Poison and Infection
Throughout the play, Leontes uses imagery of poison, infection, and illness to describe a number of things. In the beginning of the play, when is convinced his wife has been unfaithful to him, he describe womankind as a type of poison that leads to man's destruction. Then, in the latter half of the play, he celebrates the arrival of Florizel in Sicily by suggesting that his presence will purge his kingdom of any illness. These images of poison and sickness reflect Leontes's perspective of the world; after he repents for his accusations against his wife, he sees Sicily as an "ill" kingdom that must be healed, just like himself.
Hermione's Statue
When Perdita reveals the statue of Hermione at the end of the play, the characters are impressed by its lifelike nature and even comment on how the statue seems to have accounted for Hermione's aging over the last sixteen years. These comments suggest that the statue is actually Hermione, brought back to life by Perdita's magic. However, some argue that the statue is simply a representation of Hermione's spirit, and that Perdita has kept her hidden away from Leontes for sixteen years to avoid further abuse.
Likeness
Because of the conflict that kicks off the play – Leontes wrongly accusing his wife of infidelity – the imagery of likeness, especially between parents and children, becomes an important motif. Paulina attempts to convince Leontes of the truth by explaining how much Perdita looks like him, and Leontes questions the extent to which Mamillius's face resembles his own. Finally, at the end of the play, Leontes comments that Florizel's mother was a type of printing press who generated an exact copy of Florizel's father, Polixenes, thereby proving her fidelity. While Leontes is, of course, highly paranoid about the notion of cuckholdry, the possibility that one's children might not be their own was a looming anxiety among men in the Renaissance England. Estates and titles were inherited through men's sons, which created panic among many noblemen that they would pass their legacy to bastard children if their wives were unfaithful. This paranoia contributed to the expectation that noblewomen were to remain virgins until marriage.
Youth
Many characters in the play indulge themselves with memories or visions of youth which are often idyllic and exaggerated. In the beginning of the play, for example, Polixenes describes himself and Leontes as "twinned lambs" in their upbringing, comparing them to innocent and jovial animals without knowledge of the world. Similarly, the play comes to equate the youth of Florizel and Perdita with redemption and renewal, as Leontes celebrates their arrival in Sicily by announcing that their presence will purge his kingdom of all disease. In a play that features a unique sixteen-year time jump, the disparity between youth and age features heavily into characters' perceptions of their world.
