3 h 1 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 1 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a king's darkest suspicion becomes more powerful than the truth?
In Sicilia, King Leontes turns on the people closest to him. His jealousy has no foundation, yet he suspects his wife, Hermione, and his oldest friend, Polixenes. In William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, a palace becomes a place of accusation, and an innocent queen must defend her honor.
Then the play opens onto another world: Bohemia, sixteen years later, alive with songs, shepherds, and a sheep-shearing feast. Perdita grows up far from the court, while Prince Florizel is ready to give up his place for love. Tragedy meets comedy as Shakespeare explores what rage destroys and what time might mend.
What you’ll discover
- A mind against itself Watch Leontes turn suspicion into proof, unable to see beyond his own jealousy.
- Courage before a king Meet Paulina, whose loyalty to Hermione makes her speak when others dare not.
- Dignity under accusation Encounter Hermione's intelligence and strength as she faces a charge she cannot understand.
- Songs among the shepherds Enter Bohemia's country feasts, where young love shares the scene with Autolycus's tricks.
- Time and the heart Explore the distance between harm and forgiveness in a play of startling changes.
Who will love it
Readers who love family quarrels and second chances will enjoy this play with its story spanning years and countries. It also suits those drawn to a roguish singer and a young couple whose devotion endures.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A friendly visit becomes a private poison
- Camillo refuses murder and flees with Polixenes
- Hermione is imprisoned and Paulina speaks up
- The oracle speaks and the king will not listen
- A storm, a bear and a shepherd's find
- Sixteen years pass and love grows among the flocks
- A rogue, a disguise, and a plan to sail to Sicilia
- Jealousy, loss and the slow work of repentance
- Seasons, stories and a play told in two halves
Who’s who
- LeontesKing of Sicilia, who turns a friendly visit into a charge of betrayal and must live with what his certainty destroys.
- HermioneLeontes' queen, who faces false accusation with dignity and asks only that her honor be judged fairly.
- PolixenesKing of Bohemia and boyhood friend of Leontes, who flees Sicilia and later forbids his son's love match.
- CamilloA loyal Sicilian lord who refuses to poison a king and then plans a way to bring everyone together.
- PaulinaWife of Antigonus, a fearless speaker of truth who defends the queen and holds the king to account.
- PerditaDaughter of Leontes and Hermione, raised among shepherds, who hosts the sheep-shearing feast and loves a prince.
- FlorizelPrince of Bohemia, who disguises himself as a shepherd for love and will not give Perdita up.
- AutolycusA singing peddler and pickpocket who cheats the country folk and still helps the plot along.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 9 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Winter's Tale
by William Shakespeare · 1623
A king's sudden certainty destroys his family, and sixteen years later a sheep-shearing feast begins to mend it.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
What happens when a king decides, with no proof at all, that his wife and his oldest friend have betrayed him? In The Winter's Tale, the answer takes sixteen years to play out.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A friendly visit becomes a private poison
The play opens with two lords praising the friendship of their kings. Leontes and Polixenes grew up together, and they have kept in touch for years through gifts and letters. Polixenes has now stayed nine months in Sicilia, and he says it is time to go home.
Leontes cannot persuade him to stay. Then his queen Hermione, who is expecting a child, steps in with warm teasing. She offers to hold Polixenes as a prisoner or a guest, and he gives way.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 9 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1623
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Shakespeare, William. The Winter's Tale. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-winters-tale.
Shakespeare, W. (2026). The winter's tale. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-winters-tale (Original work published 1623)
Shakespeare, William. The Winter's Tale. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-winters-tale.
@book{shakespeare2026winters,
author = {Shakespeare, William},
title = {The Winter's Tale},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-winters-tale},
note = {First published 1623}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Winter's Tale
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Winter's Tale about?
It tells of King Leontes of Sicilia, who wrongly believes his wife and his friend Polixenes have betrayed him. His anger breaks his family apart. The second half follows his lost daughter, sixteen years later, in Bohemia.
Why is the play called The Winter's Tale?
The name comes from young Mamillius, who says a sad tale is best for winter. It suggests an old story told by the fire, and the play often reminds us of old tales that sound hard to believe.
Who is Autolycus in The Winter's Tale?
Autolycus is a peddler, singer and pickpocket in Bohemia. He sells ballads and ribbons at the sheep-shearing feast and tricks the country folk, though his scheming also helps move the plot toward its final meeting.
The author
William Shakespeare
1564–1616 · English playwright and poet
William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He worked in London as an actor and playwright. He wrote plays, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, and published sonnets in 1609. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.
More by William Shakespeare
All 17 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
