was not my lord
The verier wag o’ th’ two?

...cleared Hereditary ours.
By this we gather
You have tripped since.

...my young playfellow.
Grace to boot!
Of this make no conclusion, lest you say
Your queen and I are devils. Yet go on.
Th’ offenses we have made you do we’ll answer,
If you first sinned with us, and that with us
You did continue fault, and that you slipped not
With any but with us.

...he won yet?
He’ll stay, my lord.

...To better purpose.
Never?

...Never but once.
What, have I twice said well? When was ’t before?
I prithee tell me. Cram ’s with praise, and make ’s
As fat as tame things. One good deed dying tongueless
Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.
Our praises are our wages. You may ride ’s
With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs ere
With spur we heat an acre. But to th’ goal:
My last good deed was to entreat his stay.
What was my first? It has an elder sister,
Or I mistake you. O, would her name were Grace!
But once before I spoke to th’ purpose? When?
Nay, let me have ’t; I long.

...am yours forever.”
’Tis grace indeed.
Why, lo you now, I have spoke to th’ purpose twice.
The one forever earned a royal husband,
Th’ other for some while a friend.
She gives Polixenes her hand.

...What means Sicilia?
He something seems unsettled.

...you, best brother?
You look
As if you held a brow of much distraction.
Are you moved, my lord?

...to my heart.
If you would seek us,
We are yours i’ th’ garden. Shall ’s attend you there?

...her allowing husband!
Exit Hermione, Polixenes, and Attendants.

ACT 2
Scene 1

...Come, sir, away.
Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.
Take the boy to you. He so troubles me
’Tis past enduring.

...time encounter her!
What wisdom stirs amongst you?—Come, sir, now
I am for you again. Pray you sit by us,
And tell ’s a tale.

...shall ’t be?
As merry as you will.

...sprites and goblins.
Let’s have that, good sir.
Come on, sit down. Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites. You’re powerful at it.

...was a man—
Nay, come sit down, then on.

...not hear it.
Come on then, and give ’t me in mine ear.
They talk privately.

...blood in him.
What is this? Sport?

...thee swell thus.
But I’d say he had not,
And I’ll be sworn you would believe my saying,
Howe’er you lean to th’ nayward.

...She’s an adult’ress.
Should a villain say so,
The most replenished villain in the world,
He were as much more villain. You, my lord,
Do but mistake.

...their late escape.
No, by my life,
Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have published me! Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly then to say
You did mistake.

...that he speaks.
There’s some ill planet reigns.
I must be patient till the heavens look
With an aspect more favorable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are, the want of which vain dew
Perchance shall dry your pities. But I have
That honorable grief lodged here which burns
Worse than tears drown. Beseech you all, my lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so
The King’s will be performed.

...I be heard?
Who is ’t that goes with me? Beseech your Highness
My women may be with me, for you see
My plight requires it.—Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause. When you shall know your mistress
Has deserved prison, then abound in tears
As I come out. This action I now go on
Is for my better grace.—Adieu, my lord.
I never wished to see you sorry; now
I trust I shall.—My women, come; you have leave.

...our bidding. Hence!
Hermione exits, under guard, with her Ladies.

ACT 3
Scene 2

...here in court.
Enter Hermione, as to her trial, Paulina, and Ladies.

...away by night.
Since what I am to say must be but that
Which contradicts my accusation, and
The testimony on my part no other
But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me
To say “Not guilty.” Mine integrity,
Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,
Be so received. But thus: if powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do,
I doubt not then but innocence shall make
False accusation blush and tyranny
Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know,
Whom least will seem to do so, my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, though devised
And played to take spectators. For behold me,
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe
A moiety of the throne, a great king’s daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince, here standing
To prate and talk for life and honor fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief, which I would spare. For honor,
’Tis a derivative from me to mine,
And only that I stand for. I appeal
To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be so; since he came,
With what encounter so uncurrent I
Have strained t’ appear thus; if one jot beyond
The bound of honor, or in act or will
That way inclining, hardened be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near’st of kin
Cry fie upon my grave.

...perform it first.
That’s true enough,
Though ’tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

...not own it.
More than mistress of
Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not
At all acknowledge. For Polixenes,
With whom I am accused, I do confess
I loved him as in honor he required,
With such a kind of love as might become
A lady like me, with a love even such,
So and no other, as yourself commanded,
Which not to have done, I think, had been in me
Both disobedience and ingratitude
To you and toward your friend, whose love had spoke,
Even since it could speak, from an infant, freely
That it was yours. Now, for conspiracy,
I know not how it tastes, though it be dished
For me to try how. All I know of it
Is that Camillo was an honest man;
And why he left your court, the gods themselves,
Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.

...in ’s absence.
Sir,
You speak a language that I understand not.
My life stands in the level of your dreams,
Which I’ll lay down.

...less than death.
Sir, spare your threats.
The bug which you would fright me with I seek.
To me can life be no commodity.
The crown and comfort of my life, your favor,
I do give lost, for I do feel it gone,
But know not how it went. My second joy
And first fruits of my body, from his presence
I am barred like one infectious. My third comfort,
Starred most unluckily, is from my breast,
The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth,
Haled out to murder; myself on every post
Proclaimed a strumpet; with immodest hatred
The childbed privilege denied, which longs
To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i’ th’ open air, before
I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what blessings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore proceed.
But yet hear this (mistake me not: no life,
I prize it not a straw, but for mine honor,
Which I would free), if I shall be condemned
Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else
But what your jealousies awake, I tell you
’Tis rigor, and not law. Your Honors all,
I do refer me to the oracle.
Apollo be my judge.

...name, his oracle.
The Emperor of Russia was my father.
O, that he were alive and here beholding
His daughter’s trial, that he did but see
The flatness of my misery, yet with eyes
Of pity, not revenge.

...the great Apollo!
Praised!

...at my injustice.
Hermione falls.

...remedies for life.
Paulina exits with Officers carrying Hermione.

ACT 5
Scene 3

...say ’tis well.
to reveal Hermione (like a statue).

...perceive she stirs.
Hermione descends.

...Perdita is found.
You gods, look down,
And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter’s head! Tell me, mine own,
Where hast thou been preserved? Where lived? How found
Thy father’s court? For thou shalt hear that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the oracle
Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved
Myself to see the issue.

...Hastily lead away.
They exit.