Hermione’s Monologue from The Winter’s Tale, Act 3, Scene 2: "Sir, spare your threats"

Synopsis

Accused of infidelity by her husband, King Leontes, and subjected to a public trial, Hermione stands her ground with dignity and poise. This monologue reveals her resilience and strength as she declares her innocence and critiques the injustice of Leontes’s accusations. Hermione contrasts her lack of regard for her own life with her unwavering commitment to defending her honour and calls upon the Oracle of Apollo as the ultimate judge of her innocence.

What’s just happened before this moment that’s relevant to the scene?

Leontes has accused Hermione of committing adultery with Polixenes, his childhood friend, and has imprisoned her despite her protests. This trial is Hermione’s opportunity to defend herself publicly against the unfounded charges.

Original Text

*"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 favour,
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 its 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 honour,
Which I would free – if I shall be condemned
Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else
But what your jealousies awake, I tell you
‘Tis rigour and not law. Your honours all,
I do refer me to the Oracle:
Apollo be my judge!"*

Translation of Text into Contemporary Language

*"Sir, save your threats.
The thing you’re trying to scare me with—death—is something I welcome.
Life holds no value for me anymore.
The greatest joy in my life, your love,
Is already gone; I feel its absence
But don’t even know how or why it left.
My second joy, my son, the first gift of my body,
Has been taken from me, as if I were diseased.
My third comfort, my baby,
Born under the worst luck,
Was ripped from my breast—
The innocent milk taken from its innocent mouth—
And murdered.

I’ve been proclaimed a whore publicly,
Shamed with hateful accusations.
Even the basic recovery time that all women are entitled to after childbirth
Has been denied to me.
I’ve been dragged here, into the open air,
Before I’ve even regained my strength.
So tell me, my king,
What blessings do I have left in this life
That should make me fear death?
Go ahead and sentence me.

But hear this—I don’t value my life, not even a little.
But my honour is something I will fight to protect.
If I’m condemned on mere suspicions,
With no real proof except your jealous imaginings,
That’s cruelty, not justice.
To all of you here, I appeal to the Oracle:
Let Apollo judge my case."*

Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words

  • The bug: A thing used to frighten someone.

  • Commodity: Something valuable.

  • Haled: Dragged or pulled.

  • Strumpet: A derogatory term for a promiscuous woman.

  • Childbed privilege: The traditional rest and recovery time afforded to women after childbirth.

  • Strength of limit: Physical strength or recovery.

  • Rigour: Harshness or severity.

  • Surmises: Guesses or assumptions.

Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing with Acting Notes

  1. "Sir, spare your threats: The bug which you would fright me with, I seek. To me can life be no commodity;"
    Acting Note: Begin with calm defiance. Hermione is composed but firm, dismissing Leontes’s threats and making it clear she does not fear death.

  2. "The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, I do give lost, for I do feel it gone, But know not how it went."
    Acting Note: Shift to sorrow. Hermione laments the loss of Leontes’s love, her tone reflective and tinged with heartbreak.

  3. "My second joy, And first-fruits of my body, from his presence I am barred, like one infectious."
    Acting Note: Let the pain deepen. Her son’s removal adds to her suffering, and her voice should carry a sense of injustice and grief.

  4. "My third comfort, Starred most unluckily, is from my breast – The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth – Haled out to murder."
    Acting Note: Deliver this with anguish. The murder of her newborn child is the ultimate cruelty, and Hermione’s words should carry the weight of this tragedy.

  5. "Myself on every post Proclaimed a strumpet; with immodest hatred The childbed privilege denied, which ‘longs To women of all fashion;"
    Acting Note: Add righteous indignation. Hermione recounts the public shaming and denial of basic dignity with a growing sense of anger.

  6. "Now, my liege, Tell me what blessings I have here alive That I should fear to die. Therefore proceed."
    Acting Note: Return to calm resolve. Hermione challenges Leontes with quiet strength, showing her lack of fear.

  7. "But yet hear this – mistake me not: no life, I prize it not a straw; but for mine honour, Which I would free..."
    Acting Note: Build intensity. Hermione’s voice should reflect her determination to defend her honour, even at great personal cost.

  8. "Your honours all, I do refer me to the Oracle: Apollo be my judge!"
    Acting Note: Conclude with commanding authority. Hermione appeals to the higher power of Apollo, ending on a note of conviction.

Journey Keypoints

  • Hook: Hermione dismisses Leontes’s threats with composure and courage.

  • Turning Point: She recounts her suffering and loss, exposing the full extent of Leontes’s cruelty.

  • Climax: Hermione firmly declares her innocence and challenges the validity of the accusations.

  • Resolution: She appeals to the Oracle for justice, placing her faith in divine intervention.

Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role

  • Helen Mirren (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1970s)

  • Judy Dench (National Theatre, 1988)

  • Harriet Walter (Donmar Warehouse, 2004)

  • Niamh Cusack (The Globe Theatre, 2018)


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