Discuss the role and significance of women in Winter's Tale

All of these women are significant to the story because in one way or another they each feel the repercussions of one man's suspicion and jealousy. Leeontes is besieged by dreams and imaginings that lead him to believe his childhood friend is having an affair with his wife. This belief consumes him, and because ot it he drives his wife to death (not suicide, but death from grief)and disowns his daughter believing her to be illegitimate. Jealousy destroys his family........ and Hermione and Perdita pays the price for his delusions. Paulina, on the other hand is the champion of her friend, and she stays loyal to her no matter what. She defends her honor, and she condemns Leontes for his mistaken ideas.

The following character descriptions are cited below;

Hermione - The virtuous and beautiful Queen of Sicilia. Falsely accused of infidelity by her husband, Leontes, she apparently dies of grief just after being vindicated by the Oracle of Delphi, but is restored to life at the play's close.

Perdita - The daughter of Leontes and Hermione. Because her father believes her to be illegitimate, she is abandoned as a baby on the coast of Bohemia, and brought up by a Shepherd. Unaware of her royal lineage, she falls in love with the Bohemian Prince Florizel.

Paulina - A noblewoman of Sicily, she is fierce in her defense of Hermione's virtue, and unrelenting in her condemnation of Leontes after Hermione's death. She is also the agent of the(apparently) dead Queen's resurrection.