TL;DR (may contain spoilers): King Leontes becomes paranoid about his wife's fidelity; he imprisons her, kills their son, and banishes their infant daughter. Yesterday the fields were only grey with scattered snow, And now the longest grass-leaves hardly emerge; Yet her deep footsteps mark the snow, and go. . One of Shakespeare's final plays, The Winter's Tale is a romantic comedy with elements of tragedy. The plot was based on a work of prose fiction. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Winter's Tale. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes The Winter's Tale Study Guide has everything you need to ace. A short summary of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of Although it was grouped among the comedies. the winter's tale summary pdf. “The Winter's Tale” by William Shakespeare is a fascinating, tragic, psychological but little known play that Shakespeare wrote about five years before his.