[HPforGrownups] Hermione and The Winter's Tale

[Olivia]

No: HPFGUIDX 44413

Debbie said:

"A couple of weeks ago I saw a production of Shakespeare's The Winter's
Tale, which I had neither seen nor read before.  I was very curious about
the character Hermione, because this is the play which JKR has stated was
the source of Hermione's name.  JKR stated in one interview
(http://www.magicalharrypotter.com/TodayShow.html) that she chose it because
she *just* liked the name (emphasis mine).  And according to the Lexicon,
JKR stated in an earlier interview (that I cannot find) that the two
characters are not at all similar.

But that's not what I saw in Shakespeare's play.

...

1.    Shakespeare's Hermione, a Queen of Sicilia, is accused of treason by
adultery, by her irrationally jealous and insecure husband, Leontes.

...

2.    Hermione is tried and convicted for her *crime* and Leontes ignores an
oracle proclaiming her innocence.  Their son dies and Hermione collapses and
is presumed dead; Leontes repents, plunging into a lifetime of penitence for
his foolish rage.  In the last scene, Leontes is shown a "statue" of
Hermione, properly aged to reflect the 16 years since her presumptive death.
But there's been a curse, and as the curse has just been lifted by the
return of L&H's long-lost daughter, Hermione comes to life.

An apparently dead person appears in a statue-like form and is restored to
life when the curse is reversed?  Sounds a lot like being petrified by a
basilisk to me."

Interestingly enough, I was reading "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" by
David Colbert last night -- very informative book, by the way -- and came
across this short passage about Hermione's name:

"Hermione Granger's first name confuses many readers. Pronounced
her-MY-oh-nee, it is the feminine form of "Hermes" (like Percy Weasley's
owl), Greek god of eloquence. Here's an amusing connection: In Shakespeare's
'A Winter Tale' a character named Hermione becomes a statue. That's what
happens to Hermione Granger after the basilisk attacks in 'Chamber'. J.K.
Rowling must have smiled when she thought of that." (pg 134, sidebar,
Colbert)

I have to agree with you that some of the things Ms. Rowling says in
interviews sounds a bit like her trying to throw us off track. Possibly to
tide us over during long waits for books???

Whatever the connection is, reading that list night and then this post this
morning has inspired me to pull my massive "Complete Works of William
Shakespeare" off the shelf again and read A Winter Tale.

Olivia :)