A To Z Challenge 2022: Shakespeare - P Is For Pericles, Prince Of Tyre

 

Marina sings for Pericles. Thomas Stothard. Creative Commons

Pericles, Prince Of Tyre is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, first produced in 1607-8. I’m fond of it. I have seen it at least twice on stage and it has been made into a telemovie, way back in 1984, as part of the BBC Shakespeare series.

It is one of a group of unusual plays known as  romances, because it’s neither a tragedy or a comedy, but has a happy ending. There are arguments as to whether Shakespeare wrote the whole play or collaborated with a playwright called George Wilkins. Anyway, it’s enjoyable, so who cares?

 It’s based on a story by the poet Gower, who turns up in the play as a narrator.

 Pericles, a young prince, is a suitor for the unnamed daughter of King Antiochus. Antiochus has offered his daughter’s hand in marriage for anyone who can answer a riddle but death if they don’t. Unfortunately it’s death either way, as the answer to the riddle is that the king and his daughter are committing incest. You do have to wonder why they bother, since Antiochus has no intention of handing over his daughter, but there you are.

Pericles is not stupid; when he figures out the riddle, he escapes and goes home, followed by an assassin. He leaves again and is shipwrecked, after helping out the rulers of Tarsus from famine. Luckily he is stranded in the kingdom of King Simonides, who has a pretty daughter, Thaisa, whom he adores but isn’t doing anything inappropriate with. Some fisherman find Pericles a rusty suit of armour which he uses to win a tournament and Thaisa’s hand.

Thaisa goes into labour at sea and apparently dies. Pericles sends her overboard in a sealed chest and continues on with his baby daughter, Marina, whom he leaves with the ruler of Tarsus and his wife, who bring her up with their own daughter, but plot to kill her out of jealousy because she is prettier than their own girl.

She survives but only because pirates capture her and take her to Mytilene where she is sold into a brothel. Being a Shakespearean heroine, she manages to keep her virginity - in fact, some of her would-be clients decide to reform! She persuades the brothel owners to let her teach sewing and such instead of working for them and is soon known for her virtues and skills. 

Meanwhile, Pericles travels around, thoroughly depressed. He has been told by that nasty Tarsus couple that his daughter is dead. 

When he reaches Mytilene someone gets the idea of having their national treasure help him. Father and daughter are reunited. Better still, it turns out that Thaisa is alive and well, in the Temple of Diana at Ephesus. And all the baddies are dead, though offstage. 

Happily ever after! 

If you have seen Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple, you might be interested to know she played the role of Marina, as a much younger woman, in 1958! There have been a fair few productions since then.

If you are interested, there are a couple of productions of the play on YouTube. One is the Southwest Shakespeare Company, the other is done by international drama students in England. Just type in the name of the play. 

Tomorrow we will talk about Mistress Quickly and a Queen or two. See you then!