Autolycus

Autolycus in court and country

Autolycus, who does not appear in the play until Act IV scene iii, acts as a link between court and country. (See: Ideas of nature.) He tells the audience,

‘I have served Prince Florizel, and in my time wore three-pile, but now I am out of service.'

Pretending to be a victim of Autolycus (but actually speaking of himself) to the Clown (the young shepherd), he remarks:

‘I knew him once a servant of the prince … he was certainly whipped out of the court … and having flown over many knavish professions, he settled only in rogue.'

His experience at court gives him the manner and the style of speech with which he later (towards the end of Act IV, sc iv) tricks the shepherds into trusting him as a courtier.

Autolycus and singing

When we first meet him, Autolycus is singing – the first time music has been heard in the play:

He sings of spring time, and of the ‘red blood' which ‘reigns in the winter's pale', and thus changes the tone of the whole drama
When he arrives at the sheep-shearing feast, disguised as a pedlar, he again enters singing, and brings with him ballads
He also takes part in singing a ballad with the shepherdesses Mopsa and Dorcas.

Although he is a rogue, Autolycus' association with music and song ensures that he carries with him a light-hearted atmosphere. (See: Spiritual re-creation.)

Autolycus and humour

There is very little humour in the first half of the play, but Autolycus brings laughter with him, inviting the audience to enjoy his trickery:

His first act of knavery, in which he tricks the gullible Clown out of his money, is a kind of parody of the parable of the Good Samaritan (to be found in Luke 10:25-35. However, by taking the audience into his confidence as they watch, they enjoy what might otherwise seem an unkind, even cruel, deception. (The fact that the robbery does not seem to hamper the hospitality on offer at the feast means that no serious consequences ensue, and we need not feel too worried!)
Later he amuses watchers by his brazen deception, as he tells the Clown, ‘There are cozeners abroad', and by his extravagant claims for his ballads: ‘Very true, and but a month old…. The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.'
Then the audience laughs at his outrageous patronising of the shepherds as he adopts his old persona of courtier:

‘Seest thou not the air of the court in these enfoldings? Hath not my gait in it the measure of the court? Receives not thy nose court-odour from me? Reflect I not on thy baseness, court-contempt?'

Finally, however, if we do feel uncomfortable at the way that Autolycus leads us to laugh at the naivety of the shepherds, we can enjoy the fact that, in the end, they are in the ascendant when they become ‘gentlemen born' (Act V, sc ii) and tell him,

‘Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters.'

Autolycus' role in the plot

Autolycus does more than introduce music and laughter: Shakespeare uses him to effect the outcome of the play. When, at the end of the sheep-shearing scene, Autolycus is witness to the denunciation by Polixenes of Florizel and Perdita, Autolycus decides to take a hand in the action – though his motives are by no means pure:

‘The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity (stealing away from his father with his clog at his heels): if I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would not do't: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I constant to my profession.'

However, Autolycus may be a rogue but he is not a real villain:

We see that, from his earlier position as servant to Prince Florizel, Autolycus retains affection for his former master – as well as a desire to do himself a good turn
When he learns that the shepherds have a bundle which they propose to show to Polixenes, he diverts them, taking them to Florizel instead

Thus Shakespeare contrives that the shepherds and their evidence of Perdita's true birth are taken to Sicilia: Autolycus' very roguery is a means of bringing about reconciliation and harmony.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. ²And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. ⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house! ⁶And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. ⁷And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹Heal the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. ¹⁰But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ¹¹Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near. ¹²I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. ¹³Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. ¹⁷The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! ¹⁸And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. ²¹In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²²All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ²³Then turning to the disciples he said privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! ²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ²⁵And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶He said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? ²⁷And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. ²⁸And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live. ²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? ³⁰Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? ³⁷He said, The one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, You go, and do likewise. ³⁸Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴²but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

¹After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. ²Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. ³Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. ⁴Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. ⁵And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. ⁶And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. ⁷And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. ⁸And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: ⁹And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ¹⁰But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, ¹¹Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ¹²But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. ¹³Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. ¹⁵And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. ¹⁶He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. ¹⁷And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ¹⁸And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ²¹In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. ²²All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. ²³And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: ²⁴For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. ²⁵And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? ²⁷And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. ²⁸And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. ²⁹But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? ³⁰And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ³³But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, ³⁴And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. ³⁶Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ³⁷And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. ³⁸Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

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The Winter's Tale Contents