'Pericles, in anguish, puts to sea again with the faithful Helicanus, vowing never again to wash his face or cut his hair.'
Pericles
The medieval poet John Gower acts as Chorus, presenting the story of Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
Pericles has gone to Antioch as suitor to the daughter of King Antiochus. The test set by Antiochus is to guess the meaning of a riddle, with death as the penalty for failure - the fate of all previous suitors. Pericles solves the riddle but it reveals a terrible secret about the King and, realising his danger, Pericles flees for his life home to Tyre. Antiochus, however, dispatches his man Thaliard after him to kill him and Pericles knows he will not be safe even at home.
Leaving the trusted Helicanus to govern in his absence, he sets sail for Tharsus with a ship full of grain to relieve the famine that grips that city, earning the gratitude of Cleon, the Governor, and his wife Dionyza. Hearing from Helicanus that he is still in danger from Thaliard, Pericles puts to sea again but is shipwrecked and washed up on the shores of Pentapolis, where he is rescued by fishermen. They conduct him to the court of King Simonides, who is celebrating the birthday of his daughter Thaisa with a grand tournament. Pericles, concealing his identity, defeats the many knights jousting for the princess's hand and, despite her father's initial suspicion of this mysterious stranger-knight, he and Thaisa are married.
Some months later news reaches Tharsus that King Antiochus is dead. His life is no longer in danger - and his identity is finally revealed - Pericles sets sail for Tyre with Thaisa, now pregnant with their first child. During a terrible storm, Thaisa dies giving birth to a daughter and is buried at sea. Pericles makes for the coast of Tharsus and entrusts his baby daughter, christened Marina, to the care of Cleon and Dionyza, charging them to bring her up as becomes a princess.
Meanwhile, Thaisa's coffin has come to land at Ephesus and is carried to the physician Cerimon who, through his skills, is able to revive Thaisa. Believing herself to be the only survivor of the storm, Thaisa enters the temple of Diana as a nun.
Some fourteen years pass. Marina, growing up in Cleon's household has attracted the envy of Dionyza, who fears she outshines her own daughter. She instructs Leonine to kill Marina but before he can carry out his charge they are attacked by pirates who abduct Marina and sell her into a brothel in Mytilene. Cleon and Dionyza maintain that Marina has died and when Pericles comes to claim his daughter, they show him her monument. Pericles, in anguish, puts to sea again with the faithful Helicanus, vowing never again to wash his face or cut his hair.
Meanwhile in the brothel, Marina's chaste defence of her virtue confounds the inmates and is bad for business. Lysimachus, the Governor of Mytilene, visiting the brothel in disguise, is greatly impressed by her. With the help of Boult the servant, she manages to find a situation in an honest house, where she is much admired for her musical talents and her innate goodness.
Pericles, still wandering the seas, arrives by chance at Mytilene, where his ship is visited by Lysimachus. Hearing of Pericles' dejected state, Lysimachus suggests that there is a girl in Mytilene who might rouse him from his lethargy and has Marina bought aboard. When their conversation reveals her to be his daughter, Pericles is overjoyed.
In a dream, the goddess Diana directs Pericles to make sacrifice at her temple in Ephesus and they set sail to accomplish this final act.
