Anyway.
Going back to the discussion on Tuesday, I really wonder what Leontes (and his relationship with Polixenes) was like before the events of this story took place. Yes, they act like they're all buddy-buddy in the beginning but they're just as likely putting on airs. Were they the type of friends who were always trying to one-up eachother? Does Leontes have some kind of inferiority complex? In my mind, I can see how maybe Leontes was always jealous of Polixenes; perhaps he had trouble with the ladies that his Bohemian friend never seemed to run into. It would certainly make sense then, when years later. his wife is only having a conversation with Polixenes (which he ASKED her to do) and has a meltdown because he thinks she's cheating.
Also, Leontes always struck me as your typical drama queen, someone who looks for conflict and maybe even bores without it. Being part of a theater troupe, I think Shakespeare probably saw his fair share of divas and might be trying to warn againts that kind of behavior (More power to him). His message to them, then, I would think is that being creating conflict out of nothing, and letting it get out of hand will only bring you more suffering in the end.
