# Autolycus — The Winter’s Tale character guide

> Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Autolycus Age, Enter Autolycus, Autolycus Neither, Autolycus The fardel

**First appearance:** 0015-act-iv-scene-iii

## Snapshot

A singing, pocket-picking peddler who turns Bohemia's sheep-shearing into a one-man festival of larceny.

## Who they are

Autolycus arrives at the sheep-shearing with ballads, ribbons, and a hand in every purse, selling love songs to maids and lifting the clown's money while pretending to be the victim of a robbery. He is the play's comic engine, a rogue who names himself in the third person and treats thievery as a profession with a curriculum. His cheerful amorality throws the shepherds' honest festivity into relief and keeps the pastoral world from turning sentimental.

## Relationships

### [Shepherd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/shepherd)

_rivalry_

Autolycus, a trickster and con man, repeatedly cheats and robs the Shepherd and his son.

## In the story

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-iii)

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.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-iv)

Observes the Shepherd and Clown, and tricks them into delaying their report to the king.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/chapters/act-v-scene-ii)

Eagerly seeks news of the discovery and later asks the Shepherd and Clown for their good report to the prince.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/autolycus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters