Enter Cerimon and Diana’s Priestesses, including
Thaisa; at another door enter Pericles, Marina,
Helicanus, Lysimachus, and Attendants. PERICLES
Hail, Dian! To perform thy just command,
I here confess myself the King of Tyre,
Who, frighted from my country, did wed
At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.
At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth 5
A maid child called Marina, whom, O goddess,
Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus
Was nursed with Cleon, who at fourteen years
He sought to murder. But her better stars
Brought her to Mytilene, ’gainst whose shore riding, 10
Her fortunes brought the maid aboard us, where,
By her own most clear remembrance, she made known
Herself my daughter. | Now the whole crew has arrived at the temple: Pericles, his followers, Lysimachus, Helicanus, and Marina. Pericles strolls up to the altar and starts telling his story. |
THAISA Voice and favor!
You are, you are—O royal Pericles! 15
She falls in a faint. PERICLES
What means the nun? She dies! Help, gentlemen! CERIMON Noble sir,
If you have told Diana’s altar true,
This is your wife. PERICLES Reverend appearer, no. 20
I threw her overboard with these very arms. CERIMON
Upon this coast, I warrant you. PERICLES ’Tis most certain. CERIMON
Look to the lady. O, she’s but overjoyed.
Early one blustering morn this lady was 25
Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin,
Found there rich jewels, recovered her, and placed her
Here in Diana’s temple. PERICLES May we see them? CERIMON
Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house, 30
Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa
Is recoverèd. Thaisa rises. | Like we said, Thaisa has been chilling at the temple, and when she sees Pericles, she's all, "OMG. I'm your wife. It's a good thing I haven't been with any other men this whole time. Now we can get back together." Then she passes out, but she wakes up soon after. |
THAISA O, let me look!
If he be none of mine, my sanctity
Will to my sense bend no licentious ear, 35
But curb it, spite of seeing.—O, my lord,
Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake,
Like him you are. Did you not name a tempest,
A birth and death? PERICLES The voice of dead Thaisa! 40 THAISAThat Thaisa am I, supposèd dead
And drowned. PERICLES
Immortal Dian! THAISA Now I know you better.
She points to the ring on his hand.
When we with tears parted Pentapolis, 45
The king my father gave you such a ring. PERICLES
This, this! No more, you gods! Your present kindness
Makes my past miseries sports. You shall do well
That on the touching of her lips I may
Melt and no more be seen.—O, come, be buried 50
A second time within these arms! They embrace. MARINA, kneeling My heart
Leaps to be gone into my mother’s bosom. PERICLES
Look who kneels here, flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa,
Thy burden at the sea, and called Marina 55
For she was yielded there. THAISA, embracing Marina Blessed, and mine own! HELICANUS
Hail, madam, and my queen. THAISA I know you not. PERICLES
You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre 60
I left behind an ancient substitute.
Can you remember what I called the man?
I have named him oft. THAISA ’Twas Helicanus then. PERICLES Still confirmation! 65
Embrace him, dear Thaisa. This is he.
They embrace.
Now do I long to hear how you were found,
How possibly preserved, and who to thank,
Besides the gods, for this great miracle. THAISA Lord Cerimon, my lord, this man 70
Through whom the gods have shown their power,
that can
From first to last resolve you. PERICLES Reverend sir,
The gods can have no mortal officer 75
More like a god than you. Will you deliver
How this dead queen relives? CERIMON I will, my lord.
Beseech you, first go with me to my house,
Where shall be shown you all was found with her, 80
How she came placed here in the temple,
No needful thing omitted. | Another joyous family reunion.
|
PERICLES
Pure Dian, I bless thee for thy vision, and
Will offer night oblations to thee.—Thaisa,
This prince, the fair betrothèd of your daughter, 85
Shall marry her at Pentapolis.—And now this
ornament
Makes me look dismal will I clip to form,
And what this fourteen years no razor touched,
To grace thy marriage day I’ll beautify. 90 THAISA
Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
My father’s dead. PERICLES
Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my queen,
We’ll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves
Will in that kingdom spend our following days. 95
Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.—
Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay
To hear the rest untold. Sir, lead ’s the way. They exit. | Just as everyone's getting reunited, Pericles declares that he and Thaisa are going to move to Pentapolis and rule Simonides's kingdom. (Apparently, King Simonides has died.) Then Pericles says that Marina and Lysimachus can have his old kingdom in Tyre as a wedding gift. |
EPILOGUEEnter Gower. GOWER
In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
Of monstrous lust the due and just reward.
In Pericles, his queen, and daughter seen,
Although assailed with fortune fierce and keen,
Virtue preserved from fell destruction’s blast, 5
Led on by heaven, and crowned with joy at last.
In Helicanus may you well descry
A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty.
In reverend Cerimon there well appears
The worth that learnèd charity aye wears. 10
For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
Had spread his cursèd deed to the honored name
Of Pericles, to rage the city turn,
That him and his they in his palace burn.
The gods for murder seemèd so content 15
To punish, although not done, but meant.
So on your patience evermore attending,
New joy wait on you. Here our play has ending. He exits. | And they all live happily ever after. Oh, except for Dionyza and Cleon. Gower comes back out onstage and tells us that their people burned their palace to the ground when they found out what they did to Pericles and Marina. |