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LEONTES
Three crabbed months had sour’d themselves to death, Ere I could make thee open thy white hand
And clap thyself my love: then didst thou utter ‘I am yours for ever.’
HERMIONE
‘Tis grace indeed.
Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice: The one for ever earn’d a royal husband;
The other for some while a friend.
LEONTES
Too hot, too hot.
In The Winter’s Tale
Leontes believes his wife Hermione is having an affair with his best friend Polixenes His outburst ‘Too hot, too hot’ comes as the second part of a line of verse
Split between him and his wife
and is irregular with six feet or six strong beats rather than the regular five. Thus according to the rules of Shakespeare’s verse
His line should match her line in tone and rhythm. Her line ‘I am yours for ever.’
is sweet and loving.
Thus his inexplicable outburst of jealously, These four words,
Too hot, too hot,
Delivered as an aside to the audience, and matching her loving tone, is very unexpected.
In 2023, a heatwave occurred in Italy. It was very, very hot, and people died. Three friends chose to ignore the weather warning and make a last-minute booking for the cheapest Airbnb they could find in Italy.
Cast of Characters Leo: an actor
Helen: an actor and Leo’s wife Paulo: an actor and Leo’s best friend
The accommodation was old and ramshackle, situated up a rough track, surrounded by parched abandoned fields that had once been vineyards.
1. On their first night the temperature did not dip below 34.
2. On the second and third night the temperature barely changed.
3. By the fourth night it had risen two degrees.
4. On the fifth night they played cards and
5. On the sixth night they found a very thumbed copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare.
Given the circumstances (the heat), The Winter’s Tale (Act 1, Scene 2) seemed a fitting choice for a group reading.
And so they started acting but A fan was found but still it was
The fridge they wedged ajar but still
Too hot too hot Too hot too hot Too hot too hot
They took their shoes and socks off but
Too hot too hot They ripped their shorts and panties off
Too hot too hot Then Leo glanced at Paulo’s bulging cock
Too hot too hot Then Helen noticed Leo’s sneaky stare
Too hot too hot
She thought.
July 26, 2023