Act IV.3 lines 1-4 (pg. 59)
“When daffodils begin to peer,
With heigh! the doxy over the dale.
Why, then comes in the sweet o’ the year,
For the red blood reigns in the winter’s pale”
This passage is said by Autolycus and opens scene 3 of Act IV. Autolycus is a robber and steals from the Clown later in the scene. This passage contrasts with the rest of the play thus far. It is almost an abrupt change in tone because there is little transition from the last scene to this one. The first three acts were more morbid and sad with the deaths of Hermione and Mamillius, the separation of Camillo and Leontes, and the abandonment of Perdita. This passage is more songlike and provides a switch of tone in the play. The mention of “daffodils” (line 1) indicates a change in season. It is no longer winter but spring or fall- when flowers would appear. Not only is the season different, but the tone is happier which matches the spring season. When the play was in the winter, the events were more sad and dark. Autolycus says that we are in “the sweet o’ the year,/ For the red blood reins in the winter’s pale.” This is a shift from the “red blood” of winter, to the happier, brighter time of spring. Autolycus also is more playful and jokes about the “doxy over the dale.” A doxy is a mistress or prostitute. While Autolycus jokes about a “doxy,” Leontes had made the possibility of Hermione having an affair his obsession. This obsession also contributed to the dark mood of winter. The spring now calls on him for a more "April fools" attitude towards sex. The more upbeat and happy Autolycus makes the play shift to more of a comedy and lighten the mood.
Though the play does "shift to more of a comedy," due to the presence of Autolycus, I don't believe the addition of his character rids the play completely of sadness. Although he has "a more 'April fools' attitude towards sex," many of the main characters do not. Polixenes threatens to hang the Shepard for even thinking that a Shepard's daughter could ever interbreed with a prince! I think Autolycus' lax attitude towards sex is in stark contrast to the stigma that exists within their society regarding sex between two different classes—therefore his carefree attitude emphasizes even more the sadness that Perdita and Florizel cannot be together.
ReplyDeleteFlowers are definitely a central theme as the play shifts into a lighter mood, tying with the transition to spring. While Autolycus does have a very light attitude towards sex, the environment promotes it and Perdita has a similar disposition. New life and fertility is all around- while some characters are stuck in the old model of winter, Autolycus is a character that blooms in the spring and only knows the lighthearted essence of the flower.
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