An interesting and provocative essay. Perhaps Perfita’s subsequent response to Polixenes’ argument, after her initial assent to his male authority (“so it is…”) is worth our attention as well: “ I’ll not put the dibble in earth to set one slip of [the hybrid flowers modified by “art”] no more than, were I painted, I would wish this youth to say ‘twere well, and only therefore desire to breed my me…”
That is, human artifice may appear to “improve” nature but actually undermines it. The global disappearance of insect populations due to pesticides is just one example. I stand with Perdita on that!