‘The Office Becomes a Woman Best’: Paulina’s Activism in The Winter’s Tale
Dr. Brian Mendonça
brianlibra@gmail.com
Abstract
In The
Winter’s Tale Shakespeare brings about the redemption of a woman through
the ‘office’ of another woman, Paulina.
Paulina’s first office is in the prison to visit
Hermione. She has to prove Hermione, assumed guilty, to be innocent. As a woman she understands the distress of
another woman – her queen and one who has just delivered a child.
It is Paulina who adamantly states that she will
plead her queen’s case before the king. Though it seems foolhardy to do so --
given the furious mood of the king -- she is most memorable when she appears
before the enraged king with his new-born baby daughter just delivered in
prison. Pauline pleads to the king’s humanity, but has to face all manner of
curses, even being threatened with death. She endures it all and with her guile
outwits the king and restores the status quo.
Faced with the inescapable guilt of his action, and
the desperation of trying to redeem himself, Leontes looks up to Paulina who
has the moral high ground. Though she is not royalty, she gradually assumes a
hold over Leontes by trapping him in her moral universe. The mighty king
becomes her vassal, and takes her, as his confidante. From here it is easy for
her to influence the king’s actions and bring about the results she wants. Her
activism is exemplary in the fight for justice for a woman scorned for no fault
of hers. She is a beacon for our times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shakespeare
Festival. Organized by Department of English, Goa University in collaboration
with Institute Menezes Braganza, IMB Hall, Panaji, 14-15 October 2016.
Comments