The Winter's Tale The play begins during the visit of King
Polixenes of Bohemia to King Leontes of Sicilia. Leontes offers
a show of happiness to the court, but secretly believes that
Polixenes has seduced his wife, Queen Hermione, to adultery.
Leontes confides in his councilor, Camillo, and orders him to
poison Polixenes. Camillo instead warns and departs with
Polixenes. Leontes immediately imprisons his innocent wife
against the wishes of all his councilors. He adamantly refuses
to acknowledge his newborn daughter as his daughter, believing
she is Polixenes' child. He sends another councilor, Antigonus,
to expose the child to the elements. When he defies the oracle
of Apollo, his wife and son, Mamillius, both die in an instant.
Leontes' realizes his error and mourns. Antigonus travels to
Bohemia and reluctantly leaves the child exposed to the wild. He
is subsequently chased and killed by a bear. The child is found
by a shepherd and his son. The later part of the play occurs 16
years later, as explained by a