Twinned Lambs
One of the most notable similes in The Winter's Tale is Polinexes's comparison of himself and Leontes to "twinned lambs" in their youth. This is an important comparison because it suggests that, before they became interested in sex and marriage, the two boys were innocent and cheerful. In fact, Polixenes asserts that, had they remained that way forever, they would have been free of original sin. The simile emphasizes the love and likeness between the two boys but also showcases how time and aging have complicated that relationship.
Likeness
When Leontes is stewing over what he thinks is Hermione's infidelity, he asks his son, Mamillius, if he is really his biological son. He thinks that women will claim he and his son are "almost as like as eggs," but then launches into a misogynistic speech about how women are false to serve their own ends (1.2). In reality, however, both Perdita and Mamillius look exactly like Leontes, who ignores this likeness to feed his own perception.
Infidelity
As Leontes becomes more and more convinced that Hermione has been unfaithful to him, he reflects on the notion of cuckholdry. He uses a metaphor to describe the state of being a cuckhold (or a man whose wife has cheated on him) by saying his "pond" has been "fished by his neighbor" (1.2). This metaphor emphasizes Leontes's perception that Hermione is his property, while also underscoring his dismay that his "neighbor," or friend, would have done him wrong.
Florizel's Arrival in Sicily
When Florizel and Perdita arrive in Sicily, Leontes remarks that "The blessed gods / Purge all infection from our air whilst you / Do climate here!" (5.1). This metaphor is at once a compliment to Florizel, whom Leontes perceives as cleansing and refreshing for Sicily, as well as foreshadowing for the events to come. Florizel and Perdita's presence in Sicily ushers in the play's comic conclusion in which all previous conflict is effectively "purged" from the play and relationships are restored.
Parenthood and Likeness
In another example of Leontes's obsession with likeness, he tells Florizel that he looks exactly like his father, Polixenes. In so doing, Leontes compares Florizel's mother to a printing press, who printed off an exact copy of her husband and therefore proved her fidelity to him. This is an ironic metaphor for Leontes to use, as Paulina had once attempted to convince him of Hermione's own innocence by arguing how much Perdita resembled him.
