AQA A-Level English Literature A Paper 1: Love through the ages, June 2025: Question 4

Question 04

04 The Winter’s Tale – William Shakespeare

‘The extent of Leontes’ grief completely restores sympathy for him.’

In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents thoughts and feelings about

Leontes’ past actions in this extract and elsewhere in the play.

[25 marks]

Possible content:

Please refer to pages 4 to 7.

AO5 Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations

Students might consider:

• the view that Leontes’ grief for his past actions concerning Hermione, other family members, close

friends and other courtiers along with Polixenes and his family completely restores sympathy for

him

• Leontes’ pain at how life-like the ‘statue’ is in capturing Hermione’s physical likeness but also

conveying Hermione’s best personal qualities

• the view that Leontes’ whole demeanour – the respectful way he addresses the statue and

Paulina, as well as references to his own guilt and regret – is an expression of grief

• his conciliatory and respectful attitude towards Paulina

• the references to Leontes’ silence and the emotions that he may be experiencing

• Leontes’ recognition of his own past actions and the necessity for him to be ‘chided’ and ‘rebuked’

• his reluctance for Paulina to draw the curtain and take away the ‘statue’ of Hermione

• the thoughts and feelings of the other characters

• the thoughts and feelings of audiences

• ‘extent’ could refer to the length of time he has endured grief rather than, or as well as, the depth of

grief presented

• the alternative view that it is rather Leontes’ understanding of his own guilt and the need for

penance that restores sympathy

• the view that audiences and/or other characters may not have had sympathy for Leontes in the first

place

• the view that the nature of his past actions cannot be completely forgiven or sympathy completely

restored

• his jealous rages earlier against Hermione and Polixenes, destroying Leontes’ bond with wife and

best friend

• his past actions earlier to precipitate the deaths of Mamillius and Antigonus, and the ‘death’ of

Hermione

• his earlier rejection of and threats toward Perdita as a baby

• his lack of repentance and regret in earlier scenes

• his dismissive attitude towards Paulina in earlier scenes

• the ways in which the presence of Perdita and Florizel might intensify Leontes’ grief

• the use of ‘extent’, ‘grief’, ‘completely’, ‘restores’ and ‘sympathy’ in the given view

• the tragicomedy/problem play/romance genre

• the possible impact of particular production(s) on the interpretation of the question

• the possible impact of recent debates about the exploitation of women and how their abusers

should be treated

• etc.

AO422 Explore connections across literary texts

Focus might be on (in the literature of love):

• representations of: grief; regret; memories of love; jealousy; suspicion; the effect of time on

thoughts and feelings about love

• the tragicomedy/problem play/romance genre

• etc.

AO3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which

literary texts are written and received

Focus might be on:

• how attitudes to the following might have changed over time: presentations of grief and sympathy

for those who express it; monarchs expressing personal emotions in public; the expectations of

husbands and wives within a marriage; infidelity in marriage; the expectations of royal marriages

• the tragicomedy/problem play/romance genre

• etc.

AO2 Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts

Focus might be on:

• the tragicomedy/problem play/romance genre

• possible stage effects and interpretations

• the theatrical impact of: the revelation of the ‘statue’ and the build-up to the coup de théâtre of it

‘coming to life’; the reactions of Leontes and others; kneeling to the ‘statue’ and attempts to touch it

• structural issues relating to this stage of the plot: this final piece of the jigsaw left until the very end

• the ways in which the verse reflects the subject matter and attitude of the speakers, particularly:

the range of emotions expressed by Leontes in his grief; reactions of others on stage such as

Perdita; Paulina’s stage management of the statue’s revelation and her attempts to control the

actions and reactions of Leontes and others on stage

• the use of enjambement and caesurae to reflect the expression of the speakers’ thoughts and

feelings

• the use of shared lines and interruptions

• the various ways in which the syntax of statements, questions, exclamations and commands, along

with various forms of repetition, are used to underline thoughts, feelings and attitudes

• the echoes of stichomythia in the exchanges between Leontes and Paulina; the use of exclamation

and counter-exclamation

• the various rhetorical devices used by Paulina to build expectation about the ‘statue’ such as her

references to the artist’s skill and her commands about what they should do and what they should

refrain from doing

• the ways in which her commands give way to Leontes’ commands for her to leave the ‘statue’

visible

• Paulina’s quick thinking to explain Leontes’ comments about Hermione’s wrinkles

• the contrast between Paulina’s claims about the artist’s skills vs her reference to ‘my poor image’

• Leontes’ use of first-person plural to describe himself as king

• his use of apostrophe, questions, commands and exclamations to communicate his reactions to

the statue

• his (and Perdita’s) use of direct address to the ‘statue’

• his readiness to embrace metaphysical concepts such as ‘magic’ and ‘evil’ to explain his

experiences

• the use of stage silence to indicate awe

• Camillo’s role as chorus to stress the length and depth of Leontes’ grief 23

• irony and dramatic irony

• etc.

AO1 Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated

concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression

• quality of argument

• organisation of ideas

• use of appropriate concepts and terminology

• technical accuracy.

Accept any valid interpretations, any valid comments on contexts and any valid discussion of

authorial methods.

Section B: Unseen Poetry