What role do prophecies and the gods play in the Winter's Tale?

What role do prophecies and the gods play in Winters Tale?

Throughout The Winter’s Tale, we are made aware that Kings and Queens, however powerful, are not in charge of their futures. Leontes’ refusal to acknowledge these higher powers brings swift retribution.The fact that The Winter’s Tale seems to be set in a pagan world is evident from Florizel’s recollections of the actions of the gods as he describes them to Perdita in act 4, scene 4:

"The gods themselves/Humbling their deities to love, have taken/The shapes of beast upon them: Jupiter/Became a bull, and bellow’d; the green Neptune/A ram, and bleated; and the fire-rob’d god,/Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain,/As I seem now." The most obvious evidence of the higher powers and of divine beings in The Winter’s Tale, is Apollo and his Oracle.

         In The Winter’s Tale, the Oracle, a holy prophet, is consulted to determine Hermione’s innocence.The Oracle belonged to the Greek god Apollo and was consulted for truths and insights by Cleomenes and Dion, the courtiers dispatched by Leontes about Hermione's infertility. Cleomenes and Dion hope that the oracle's judgment will help Queen Hermione. Cleomenes and Dion then bring in the oracle's scroll into the trial which declares, "Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant..." The Oracle in The Winter’s Tale offers both the truth and a warning to Leontes: “the King shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found.” The Oracle clears Hermione of her accusations and cautions Leontes against his rage. Leontes does not pay attention to the warning, however, making the Oracle’s prophecy come true. His and wife die as a result.The "resurrection" of Hermoine in in act 5, is also presented as a supernatural event. Paulina is anxious to avoid any implication that she is bringing Hermoine back to life by the use of magical arts.