The Winter’s Tale

Act 3, Scene 1

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

Listen to Act 3. LibriVox volunteers recorded “Act 3” as one track, so it runs past this scene and includes stage directions this page leaves out. LibriVox catalog.

CLEOMENES

The climate’s delicate; the air most sweet,
Fertile the isle, the temple much surpassing
The common praise it bears.

DION

I shall report,
For most it caught me, the celestial habits
( I so should term them) and the reverence
Of the grave wearers. O, the sacrifice!
How ceremonious, solemn, and unearthly,
It was i’ th’ offering!

CLEOMENES

But of all, the burst
And the ear-deaf’ning voice o’ th’ oracle,
Kin to Jove’s thunder, so surprised my sense
That I was nothing.

DION

If the event o’ th’ journey
Prove as successful to the queen,—O, be’t so!—
As it been to us rare, pleasant, speedy,
The time is worth the use on’t.

CLEOMENES

Great Apollo
Turn all to th’ best! These proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,
I little like.

DION

The violent carriage of it
Will clear or end the business: when the oracle,
(Thus by Apollo’s great divine seal’d up)
Shall the contents discover, something rare
Even then will rush to knowledge. Go. Fresh horses!
And gracious be the issue!

All of The Winter’s Tale

Act 1

Act 1, Scene 1Act 1, Scene 2,

Act 2

Act 2, Scene 1Act 2, Scene 2Act 2, Scene 3,

Act 3

Act 3, Scene 1Act 3, Scene 2Act 3, Scene 3,

Act 4

Act 4, Scene 1Act 4, Scene 2Act 4, Scene 3Act 4, Scene 4,

Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1Act 5, Scene 2Act 5, Scene 3

Open The Winter’s Tale in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.