Simonides: The Good King
kingship
fatherhood
honour
First appears: Act 2, Scene 2
Simonides is an uncomplicated good king, rare in Shakespeare. He runs a tournament fairly, judges Pericles's worth correctly, and approves the marriage his daughter wants. He is a deliberate contrast to Antiochus at the start of the play.
He tests Pericles by pretending to disapprove of his suit, then reveals he was testing him. It is the play's one moment of benign deception: a father making sure his daughter's suitor can hold his ground under pressure.
Key Scenes
Famous Quotes
“Princes in this should live like gods above, Who freely give to every one that comes.”
King Simonides — Act 2, Scene 3
“Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune, And will awake him from his melancholy.”
King Simonides — Act 2, Scene 3
Themes
Other Characters in Pericles, Prince of Tyre
← Read Pericles, Prince of Tyre
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