The play has five "acts" (parts). The first three acts have tense drama. A character called "Time" briefly appears to announce the sixteen-year time jump between the third and fourth acts. The last two acts are much lighter in tone. They are like the "pastoral" plays that were popular around Shakespeare's time, which were light plays that were set in the countryside. Although the play has a happy ending, some of the tragedy cannot be undone: Mamillus is still dead, and the bad things that happened in the past cannot be forgotten.