Pericles Prince of Tyre
Summary

Pericles is one of Shakespeare's 'romances' from late in his career and was composed somewhere between 1606 and 1608. It was published in a corrupt form in 1609 and only included properly in his canon at the time of the Third Folio in 1664. The first two acts, scattershot in their construction, seem to have been written in collaboration with another author. The story itself is a well-known one: that of Apollonius of Tyre taken from John Gower's Confessio Amantis. Gower himself appears as the chorus figure of the play, confirming the source. The other identified source text is Lawrence Twine's The Pattern of Painful Adventures (1576). The story follows prince Pericles as he discovers King Antiochus's incestuous relationship with his daughter and is thus in danger. He leaves his government with honest Helicanus and journeys to Tarsus. Pericles is subsequently the only survivor of a wrecked ship, faces the suitors of princess Thaisa and then marries her. In ever more complicated and bizarre circumstances, Pericles's wife gives birth to Marina at sea and then dies only to be cast away and brought back to life. Back in the court in Tyre, Marina becomes the subject of Dionyza's intense jealousy and is sent to a brothel where she wins favour for her goodness of spirit and her pure nature. Pericles, guided by a dream, sets sail again and is reunited with both his lost wife and child. The last three acts particularly follow the late romances common themes of a prince and his daughter, sleep disguised as death, magic intervention and reconciliation.

Table of contents
Dramatis Personae.
Act 1
Scene 1. Antioch. A room in the palace.
Scene 2. Tyre. A room in the palace.
Scene 3. Tyre. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Scene 4. Tarsus. A room in the Governor's house.
Act 2
Scene 1. Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side.
Scene 2. The same. A public way or platform leading to the
Scene 3. The same. A hall of state: a banquet prepared.
Scene 4. Tyre. A room in the Governor's house.
Scene 5. Pentapolis. A room in the palace.
Scene 2. Ephesus. A room in CERIMON's house.
Scene 3. Tarsus. A room in CLEON's house.
Scene 4. Ephesus. A room in CERIMON's house.
Act 3
Scene 1. Tarsus. An open place near the sea-shore.
Scene 2. Mytilene. A room in a brothel.
Scene 3. Tarsus. A room in CLEON's house.
Scene 5. Mytilene. A street before the brothel.
Scene 6. The same. A room in the brothel.
Act 4
Scene 1. On board PERICLES' ship, off Mytilene. A close
Scene 3. The temple of Diana at Ephesus; THAISA standing

  By PanEris using Melati.

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