Following up to that scene, King Leontes accuses the innocent Hermione of adultery with his friend King Polixenes. The audience will see the much more serious and stronger side of her which only develops over the acts and scenes she is in until the point of the trial of her innocence. Her dignity and sense of personal honor is revealed as she stands firm without screaming, crying or shouting out in distress and anger by the sudden accusation by Leontes. Her mild manners, patience and her care for others’ wellbeing more than herself is evident when she –even when she was accused with a high crime- tries to confront the misunderstanding, and by using her wit she tries to tell him he is, in fact mistaken in the lines:
“Should a villain say so
The most replenish’d villain in the world
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake”
Furthermore to affirm her wit and luminosity is her way of comforting others on not to plague themselves by worrying and crying over her sentence to prison by saying:
“Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause: when you shall know your mistress
Has deserved prison, then abound in tears
As I come out: this action I now go on
Is for my better grace.”
The quote above is quite important to Hermione’s character as it shows an enlightened spirit and soul and the heightened grace of the queen she is. It also represents how, even though not denying her guilt, she insists on being innocent, willing herself to let Leontes think as he wish as she knows him well, knowing that he, the tyrant person he is, will not accept anything that differs from his own word, as her well-known speech in her later trial introduction begins with:
“Since what I am to say must be but that
Which contradicts my accusation.”
Accompanying her imprisonment, she gives birth to her baby girl, Perdita and is forced into trial while still trying to recover from her recent labor. The idea of a queen being shattered into prison, giving birth and walking while she still is fresh from labor would strike many of the married mothers’ hearts in an audience, as they’d know what she’d went through or worse, and her strong will to prove her innocence seems much more important than her physical state – which emphasizes her strong willed spirit. In response to Leontes' delusional accusations, she appeals to her previous conduct and behavior, the well-known evidence of her blameless life and purity. She argues her points with her wit and skill, comparing her current state with her former luxury:
“You, my lord, best know,
Who least will seem to do so, my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern.”
She has unabridged confidence in her own innocence. Hermione knows that she must have been exculpated by Apollo’s oracle of Delphi. Though she is certain of it, and by far Leontes’ isn’t, she stresses the point of how IF proven guilty she has nothing to lose; ‘Now, my liege, Tell me what blessings I have here alive’. This is a result of her son not seen by her, her daughter taken away and his –King Leontes- love for her seems to have vanished into the fog of anger and tyranny:
Her outspokenness seems to become heightened by that previous statement, and her words become much sharper as she drills her points with grace. This is a woman who knows her own worth and is not prepared to accept unjustified disgrace. She finally and voluntarily withdraws in order that the oracle may be fulfilled, using the memorable statement; “Apollo be my judge!”
“Praised” is what Hermione says in response to the oracle’s statement of her innocence. Though it might be only a word, this shows how sure Hermione was of herself, as she has stated before, prior the oracle’s words were said:
“I doubt not then but innocence shall make
False accusation blush and tyranny
Tremble at patience.”
Her words are accurately put as she has been confirmed innocence, and her tyrant of a husband refuses the oracle with rage. This gives one’s mind the idea of how well she seems to know her surroundings and people, and how much she learned and revised her own husband that she even called him a tyrant herself.
Hermione is gracious and never blamed Leontes for the death of young Mamillius. Her kindness and love is apparent in the fact that all members of the Sicilian court: the lords, Paulina, Antigonus, Camillo and Polixenes hold her in a high pedestal for her brave actions, even with her sudden faint and suspicious death, one would know that Queen Hermione would not allow herself to hate and despise her husband for his irrational thinking and judgment.
Hermione in the play is practically the symbol of innocence and unconditional love for others. She shows a selfless person and a good queen in one and can be called a very saintly person. Her combination of characteristics bring the audience to love and respect her much further because not only does she have those qualities, she seems very realistic during her acts and scenes. One could argue that Hermione gave birth to a baby girl is to have her mannerisms and actions reflected and rooted in Perdita. Her mother’s patience and will to please others more than herself is quite seen during the play and can be said to be almost as if it was reborn in the Princess. This gives off a good memory for the audience to remind them of virtuous Queen Hermione.
Overall, and to conclude, Queen Hermione is the symbol of femininity for the Shakespearean era, where a woman knew her place and standing. In addition she would also remember to remain pure and obedient, but still could be able to think for herself become the best she could be – An honest, straight forward woman. One could say that Hermione even though seemingly passive and very obedient, can be twisting and pressuring others in a very subtle way to do as she wills, her way of words can be known as a very persuasive way of stating opinions, facts and basically bring out her female “powers” in what might seem to get things done to her favor.
