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The Winter's Tale

By William Shakespeare - Stage play

Stage playStageACT III, Scene 2

Roles

  • Hermione - Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50), Female

About this piece

Hermione defends herself in front of the court

Summary

Leontes is the king of Sicily. His childhood friend King Polixenes is visiting him from Bohemia. Polixenes is about to go back home and Leontes begs him to stay. Polixenes doesn't change his mind until Hermione, Leonte's wife, persuades him otherwise. Leontes is convinced that his wife is cheating on him with Polixenes and asks his servant Camillo to poison Polixenes. Camillo, however, warns Polixenes and they both flee Sicily. The king considers his escape a proof of his wife's infidelity and orders to arrest her. She is later brought in front of a formal court in order to give her a trial. She is charged with infidelity and is accused of having helped Polixenes and Camillo escape. In this monologue Hermione defends herself saying that she is innocent of the charges.

Tone

PersuasiveDepressedLamenting

Use cases

classaudition
View on Actorama

Library metadata only. SceneFiend never includes script text here - pick up the published version to rehearse.

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