The Winter's Tale: Genre 1 key example

The generic classification of The Winter's Tale has posed problems for scholars. The play was originally considered one of Shakespeare's comedies, but the deeply psychological and tragic nature of the first three Acts defies that classification. By contrast, the last two Acts are more comedic, especially due to the introduction of "jester" or "fool" characters like Antigonus, as well as the romantic coupling of all the characters at the play's conclusion in accordance with the conventions of Shakespearean comedy: Leontes with Hermione, Florizell with Perdita, and Paulina with Camillo. The play might therefore be described as a Shakespearean tragicomedy or "romance," a term for late Shakespeare plays that merge tragic and comedic elements.