Before you know it you’ve hit Act V and you can’t help but feel that our boy Bill might have panicked a bit, suddenly realising that he was running out of time and still had a lot to do. So scene 2 is all exposition between three gentlemen very quickly passing over the “she’s your daughter”, “he’s my son”, “her husband was bear fodder”, “I’ve missed you”, “I’ve missed you more”, “let’s have a party at Pauline’s” bit! And is it me or are Autolycus, the shepherd and the clown the unfunniest comic relief ever?
Personally I feel that Leontes, the catalyst for all this mayhem and merriment, is deserving of a horrendously sticky Shakespearean ending. I’m thinking death by insanity or choked when forced to eat a bear! But instead he gets his dead wife back! And she still loves him!! And then to cap it all the master of jealousy acts as matchmaker between Camillo and Pauline, who before that had hardly spoken to each other!
Sorry, there are some odd flashes of William's brilliance in among the madness but all in all this is not up to his usual standard. And anyone who disagrees is welcome to step outside and settle it like men...
Exit pursued by a Bard
Final thoughts – The play that launched the careers of a million living statues!
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