Paulina’s Monologue from The Winter’s Tale, Act 3, Scene 2: "What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me?"


Synopsis

Paulina fearlessly confronts King Leontes, accusing him of his crimes against his family. She lists his jealous actions, including betraying Polixenes, plotting against Camillo, casting out his infant daughter, and causing the deaths of both his son and Queen Hermione. Her words are sharp, unrelenting, and passionate, embodying the voice of justice as she demands accountability for the devastation Leontes’s tyranny has caused.

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

Queen Hermione has collapsed after defending herself against Leontes’s false accusations of infidelity. Paulina, a loyal noblewoman and fierce advocate for Hermione, steps forward to admonish Leontes for his baseless jealousy and the tragic consequences of his actions.

Original Text

"What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me?
What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling?
In leads or oils? What old or newer torture
Must I receive, whose every word deserves
To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny,
Together working with thy jealousies
(Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine), O think what they have done
And then run mad indeed: stark mad! For all
Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it.
That thou betray’dst Polixenes, ’twas nothing;
That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant
And damnable ingrateful: nor was’t much,
Thou wouldst have poison’d good Camillo’s honour,
To have him kill a king; poor trespasses,
More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon
The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter,
To be or none or little; though a devil
Would have shed water out of fire ere done’t:
Nor is’t directly laid to thee, the death
Of the young prince, whose honourable thoughts
(Thoughts high for one so tender) cleft the heart
That could conceive a gross and foolish sire
Blemish’d his gracious dam: this is not, no,
Laid to thy answer: but the last–O lords,
When I have said, cry ‘woe!’ — the queen, the queen,
The sweet’st, dear’st creature’s dead: and vengeance for’t
Not dropp’d down yet."

Translation of Text into Contemporary Language

*"What punishments have you prepared for me, tyrant?
What tortures—wheels, racks, fires? Will I be flayed, boiled,
Dipped in molten lead or oil? What old or new pain
Will I face for speaking the truth,
Since every word I say deserves your harshest cruelty?
Your tyranny, combined with your baseless jealousy—
Jealousy too childish for boys or even young girls—
Look at what it has caused, and go truly mad!
Your earlier foolishness was mild compared to this.

Betraying Polixenes? That was nothing—
It only revealed your foolishness, your inconstancy,
And your monstrous ingratitude. Poisoning
Camillo’s honour by plotting to have him murder a king?
A petty crime compared to others. And then,
Throwing your baby daughter to the crows,
To die or barely survive—
Even a devil would cry over such cruelty!

It’s not even directly blamed on you,
The death of your young son,
Whose noble heart—so mature for his age—
Broke when he saw his father
Shame his virtuous mother. This crime isn’t charged to you either.

But the last one—O my lords,
Cry out with grief when I tell you—
The queen, the queen,
The sweetest, dearest creature, is dead.
And justice has yet to come down for her death."*

Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words

  • Studied torments: Deliberately designed or planned tortures.

  • Flaying: Stripping off skin.

  • Leads or oils: Reference to molten lead or boiling oil as forms of torture.

  • Fancies: Imaginings or whims, here referring to Leontes’s baseless suspicions.

  • Cleft the heart: Broke the heart.

  • Blemish’d his gracious dam: Brought shame to his virtuous mother.

Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing with Acting Notes

  1. "What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling? In leads or oils? What old or newer torture Must I receive, whose every word deserves To taste of thy most worst?"
    Acting Note: Begin with defiant courage. Paulina challenges Leontes head-on, daring him to punish her for speaking the truth.

  2. "Thy tyranny, Together working with thy jealousies (Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle For girls of nine), O think what they have done And then run mad indeed: stark mad!"
    Acting Note: Build intensity here. Paulina scorns Leontes’s jealousy, ridiculing its childishness and emphasizing the destruction it has caused.

  3. "That thou betray’dst Polixenes, ’twas nothing; That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant And damnable ingrateful."
    Acting Note: Speak with biting disdain. She dismisses Leontes’s betrayal of Polixenes as merely the beginning of his foolishness.

  4. "The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter, To be or none or little; though a devil Would have shed water out of fire ere done’t."
    Acting Note: Add sorrow and horror. This moment underscores the monstrous cruelty of abandoning his infant daughter.

  5. "Nor is’t directly laid to thee, the death Of the young prince..."
    Acting Note: Reflect a quieter sadness. Paulina grieves the young prince’s death, emphasizing the tragedy of his broken heart.

  6. "But the last–O lords, When I have said, cry ‘woe!’ — the queen, the queen, The sweet’st, dear’st creature’s dead."
    Acting Note: Deliver these lines with grief and righteous anger. Paulina’s voice should rise in lamentation, condemning Leontes’s ultimate crime.

Journey Keypoints

  • Hook: Paulina challenges Leontes’s authority, daring him to punish her for speaking the truth.

  • Turning Point: She lists his past crimes, growing more intense with each accusation.

  • Climax: She reveals the ultimate tragedy—Hermione’s death—and demands justice.

  • Resolution: Paulina ends with an unrelenting condemnation, calling for accountability.

Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role

  • Zoë Wanamaker (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1993)

  • Harriet Walter (Donmar Warehouse, 2002)

  • Niamh Cusack (National Theatre, 2017)

  • Adjoa Andoh (Globe Theatre, 2020)


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