The Winter's Tale

At the sheep-shearing festival, Florizell (dressed up as a shepherd named “Doricles” for the festival) compliments Perdita on her beauty. She worries about what will happen if king Polixenes should find them together, since she is only a lowly shepherd’s daughter. Florizell says that he doesn’t care about her social status, but Perdita says that Polixenes will surely oppose any union between them. Florizell tells her not to worry and to enjoy the festival.

A group of shepherds (including the shepherd who found Perdita when she was a baby, and his son) enter, along with Polixenes and Camillo in disguises. The shepherd tells Perdita to fulfill her duties as “mistress o’ the feast” and welcome everyone. Perdita distributes some flowers to the guests and talks with Polixenes about hybrid flowers made by grafting two different plants together. She describes such flowers as “nature’s bastards,” but Polixenes says that even they are made by nature and tells her not to call them “bastards.”

Perdita continues to give out flowers and garlands to all the guests, describing each particular kind of plant. Florizell compliments her beauty again, as well as her speaking, singing, and dancing. Continuing to flirt with her, he asks her to dance. Polixenes mentions to Camillo that Perdita seems noble in her behavior, as if she were more than just a shepherd’s daughter. Music begins, and all the shepherds and shepherdesses begin to dance.

Polixenes speaks to the shepherd who has adopted Perdita, and learns that Perdita and the young man dressed up as “Doricles” are in love. A servant enters and announces that a “peddler” has come to play songs and ballads and sell small trinkets. The shepherd’s son calls for the peddler to come sing, and Autolycus enters. He sings about the various wares he is selling, encouraging everyone, “Come buy of me, come. Come buy, come buy. / Buy, lads, or else your lasses cry. / Come buy.”

The shepherd’s son buys a shepherdess named Mopsa some ribbons from Autolycus. Mopsa asks him to buy her some more things, but he reminds her that he was robbed recently. Autolycus acts sympathetic and tells the shepherd’s son that it pays to be careful. Autolycus, the shepherd’s son, Mopsa, and some others discuss what ballad they should sing. They decide on a song called “Two Maids Wooing a Man,” and sing it together.

Another group of herdsmen enters and performs a dance. The disguised Polixenes approaches Florizell and asks him about Perdita. Florizell says that he is in love with Perdita, and describes her beauty at length. Perdita avows her love for Florizell, and the shepherd agrees to give her away in marriage to him. Just as the shepherd is set to join Florizell’s and Perdita’s hands (symbolizing their engagement), Polixenes stops Florizell and asks him if his father is aware of this.

Florizell says he doesn’t plan to tell his father, and Polixenes says that he is wronging his father by marrying without his knowledge or consent. He encourages Florizell to tell his father about Perdita, but Florizell refuses. Polixenes suddenly removes his disguise, angrily says that Florizell is no longer his son, says that the old shepherd will be killed, and threatens to have Perdita’s face “scratched with briars.” He tells Florizell that he is no longer heir to the throne of Bohemia.

Perdita tells Florizell he should leave, and says she is giving up on her dream of being with him. The shepherd is upset and angry at Perdita for mingling with the prince. Camillo tells Florizell to beware of Polixenes’ temper and not to appear before him “till the fury of his Highness settle.” Florizell agrees not to go see his father, and tells Perdita that he doesn’t care about losing his right of succession to the throne. He refuses to go back on his vow of love to Perdita and says that the two of them can run away from Bohemia together.

Camillo talks to himself and realizes that he may be able to use Florizell’s fleeing Bohemia to his advantage, by getting Perdita and him to flee to Sicilia. He speaks to Florizell and says that he has been a loyal subject of Polixenes, and will be loyal to Florizell. He encourages Florizell to go to Sicilia, where he says Leontes will be kind to him as a way of making up for his betrayal of Polixenes.

Camillo tells Florizell to tell Leontes that he comes from Bohemia as a representative of his father Polixenes’ good will. He tells Florizell that Leontes must think Florizell is on good terms with his father. Florizell and Perdita agree with the plan, but Florizell worries about arriving in Sicilia with his shepherd’s costume. Just then, Autolycus enters and brags to himself about how he sold all his cheap trinkets at the festival, and picked many people’s pockets while he was at it.

Camillo promises to write letters of introduction for Florizell to Leontes. Then, he sees Autolycus and gets an idea. He asks Autolycus to change clothes with Florizell, and Autolycus agrees after a bit of protest. Camillo advises Perdita to disguise herself as well, so that she and Florizell can safely escape Bohemia. Speaking to himself, he says that he will tell Polixenes about Florizell and Perdita’s escape to Sicilia, so that Polixenes will pursue them there and take Camillo with him, back to his homeland.

Perdita, Camillo, and Florizell leave. Alone, Autolycus says that he understands what is going on, but will not inform Polixenes, because he prefers dishonesty over honesty, and thinks, “this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive.” The old shepherd and his son enter, carrying the box in which they found Perdita so long ago. The shepherd’s son persuades his father to tell king Polixenes that Perdita is a “changeling” and not his daughter by birth. Since she is not his “flesh and blood,” he has not technically offended the king through his daughter’s relationship with the prince, and so perhaps Polixenes will pardon the shepherd.

The shepherd and his son plan to go to Polixenes’ palace. Autolycus overhears them and, pretending to be a noble courtier, asks what business they have at the royal court, as well as what the box they are carrying is. He tells them that the king is not at his palace, but aboard a boat. Pretending not to recognize the shepherd and his son, he tells them that the king’s son is rumored to have tried to marry a shepherd’s daughter.

Autolycus says that the girl’s father is sure to be killed, as well as the shepherd’s son, who will be flayed alive, covered in honey and “set on the head of a wasps’-nest, and then stoned to death. He offers to take the shepherd and his son to Polixenes and tells them he will “tender your persons to his presence,” and “whisper him in your behalfs.” The shepherd gladly gives Autolycus some gold for promising to do this and promises to give him more once he has done it.

Autolycus directs the shepherd and his son toward the seashore. They think their only hope is to tell Polixenes that Perdita is not actually the shepherd’s daughter, and believe they are “blessed” to have found Autolycus. They leave ahead of Autolycus, who, alone on-stage, remarks how lucky he is. He plans to bring the shepherd and the shepherd’s son to Florizell instead of the king, and thinks that Florizell will reward him for it.