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The Winter's Tale

From Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit (1907), retold from William Shakespeare

E. Nesbit's 1907 retelling of The Winter's Tale makes Shakespeare's late romance accessible while preserving its central tensions: irrational jealousy, the suffering it inflicts, and the long road to repentance and reconciliation. The original play, written around 1610–1611, is one of Shakespeare's problem plays or romances, blending tragedy with redemptive comedy. Nesbit retains the essential structure: Leontes' unfounded jealousy destroys his family, his lost daughter Perdita is raised by shepherds, and after sixteen years of penance, the King is reunited with both daughter and wife in a scene of almost miraculous restoration. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The play is worth a senior reader's time because it asks hard questions about the limits of forgiveness, the cost of jealousy, and whether repentance alone can undo the harm we cause.

Band

Red · Complex language and analysisTypical starting range: ages 15–17

Length

long · about 1150 words in 5 sections · 2 pictures

Source

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, E. Nesbit and William Shakespeare

First published

1907

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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