The Winter’s Tale · Chapter
Scene III explained
Autolycus, a roguish trickster, sings of his thieving ways and encounters the Clown, whom he robs by pretending to be a beaten traveler.
What happens
Autolycus, a roguish trickster, sings of his thieving ways and encounters the Clown, whom he robs by pretending to be a beaten traveler. The Clown, preparing for the sheep-shearing feast, is duped into helping Autolycus, who picks his pocket and plans further mischief at the festival.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Antigonus’s interna…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Social Class and Identity
Autolycus's shifting disguises and his commentary on court versus country life highlight the fluidity and performance of social identity.
Characters to notice
- Autolycus
Introduced as a cunning rogue and former servant of Prince Florizel; he sings of his life as a thief and pickpocket, then tricks the Clown into helping him while stealing his purse.
- Clown
The Shepherd's son, busy buying spices for the sheep-shearing feast; he is kind-hearted but gullible, falling for Autolycus's deception and having his pocket picked.
- Florizel
Mentioned as the prince whom Autolycus once served, though he does not appear in this scene.
Key passages
“My traffic is sheets; when the kite builds, look to lesser linen. My father named me Autolycus; who being, as I am, littered under Mercury, was likewise a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles.”
My business is stealing bed sheets; when the kite builds its nest, watch out for smaller laundry. My father named me Autolycus, and like him, born under the planet Mercury, I am a thief of things people overlook.
Autolycus boasts of his thieving nature, linking his name and character to the mythological Autolycus, son of Hermes (Mercury), known for cunning and theft.
“If the springe hold, the cock's mine.”
If my trap works, I've caught my prey.
Autolycus uses a hunting metaphor to express confidence that his trick on the Clown will succeed.
