“For to a vision so apparent rumour / Cannot be mute”
Again Leontes says that I can clearly see what is going on, you must confess to me because this rumour cannot be hidden as I can clearly see it. The language of Leontes is that of reassurance, he keeps on emphasizing that something is going on even tough he has no clear evidence. He asks if his “wife is slippery” because he believes that he cannot hold onto her.
By this point the language shows us his anger towards his wife when he calls her a “hobby-horse”, in Shakespeare’s day this meant ‘loose women’ and now days can be easily said as slut. I think that by this point of Leontes’ speech Camillo would have had enough. The relationship between Leontes’ and Camillo can be seen as a relationship of trust. This is very true; because why would Leontes’ bother telling Camillo this if he didn’t trust him and this is not just a small issue. Leontes’ also feels that Camillo will no deny any thing that the king says and he gets quite a nasty shock, even though Camillo is telling the truth.
“I would not be a stander-by to hear / My sovereign mistress clouded so, without my vengeance taken”
Judging by Camillo’s reaction the audience can see that he thinks very highly of the Hermione and the he would protect her with all his might. What Camillo says next shows us his true anger towards the king:
“You never spoke what did become you less”
He is so angry that he addresses the king bluntly as ‘you’ omitting the usual deferential phrase ‘my lord’, or ‘your highness’, ‘your grace’ etc. This is some powerful language coming from the chief counsellor. The ‘you’ speaks for itself, it brings out all the anger in Camillo, calling the king ‘you’ is suicide but he is willing to do it for Hermione’s sake. He asks how the king could bring himself so far down to believe such a preposterous notion. Camillo believes that the queen is innocent; he would happily give his life to protect her innocence because he believes that she would never do this. Camillo’s ‘you’ gives us an idea of how Hermione is seen in the world of the courts. A queen in any time (not counting Elizabeth 1st) would never be flirtatious; she would never love any man apart from her husband and it is clear that this is true because of Camillo’s reaction.
Leontes now tries to justify what he has said, though the audience know that this is just him trying to support his argument, he has no clear evidence of any foul play. This is just Leontes’ jealousy speaking, it has clouded his judgement.
“Is whispering nothing? / Is leaning cheek to cheek? Is meeting noses? / Kissing with inside?
Leontes is misreading the situation, but to his mind all this seems to be flirtatious; this is just mere reassurance.
Camillo is not just angry at Leontes, but also very worried for him and his kingdom. This shows the true friend in Camillo, even though Leontes is so convinced – Camillo is still trying to make him see the light:
“Good my lord, be cur’d / Of this diseas’d opinion, and betimes; / For ‘tis most dangerous”
Camillo is right to call Leontes’ jealousy a disease. The language would allow the audience to understand that this disease of jealousy has taken over Leontes’ mind and body and because Camillo has seen him already misjudging his wife and best friend; what about the Kingdom? If this disease continues to reign over him then Sicilia will be in for a very rough time.
