Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Pericles

Pericles is most definitely our protagonist, or hero. After all, we spend the entire play following him as he sails around the Mediterranean on his quest to find his family and rule his kingdom in peace.

We're not saying the guy is perfect or anything. Why did he go on the lam instead of standing up to Antiochus, and why the heck did he leave his kid in Tharsus for 14 years? We don't know the answers to those questions, Shmoopers, but most protagonists aren't perfect, so we'll give the guy a pass.