Edited introduced & annotated by Cedric Watts Research Professor of English University of Sussex The Winter's Tale one of Shakespeare's later romantic comedies offers a striking & challenging mixture of tragic & violent events lyrical love-speeches farcical comedy pastoral song & dance & eventually dramatic revelations & reunions Thematically there is a rich orchestration of the contrasts between age & youth corruption & innocence decline & regeneration Both Leontes' murderous jealousy & Perdita's love-relationship with Florizel are eloquently intense In the theatre The Winter's Tale often proves to be diversely entertaining & deeply moving