# Clown — The Winter’s Tale character guide

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

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Prithee Clown, Clown Prithee, Clown Alack, Clown Alas, Clown Dost, Clown Ay, Clown See, Clown Comfort

**First appearance:** 0011-act-iii-scene-iii

## Snapshot

The old shepherd's son, a good-hearted country fellow whose charity gets him pickpocketed by a professional.

## Who they are

The Clown is practical, credulous, and generous, the sort of man who helps a groaning stranger to his feet and offers him money on the spot. His encounter with the disguised Autolycus shows both his decency and his comic blindness, since the rogue robs him while accepting his kindness. At the sheep-shearing he fusses over Mopsa and Dorcas and buys trinkets with money he no longer has, grounding the play's pastoral scenes in ordinary human appetite.

## Relationships

### [Hermione](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/hermione)

_social_

The Clown is a rustic character who interacts with Hermione only peripherally, as part of the Bohemian subplot.

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

_family_

The Clown is the Shepherd's son, and they work together as simple country folk in Bohemia.

### [Camillo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/camillo)

_professional_

Camillo interacts with the Clown as part of his scheme to reunite the royal families.

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

_family_

The Clown is the Shepherd's son, and they work together as simple country folk in Bohemia.

### [Camillo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/camillo)

_professional_

Camillo interacts with the Clown as part of his scheme to reunite the royal families.

## In the story

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

The Clown witnesses the shipwreck and Antigonus's death, then helps his father discover the baby and gold.

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

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.

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

Advises the Shepherd on how to present the evidence to the king.

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

Proudly boasts of his new gentleman status and agrees to vouch for Autolycus to the prince.

## Links

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