Twinned Lambs
At the beginning of the play, Polixenes describes his and Leontes's youth together. He compares their relationship to that of "twinned lambs," which symbolize innocence and jollity. Polixenes implies that, had the two boys not grown up and become interested in sex and marriage, they would have remained innocent "twins" forever.
The Seasons
The seasons in The Winter's Tale reflect the play's blend of tragic and comic elements. When the play begins, it is set in the middle of the Sicilian winter, representing Leontes's coldness and the destruction he brings upon his family. The latter half of the play focuses on the Bohemian spring and summer, which promise rebirth, renewal, and redemption.
The Bear
Perhaps the single most famous stage direction in all of Shakespeare's plays is "exit, pursued by bear" in Act 2. This stage direction refers to the imminent death of Antigonus after he abandons Baby Perdita upon Leontes's request. Many argue that the bear symbolizes Leontes's wrath, while others maintain that the bear is yet another form of wrongful punishment exacted in the play. While the bear is a frequently-debated symbol among some scholars, others argue that it is not a symbol at all but instead a nod toward bear-baiting – a popular spectacle in London at the time Shakespeare's plays were performed.
Time
Time appears as an allegory in the play because it is personified by a winged figure who holds an hourglass and announces the sixteen-year flash forward that occurs between Acts 3 and 4. By having Time announce this passage, Shakespeare also crafts Time as a type of Chorus – a character or group of characters who, in Ancient Greek drama and many English Renaissance plays, narrates and comments on the events of the play as they unfold. When Time appears, he asks for the audience's forgiveness, as large time jumps were uncommon on the Renaissance stage and often considered disruptive to dramatic performances more generally.
Hermione's Statue
When Hermione's statue comes to life at the end of the play, it can either be interpreted as a symbol of Perdita's redemptive power – her presence heals Leontes, his kingdom, and even resurrects her mother from the dead. However, others argue that Hermione was never really dead to begin with and was, instead, hidden by Paulina to protect her from further harm by Leontes. Either way, Hermione's return at the end of the play signifies the healed relationships and resolved conflicts that lend the play its more comic elements.
