The Winter’s Tale Setting

Want to know where The Winter’s Tale is set? See each setting Shakespeare used in the play on the map below.

The setting of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is unusual in that the action is divided in two with sixteen years between them. This occurs in a mythical time: all we know is that the first half takes place at the Sicilian court of King Leontes during a cold winter.  In the second half, the setting has now become the Bohemian countryside in midsummer. The theme of cold court life versus the simple warm pastoral life are obvious in the settings. The death and social disruption of the first half give way to regeneration and forgiveness in the second.

The map below shows all the locations Shakespeare used for The Winter’s Tale. You can zoom in on the map for a more detailed view of an area, and click the icons on the map for more information. Text in the more info box are the specific locations Shakespeare references in his The Winter’s Tale text.