Original: What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me?
Modern: What carefully planned tortures do you have in store for me, you tyrant?

Original: What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling?
Modern: What torture wheels? Stretching racks? Fires? What skinning alive? Boiling?

Original: In leads or oils? what old or newer torture
Modern: In molten lead or boiling oil? What old or new torture

Original: Must I receive, whose every word deserves
Modern: Must I endure, when every word I speak deserves

Original: To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny
Modern: To experience your very worst punishment? Your tyranny

Original: Together working with thy jealousies,
Modern: Combined with your jealous suspicions,

Original: Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
Modern: Foolish imaginings too childish for boys, too immature and silly

Original: For girls of nine, O, think what they have done
Modern: Even for nine-year-old girls—oh, think about what these delusions have accomplished

Original: And then run mad indeed, stark mad! for all
Modern: And then go completely insane, absolutely mad! Because all

Original: Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it.
Modern: Your past foolish acts were just small additions to this madness.

Original: That thou betray’dst Polixenes,’twas nothing;
Modern: Your betrayal of Polixenes was nothing;

Original: That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant
Modern: That only showed you to be a fool who’s unfaithful

Original: And damnable ingrateful: nor was’t much,
Modern: And disgracefully ungrateful—and it wasn’t much compared to this:

Original: Thou wouldst have poison’d good Camillo’s honour,
Modern: You would have corrupted good Camillo’s honor

Original: To have him kill a king: poor trespasses,
Modern: By asking him to kill a king—these are minor offenses

Original: More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon
Modern: Compared to more horrible crimes that followed, among which I count

Original: The casting forth to crows thy baby-daughter
Modern: Abandoning your baby daughter to the crows

Original: To be or none or little; though a devil
Modern: As either nothing or a small crime, though even a devil

Original: Would have shed water out of fire ere done’t:
Modern: Would have wept tears of fire before doing such a thing.

Original: Nor is’t directly laid to thee, the death
Modern: And I won’t directly blame you for the death

Original: Of the young prince, whose honourable thoughts,
Modern: Of the young prince, whose noble thoughts—

Original: Thoughts high for one so tender, cleft the heart
Modern: Thoughts too mature for someone so young—broke the heart

Original: That could conceive a gross and foolish sire
Modern: That had to accept such a crude and foolish father

Original: Blemish’d his gracious dam: this is not, no,
Modern: Had dishonored his gracious mother—this is not, no,

Original: Laid to thy answer: but the last,—O lords,
Modern: Something I’ll hold you accountable for—but this final thing—oh lords,

Original: When I have said, cry ‘woe!’ the queen, the queen,
Modern: When I tell you, cry out in grief! The queen, the queen,

Original: The sweet’st, dear’st creature’s dead,
Modern: The sweetest, most precious person is dead,

Original: and vengeance for’t
Modern: And vengeance for it

Original: Not dropp’d down yet.
Modern: Has not yet fallen from heaven.

In Act III, Scene 2 of “The Winter’s Tale,” Leontes presides over Hermione’s public trial for adultery and treason. Hermione, heavily pregnant, is brought before the court where Leontes presents his accusations against her, claiming she has committed adultery with Polixenes and conspired against his life. Hermione eloquently defends herself, denying the charges and appealing to her past virtue and loyal conduct as his wife. She argues that her hospitality toward Polixenes was done at Leontes’ own bidding and that her supposed guilt exists only in his jealous imagination.

The trial takes a dramatic turn when Cleomenes and Dion return from the Oracle at Delphi with Apollo’s pronouncement. The Oracle declares Hermione chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, and warns that he shall live without an heir unless the lost child is found. Leontes defiantly rejects the Oracle’s verdict, but immediately receives word that his son Mamillius has died of grief over his mother’s disgrace. Hermione collapses upon hearing this news and is carried away by Paulina and her attendants. Leontes, now recognizing his terrible error, repents and vows to spend his days in sorrow, reconciling himself with Polixenes and honoring both his wife and son with daily visits to their graves.

The Winter’s Tale begins in Sicilia, where King Leontes hosts his childhood friend Polixenes, King of Bohemia. When Leontes asks his pregnant wife Hermione to persuade Polixenes to extend his visit, her success in convincing him to stay triggers Leontes’ sudden and violent jealousy. He becomes convinced that Hermione and Polixenes are having an affair and that her unborn child is illegitimate. Despite protests from his courtiers, Leontes orders Polixenes’ death, but Camillo, the lord commanded to poison Polixenes, instead warns him and they both flee to Bohemia.

Leontes publicly accuses Hermione of adultery and imprisons her. She gives birth to a daughter in prison, and Leontes orders the baby to be abandoned in the wilderness. When Hermione is brought to trial, the Oracle of Delphi declares her innocent, but Leontes rejects this divine judgment. Immediately after, news arrives that their young son Mamillius has died from grief, and Hermione collapses and is reported dead. Stricken with remorse, Leontes vows to spend his life repenting. Meanwhile, the baby is abandoned on the coast of Bohemia, where a shepherd finds and raises her, naming her Perdita.

Sixteen years pass. Perdita, now a beautiful young shepherdess unaware of her royal birth, falls in love with Prince Florizel, son of King Polixenes. Polixenes, disguised with Camillo, discovers his son’s romance with a shepherd’s daughter and angrily forbids the match. The young lovers flee to Sicilia with Camillo’s help, accompanied by the shepherd and his son, who carry the tokens that were left with Perdita as a baby. In Sicilia, these tokens reveal Perdita’s true identity as Leontes’ lost daughter, leading to joyful reunions and Polixenes’ forgiveness when he arrives in pursuit of his son. The play concludes when Paulina, Hermione’s loyal friend, reveals that she has kept a statue of the dead queen. In a miraculous moment, the statue comes to life—Hermione has been hidden away for sixteen years, waiting for her daughter’s return. The royal family is reunited, Florizel and Perdita are betrothed with both fathers’ blessings, and Leontes encourages Paulina to marry Camillo.