Pericles, Prince of Tyre by William Shakespeare (Act Wise Summary)

 

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

by William Shakespeare

(Act Wise Summary) 

Summary of Act 1

Act 1 begins with a prologue delivered by Gower, who sets the stage for the unfolding drama. The play opens in the ancient city of Antioch, where Pericles, the young Prince of Tyre, has arrived to seek the hand of the beautiful daughter of King Antiochus. However, Antiochus has set a deadly challenge for any suitor: they must solve a riddle to win his daughter’s hand. If they fail, they face execution.

Pericles successfully solves the riddle, but it reveals a dark and dangerous secret: Antiochus has an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Horrified by the discovery and realizing that his life is now in grave danger, Pericles diplomatically claims he needs more time to consider the riddle's meaning and leaves the court.

Pericles returns to Tyre but fears Antiochus will send assassins to kill him. To protect his people, Pericles decides to leave Tyre and sets sail on a voyage, hoping to distract Antiochus and keep his kingdom safe. He leaves Helicanus, a trusted advisor, to rule Tyre in his absence.

Meanwhile, Antiochus does indeed send an assassin after Pericles, but Helicanus, worried about his lord, sends messengers to warn him. Pericles, now in the city of Tarsus, hears of their famine and generously provides them with food, winning the love and gratitude of the people there.

Act 1 ends with Pericles continuing his journey, unaware of the further dangers and adventures that await him.

 

Summary of Act 2

Act 2 begins with Gower again serving as the Chorus, providing a brief overview of Pericles’ continued travels and the challenges he faces.

The act opens in Pentapolis, where Pericles has been shipwrecked after a violent storm. He is washed ashore, alone and destitute. Fishermen find him on the beach and, after some conversation, they help him by giving him clothes and informing him about the local tournament being held by King Simonides. The tournament is in honor of the king’s daughter, Thaisa, and the winner will receive her hand in marriage.

Pericles, eager to rebuild his fortunes, decides to participate in the tournament. The fishermen find a rusty suit of armor in their nets, which they give to Pericles, allowing him to enter the contest.

At the tournament, Pericles, despite his shabby appearance, impresses everyone with his skill and valor, and he ultimately wins the competition. Thaisa is especially struck by the noble qualities of this mysterious knight, and she begins to fall in love with him.

King Simonides also takes a liking to Pericles, though he pretends to be indifferent, testing Pericles’ character. After a feast in Pericles' honor, Simonides asks Thaisa about her feelings toward the knight. When she confesses her love for Pericles, the king gives his blessing, and the act ends with the promise of a joyful union between Pericles and Thaisa.

Throughout this act, Pericles’ fortunes seem to be on the rise after his initial hardships, but the underlying tension of his past troubles and the dangers that may still pursue him remain in the background.

 

Summary of Act 3

Act 3 begins with Gower, the Chorus, narrating the passage of time and the events that have transpired since the end of Act 2. Pericles and Thaisa have married, and Thaisa is now pregnant. They decide to return to Tyre so that Pericles can reclaim his throne.

As they sail back to Tyre, a violent storm arises at sea. The storm is so severe that it endangers both the ship and everyone on board. Amidst the chaos, Thaisa goes into labor and gives birth to a daughter, whom they name Marina. However, Thaisa appears to die in childbirth, and the superstitious sailors, fearing that the storm is a sign of divine displeasure, insist that her body be cast into the sea to calm the gods.

Pericles, heartbroken, agrees and has Thaisa’s body placed in a sealed casket, which is then thrown overboard. The storm soon subsides, but Pericles is left grieving for his lost wife. He decides to leave Marina in the care of Cleon and Dionyza, the rulers of Tarsus, until she is older. Pericles then sets sail again, heading back to Tyre.

Meanwhile, Thaisa’s casket washes ashore near the city of Ephesus. There, it is found by the wise and virtuous Cerimon, a physician. Upon opening the casket, Cerimon discovers that Thaisa is not actually dead but in a deep coma. He successfully revives her, and Thaisa, believing that Pericles and her daughter are lost, decides to dedicate her life to the goddess Diana and becomes a priestess in the temple at Ephesus.

The act ends with Pericles returning to Tyre, mourning the loss of Thaisa and unaware that she is still alive. Marina is left to grow up in Tarsus, under the care of Cleon and Dionyza, setting the stage for further developments in the story.

 

Summary of Act 4

Act 4 begins with Gower, the Chorus, informing the audience of the passage of time. Marina, the daughter of Pericles and Thaisa, has grown into a beautiful and virtuous young woman in Tarsus, where she has been raised by Cleon and Dionyza. However, Marina’s exceptional qualities provoke the jealousy of Dionyza, whose own daughter pales in comparison to her.

Dionyza, consumed by envy, plots to have Marina killed so that her daughter can shine without competition. She hires a servant named Leonine to carry out the deed. Leonine takes Marina to a secluded place by the sea and is about to kill her when a group of pirates suddenly appears. The pirates abduct Marina, sparing her life but taking her away to the city of Mytilene, where they sell her to a brothel.

In Mytilene, Marina's purity and virtue are put to the test. However, her goodness and persuasive speaking manage to influence even the hardest of hearts, and she not only remains unharmed but also begins to convert the patrons of the brothel, convincing them to lead better lives. Lysimachus, the governor of Mytilene, visits the brothel disguised, but after hearing Marina speak, he is moved by her innocence and decides to protect her.

Back in Tarsus, Dionyza falsely informs Pericles that Marina has died, claiming she succumbed to illness. Grieving and unaware of the truth, Pericles falls into deep despair and vows to never cut his hair or shave his beard until he has joined Marina in death. He leaves Tyre again and wanders aimlessly by sea, overcome with sorrow.

The act ends with Pericles’ ship nearing Mytilene, where his fate will intersect with Marina’s once more. Meanwhile, Thaisa continues her life as a priestess in the temple of Diana in Ephesus, unaware that her husband and daughter are both alive.

 

Summary of Act 5

Act 5 begins with Gower, the Chorus, summarizing the dire state of Pericles. He is a broken man, having wandered the seas in deep mourning for his lost wife Thaisa and his daughter Marina, whom he believes to be dead. His ship arrives in Mytilene, where Lysimachus, the governor, comes aboard to greet the visitors.

Lysimachus, aware of Pericles' grief, suggests that Marina, who is now living in Mytilene, might be able to comfort him. When Marina is brought to Pericles’ ship, she begins to speak to him. At first, Pericles is too despondent to respond, but as Marina recounts her story, he slowly realizes that she is his daughter. This revelation brings him immense joy, and the two are reunited, with Pericles expressing his gratitude and wonder at this miraculous turn of events.

That night, Pericles has a dream in which the goddess Diana instructs him to go to her temple in Ephesus and tell his story. He obeys, and upon arriving at the temple, Pericles recounts his life’s journey before the altar.

During this, the high priestess Thaisa, who is still serving in the temple, hears his story and realizes that Pericles is her husband. She reveals herself to him, and the family is joyously reunited. Thaisa and Pericles embrace, overwhelmed with emotion, while Marina meets her mother for the first time.

Lysimachus, who has fallen in love with Marina, asks for her hand in marriage, and Pericles gives his blessing. The play concludes with the promise of future happiness for the reunited family, and Pericles plans to return to Tyre, taking Thaisa and Marina with him.

Gower closes the play by summarizing the moral of the story: the virtuous are rewarded, and justice prevails. The characters who acted with malice, such as Dionyza and Cleon, face retribution for their deeds, while those who suffered are ultimately restored to happiness.