# Shepherd — The Winter’s Tale character guide

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

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Shepherd None, Shepherd Fie, Shepherd Ay, Shepherd Sir

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

## Snapshot

An old Bohemian shepherd who finds an abandoned royal baby and raises her as his own with quiet pride.

## Who they are

The Shepherd is a plain man of the fields whose life changes when he discovers an infant with gold and tokens beside her, and he keeps those proofs against a day he half expects. He dotes on Perdita, boasting of her dancing and hinting that whoever wins her will get more than he dreams of. His cottage becomes the stage for the play's great pastoral festival, and his honesty is the foil to courtly corruption.

## Relationships

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

_social_

The Shepherd finds and raises Hermione's abandoned daughter Perdita, but has no direct relationship with Hermione.

### [Clown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/clown)

_family_

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

### [Florizel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/florizel)

_social_

Florizel, disguised as a shepherd, courts the Shepherd's adopted daughter Perdita.

### [Leontes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/leontes)

_social_

Leontes meets the Shepherd only at the end, when the Shepherd reveals Perdita's true identity.

### [Autolycus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/autolycus)

_rivalry_

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

### [Florizel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/florizel)

_social_

Florizel, disguised as a shepherd, courts the Shepherd's adopted daughter Perdita.

### [Clown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_winter_s_tale_se/characters/clown)

_family_

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

## In the story

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

The Shepherd finds Perdita and the gold, deciding to take her in and keep the treasure secret.

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

Decides to reveal Perdita's foundling status and the hidden items to the king.

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

Now recognized as a gentleman after Perdita's identity is revealed; he and his son are embraced by the royal family.

## Links

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