Leontes is the king of Sicilia. He has invited his childhood friend Polixenes, the king of Bohemia to his kingdom. In the first scene of act one, Polixenes is preparing to leave and go back to Bohemia because he’s been away from for nine months, and Leontes asks him to stay longer but Polixenes refuses and then Leontes pregnant wife, Hermione, asks Polixenes to stay a while longer and he agrees. And after this Leontes tells the audience that he suspects Hermione of having an affair with Polixenes. He tells them to go for a walk in the gardens and then askes his friend Camillo to poison Polixenes. But Camillo explains to Polixenes that Leontes wants him dead and they both flee to Bohemia. After this Leontes throws Hermione in prison and after …show more content…
And in Act 1 scene 2 Polixenes takes Hermione by the hand in a non-romantic way and Leontes becomes furious and says, “Too hot, too hot, to mingle friendship far is mingling bloods. I have tremor cordis on me: my heart dances, but not for joy, not joy.” Leontes sees Polixenes and Hermiones holding hands in a friendly way as a sign of infidelity even though in that society a man kissing the back of a woman’s hand was not considered inappropriate. A comparison can be made between this play and Othello. But in Othello as Lago puts the idea into Othello’s head that his wife is being unfaithful and he even plants false evidence. But Leontes comes to the, illogical conclusion that Hermione is having an affair with Polixenes all by himself. There’s many theories why Leontes acts so irrationally. One theory states that Leontes behaviour is a result of his own fears and insecurities which causes him to see solid evidence where there isn’t any. And Leontes is actually expressing a fear that he will lose Hermione because he feels he’s not good enough for her and there’s self-hatred at the bottom of his insane