Both the Bible and Greek mythology originate in revelation, a visionary mode beyond ordinary knowledge. Hierophanies, revelations of the sacred. The shamans. The Biblical prophets. The Classical oracles and soothsayers—but also the poets.

Beginning an attempt to look at the two sources of Western cultural tradition. The focus will be on the myths and metaphors of Biblical and Classical texts rather than the various ideologies that have used them as vehicles for systems of power. The stories and images that have inspired countless works of literature and art, that haunt us beyond belief or commitment.

This marks 5 years of this podcast. A thank you to my listeners, to my tech support, and a celebration in the form of 6 birthday poems by Marilyn Hacker, Milton, May Sarton, and Dylan Thomas. The theme of time passing and self judgment.

A first recognition scene produces the happy ending for the young generation. Perdita is discovered to be Leontes’ daughter and can be married to Florizel. A second recognition scene is shown onstage, in what Paulina claimed was a sculpture of Hermione steps off her pedestal, and the older generation are reunited. The bittersweet ending of tragicomedy.

Florizel and Perdita follow the standard New Comedy plot of young love defying the will of patriarchal elders, here with a social class element. Camillo directs the couple to Sicilia and goes with them. Florizel exchanges clothes with Autolycus for disguise, enabling Autolycus to take the Shepherd to the King.

Perdita and Polixenes debate whether it is permissible to crossbreed flowers. Embedded in this debate are three kinds of conflict still with us today: of elite and lower social class, of elite and popular art, of Christianity and paganism. Shakespeare’s attempt at a liberal humanist position.

Time speaks at the opening of Act 4, saying he is the spirit of change. Sixteen years have passed, and a grown-up Perdita is seeing Florizel, the son of Polixenes. The sheepshearing festive, actually an inset court masque, because this play was part of the celebration of the marriage of James I’s daughter. Debate over social class issues.

Leontes puts Hermione on trial. The oracle of Apollo pronounces her innocent. Leontes says the oracle is wrong. Immediately Mamillius is reported dead, and Leontes is exorcised of his mad paranoia. Antigonus abandons Perdita on the seacoast of Bohemia, but is killed by a bear. The baby is found by a shepherd and his son.

Leontes suffers from a kind of paranoia that Shakespeare hints has a psychological origin, but is also a way of talking of “original sin,” the predisposition to see cynically and reductively. Paulina plays the role of female prophet confronting a tyrant king, leaves the newborn child. Leontes commands it be exposed.

Numerical symbolism in the play: the number 23 and the theme of time. Leontes arrests Hermione despite his entire court telling him he is mistaken, throws her in prison. The psychology of a conspiracy theorist: “All’s true that is mistrusted.”