Toolbox



Textual Analysis

[ Go ]

Shakespeare on Stage
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
More Performances…
‌

Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
1045
Enter Gower.
Now sleepe yslacked hath the rout,
No din but snores about the house,
Made louder by the orefed breast,
Of this most pompous maryage Feast:
1050The Catte with eyne of burning cole,
Now coutches from the Mouses hole;
And Cricket sing at the Ouens mouth,
Are the blyther for their drouth:
Hymen hath brought the Bride to bed,
1055Whereby the losse of maydenhead,
A Babe is moulded: be attent,
And Time that is so briefly spent,
With your fine fancies quaintly each,
What's dumbe in shew, I'le plaine with speach.
1060
Enter Pericles and Symonides at one dore with attendantes,
a Messenger meetes them, kneeles and giues Pericles a letter,
Pericles shewes it Symonides, the Lords kneele to him;
then enter Thaysa with child, with Lichorida a nurse,
the King shewes her the letter, she reioyces: she and Pericles
1065take leaue of her father, and depart.
By many a dearne and painefull pearch
Of Perycles the carefull search,
By the fower opposing Crignes,
Which the world togeather ioynes,
1070Is made with all due diligence,
That horse and sayle and hie expence,
Can steed the quest at last from Tyre:
Fame answering the most strange enquire,
To'th Court of King Symonides,
1075Are Letters brought, the tenour these:
Antiochus and his daughter dead,
The men of Tyrus, on the head
Of Helycanus would set on
The Crowne of Tyre, but he will none:
1080The mutanie, hee there hastes t'oppresse,
Sayes to'em, if King Pericles
Come not home in twise sixe Moones,
He obedient to their doomes,
Will take the Crowne: the summe of this,
1085Brought hither to Penlapolis,
Iranyshed the regions round,
And euery one with claps can sound,
Our heyre apparant is a King:
Who dreampt? who thought of such a thing?
1090Briefe he must hence depart to Tyre,
His Queene with child, makes her desire,
Which who shall crosse along to goe,
Omit we all their dole and woe:
Lichorida her Nurse she takes,
1095And so to Sea; their vessell shakes,
On Neptunes billow, halfe the flood,
Hath their Keele cut: but fortune mou'd,
Varies againe, the grisled North
Disgorges such a tempest forth,
1100That as a Ducke for life that diues,
So vp and downe the poore Ship driues:
The Lady shreekes, and wel-a-neare,
Do's fall in trauayle with her feare:
And what ensues in this fell storme,
1105Shall for it selfe, it selfe performe:
I nill relate, action may
Conueniently the rest conuay;
Which might not? what by me is told,
In your imagination hold:
1110This Stage, the Ship, vpon whose Decke
The seas tost Pericles appeares to speake.