297
Meanwhile, King Antiochus has
died so Pericles is safe to reveal his
identity as Prince of Tyre and return
home with his now pregnant wife.
On the way to Tyre, they encounter
a tempest, during which Thaisa
appears to die giving birth to a
daughter and, at the insistence of
the sailors, is buried at sea. Pericles
sails to Tarsus where he entrusts
his daughter, now named Marina,
to the indebted Cleon and Dioniza.
Thaisa’s coffin is washed ashore
at Ephesus where a physician
revives her and sends her to be a
priestess at the Temple of Diana.Gower recounts how 14 years have
passed during which time Marina
has grown into a virtuous young
woman, attracting the envy of
Dioniza, who conspires to have
her murdered. Marina flees, but is
abducted by pirates who sell her
to a brothel in Mytilene. Pericles
has returned to Tarsus to find
Marina but is falsely told that she
is dead, causing him to pledge
himself to a lifetime of silent
mourning sailing the seas.
Marina has steadfastly clung
to her chastity, to the annoyance
of her bawd (brothel madam), butTHE KING’S MAN
11
12 15 & 16 19 & 21
15 18 21
Pericles decides to take the
newborn child, Marina, to
Tarsus to be raised by the
governor Cleon and his wife.
Thaisa’s body is
washed up onto the
shores of Ephesus
where a physician
revives her from a
deathlike sleep and
takes her to the Temple
of Diana where she
serves as a priestess.Dioniza’s plans to murder
Marina are thwarted when
the girl is kidnapped by
pirates and sold to a
brothel at Mytilene.The governor of
Mytilene, Lysimachus,
frees Marina from the
brothel. When Marina
sings for the prince he
eventually realizes
that she is his
daughter. Pericles
agrees to Marina’s
betrothal to
Lysimachus.Gower narrates the
events of Marina’s
youth. She is now a
young woman and,
Cleon’s jealous wife
Dioniza arranges
for her murder.Pericles is told that Marina
has died. Grief-stricken, he
vows to never speak again and
to spend the rest of his life in
mourning on the seas.Pericles has a vision
of the goddess Diana
who tells him to
travel to Ephesus
where he is reunited
with Thaisa.22
Gower explains how the
villainous are punished
and the virtuous
rewarded, pointing to the
honorable Pericles and his
family as good examples.while she is there she is able to
convince the governor Lysimachus,
who has visited the brothel in
disguise, to help her. When
Pericles’ ship arrives by chance at
Mytilene, Lysimachus tries to cheer
the sorrow-drowned Pericles by
sending Marina to sing to him.
Hearing Marina’s life’s story,
Pericles joyfully realizes she is
his daughter. The goddess Diana
appears to Pericles in a dream
telling him to visit her temple at
Ephesus. Pericles journeys there
with Marina and is miraculously
reunited with his wife, Thaisa. ❯❯Scenes 12–16 Scenes 19 –22