In this poem, Sweeney is shown as a highly instinctive person, driven chiefly by his sensual urges rather than conscience. The prostitutes easily sense his motives and try to lay their hands on him. However, Sweeney senses they are planning something else other than their business. So, he withdraws from the scene, like an epic hero coming out of the Labyrinth, with a victor’s smile on his face.