A Challenge to Divine Right: The Kingship of Leontes in Act 2 Scene 3 of 'The Winter's Tale' Leia Azizuddin College

In the time period of Jacobean England, the King’s words and opinions were treated as gospel. The people’s steadfast belief in the Divine Right of Kings, where the King was said to be chosen directly from God, and therefore the King’s word was God’s word, meant that any criticism against the king was punished severely. However, in Act 2 Scene 3 of ‘The Winter’s Tale’, Shakespeare defies these expectations through two key actions: 1) King Leontes’ irrational and manic behaviour, and 2) Paulina’s open criticism against him. Shakespeare depicts Leontes in a similar manner to Macbeth in the eponymous tragedy ‘Macbeth’; however, the extreme paranoid and crazed behaviour of Macbeth is justified through the audience’s witness of Macbeth’s improper way of becoming king, therefore raising the implication that Macbeth was not the rightful king and is not applicable to the “Divine Right of Kings”. On the other hand, Leontes’ right to the throne is never challenged or questioned; thus, Shakespeare subtly contradicts the belief of the “Divine Right of Kings” through the deranged portrayal of Leontes.

In the events preceding Hermione’s trial, Leontes is at his most despicable and impulsive. His behaviour lacks any kingly attributes and the...