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The play begins at the court of Antiochus, king of Antioch. Pericles, the young Prince (ruler) of Tyre, is there to win the hand of his beautiful daughter by answering a riddle. However, if he fails, he will be killed, like many suitors before him. Upon hearing the riddle, Pericles realizes its meaning: That Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Pericles realizes that he is trapped - he will be killed if he reveals the truth, but he will be killed if he answers wrongly. Thus, instead of answering outright, Pericles hints to Antiochus that he knows the answer to the riddle, and asks for more time to think. Antiochus grants him forty days, and Pericles uses the time to flee from Antioch.
Pericles returns to Tyre and confers with his trusted friend and councilor Helicanus, who advises him to leave the city, for Antiochus surely will hunt him down. Pericles agrees, leaving Helicanus as regent in his place, and indeed an assassin arrives in Tyre shortly after Pericles departs. The young prince sails from Tyre to Tarsus, a city beset by famine. The generous Pericles gives the rulers of the city, King Cleon and Queen Dionyza, grain from his ship to save their people. The famine ends, and after being thanked profusely by Cleon and Dionyza, Pericles continues on.
However, Pericles' voyage is diverted by a storm that shipwrecks his vessel and washes him up on the shores of Pentapolis. He is rescued by a group of poor fishermen who inform him that the King of Pentapolis, Simonedes, is holding a tournament the next day and that the winner will receive the hand of his daughter Thaisa in marriage. Fortunately, Pericles' suit of armor washes up to shore that very moment and the prince decides to enter the tournament. Although his equipment is shoddy, Pericles wins the tournament and the hand of Thaisa (who is deeply attracted to him) in marriage. Although Simonedes initially expresses doubt about the union, he soon comes to like Pericles and allows them to wed.
Meanwhile, in Tyre, the noblemen learn of the death of Antiochus and his daughter in a charioteering accident and are anxious at the long departure of their king. They propose crowning Helicanus in his stead, but Helicanus is a loyal friend to Pericles and refuses the offer. However, he eventually agrees that if the noblemen search for Pericles in vain, Helicanus will consent to become king.
A letter sent by the noblemen reaches Pericles in Pentapolis, who decides to return to Tyre with Thaisa, who is pregnant. However, a storm arises while at sea, and Thaisa dies giving birth to her child, Marina. The sailors on board insist that Thaisa's body is set out to sea in order to calm the storm. Pericles grudgingly agrees, and decides to stop at Tarsus because he fears that Marina may not survive the storm.
Luckily, Thaisa's casket washes up to shore near the residence of Lord Cerimon, a magician who brings her back to life. Thaisa becomes a priestess in the temple of DianaDiana can refer to: The Roman goddess Diana who was a counterpart of the Greek goddess Artemis; see: Diana (goddess) Diana, Princess of Wales . 78 Diana is an asteroid. Diana (Sailor Moon a fictional character in the Japanese anime Sailor Moon''..
Marina grows up under the care of King Cleon and Queen Dionyza. However, Marina is despised for her beauty which surpasses that of their own daughter. Their plan for Marina's assassination is thwarted when pirates kidnap Marina and then sell her to a brothel. There, Marina manages to keep her virginity but convincing the men that they should seek virtue.
When Pericles returns to Tarsus for his daughter, the king and queen claim she has died. In grief, he sets to the seas. He eventually comes, by chance, to the land where Marina can be found, and they reunite. In a dream, Pericles is instructed to go to the temple of Diana. He there finds Thaisa. The people of Tarsus discover the evils that Cleon and Dionyza have done, and kill them in a revolt.
Each act of the play preceded by a prologue spoken by John GowerGower, John John Gower (?1330 1410) was an English poet, and a contemporary of William Langland and Geoffrey Chaucer. By his own account he was once commanded by Richard II to write a poem "for England's sake. The royal commission resulted in the composit, a 14th century13th century 14th century 15th century more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. Events The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age Beginning of th EnglishEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England poetPoets are authors of poems. Poets are often regarded as imaginative thinkers or writers. List of poets Apocalypse poets Georgian poets List of romantic poets List of surrealist poets Symbolist Poets List of Albanian language poets List of Arabic language and contemporary of Chaucer.