Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Act 5, Scene 3

    comedy

    The temple of Diana at Ephesus; THAISA standing

    Scene Summary

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    At Diana's temple in Ephesus, Pericles makes offerings and tells the assembled priests the story of his wife's death at sea. Thaisa, serving as a priestess, recognises the details of her own life. She faints, then speaks: she is his wife. Cerimon confirms it — he was the one who revived her. The family is reunited after years of separation. Pericles announces that Marina will marry Lysimachus and govern Tyre and Mytilene; he and Thaisa will reign in Pentapolis, where Simonides has died. He can cut his hair. The play ends not in tragedy but in recovery.

    near the altar, as high priestess; a number of
    Virgins on each side; CERIMON and other Inhabitants
    of Ephesus attending.
    Enter PERICLES, with his train; LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, and a Lady
    PERICLES
    Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command,
    I here confess myself the king of Tyre;
    Who, frighted from my country, did wed
    At Pentapolis the fair Thaisa.
    At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth
    A maid-child call'd Marina; who, O goddess,
    Wears yet thy silver livery. She at Tarsus
    Was nursed with Cleon; who at fourteen years
    He sought to murder: but her better stars
    Brought her to Mytilene; 'gainst whose shore
    Riding, her fortunes brought the maid aboard us,
    Where, by her own most clear remembrance, she
    Made known herself my daughter.
    THAISA
    Voice and favour!
    You are, you are--O royal Pericles!
    Faints
    PERICLES
    What means the nun? she dies! help, gentlemen!
    CERIMON
    Noble sir,
    If you have told Diana's altar true,
    This is your wife.
    PERICLES
    Reverend appearer, no;
    I threw her overboard with these very arms.
    CERIMON
    Upon this coast, I warrant you.
    PERICLES
    'Tis most certain.
    CERIMON
    Look to the lady; O, she's but o'erjoy'd.
    Early in blustering morn this lady was
    Thrown upon this shore. I oped the coffin,
    Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and placed her
    Here in Diana's temple.
    PERICLES
    May we see them?
    CERIMON
    Great sir, they shall be brought you to my house,
    Whither I invite you. Look, Thaisa is recovered.
    THAISA
    O, let me look!
    If he be none of mine, my sanctity
    Will to my sense bend no licentious ear,
    But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord,
    Are you not Pericles? Like him you spake,
    Like him you are: did you not name a tempest,
    A birth, and death?
    PERICLES
    The voice of dead Thaisa!
    THAISA
    That Thaisa am I, supposed dead
    And drown'd.
    PERICLES
    Immortal Dian!
    THAISA
    Now I know you better.
    When we with tears parted Pentapolis,
    The king my father gave you such a ring.
    Shows a ring
    PERICLES
    This, this: no more, you gods! your present kindness
    Makes my past miseries sports: you shall do well,
    That on the touching of her lips I may
    Melt and no more be seen. O, come, be buried
    A second time within these arms.
    MARINA
    My heart
    Leaps to be gone into my mother's bosom.
    Kneels to THAISA
    PERICLES
    Look, who kneels here! Flesh of thy flesh, Thaisa;
    Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina
    For she was yielded there.
    THAISA
    Blest, and mine own!
    HELICANUS
    Hail, madam, and my queen!
    THAISA
    I know you not.
    PERICLES
    You have heard me say, when I did fly from Tyre,
    I left behind an ancient substitute:
    Can you remember what I call'd the man?
    I have named him oft.
    THAISA
    'Twas Helicanus then.
    PERICLES
    Still confirmation:
    Embrace him, dear Thaisa; this is he.
    Now do I long to hear how you were found;
    How possibly preserved; and who to thank,
    Besides the gods, for this great miracle.
    THAISA
    Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man,
    Through whom the gods have shown their power; that can
    From first to last resolve you.
    PERICLES
    Reverend sir,
    The gods can have no mortal officer
    More like a god than you. Will you deliver
    How this dead queen re-lives?
    CERIMON
    I will, my lord.
    Beseech you, first go with me to my house,
    Where shall be shown you all was found with her;
    How she came placed here in the temple;
    No needful thing omitted.
    PERICLES
    Pure Dian, bless thee for thy vision! I
    Will offer night-oblations to thee. Thaisa,
    This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter,
    Shall marry her at Pentapolis. And now,
    This ornament
    Makes me look dismal will I clip to form;
    And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd,
    To grace thy marriage-day, I'll beautify.
    THAISA
    Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir,
    My father's dead.
    PERICLES
    Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my queen,
    We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves
    Will in that kingdom spend our following days:
    Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign.
    Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay
    To hear the rest untold: sir, lead's the way.
    Exeunt
    Enter GOWER
    GOWER
    In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard
    Of monstrous lust the due and just reward:
    In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen,
    Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,
    Virtue preserved from fell destruction's blast,
    Led on by heaven, and crown'd with joy at last:
    In Helicanus may you well descry
    A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty:
    In reverend Cerimon there well appears
    The worth that learned charity aye wears:
    For wicked Cleon and his wife, when fame
    Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name
    Of Pericles, to rage the city turn,
    That him and his they in his palace burn;
    The gods for murder seemed so content
    To punish them; although not done, but meant.
    So, on your patience evermore attending,
    New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.
    Exit