John Gower
John Gower is the narrator of the play, who appears before and in between scenes to provide audiences with context. John Gower was also the name of a fourteenth-century poet whose work, Confessio Amantis, was an important source for the play.
Pericles
Pericles is the Prince of Tyre who flees for his life after the answer to a riddle reveals that the King of Antioch is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. The flight of Pericles results in a marriage, a daughter, the apparent death of his wife, the apparent death of his daughter, and the ultimate reunion with the “resurrected” nuclear family.
Antiochus
Antiochus is the King of Antioch who places the demand upon all potential suitors of his daughter to solve a riddle. Failure results in a head on a stake; success turns out to be little better, as the riddle reveals his incestuous relationship with his daughter. Both he and his daughter ultimately die at the hands of the gods when they are struck by fire from above.
Thaisa
When Pericles is shipwrecked on the shores of Pentapolis, he impresses the King’s daughter in a jousting tournament. They marry and, upon hearing of the death of Antiochus, set sail back for Tyre. During a terrible storm, she gives birth to a daughter, but is thought to have died. To avoid an ancient sailor superstition about the consequences of keeping a dead body aboard a ship, she is packed into a coffin and buried at sea. Thaisa is eventually revived by a physician and becomes a priestess at the Temple of Diana before being reunited with her family at the end of the play.
Cerimon
The coffin carrying Thaisa’s body washes ashore at Ephesus. The physician Cerimon is summoned to investigate and determines that the woman inside is not actually dead, but merely in a deep state of unconsciousness. He proceeds to revive her and she enters the Temple of Diana to become a priestess.
Marina
Marina is the daughter of Pericles and Thaisa. On his way back to Tyre, Pericles leaves her in the care of the governor of Tarsus and his wife, whom Pericles had earlier helped avoid a famine. As Marina grows into a beautiful young woman, however, Dionyza’s jealousy of Marina’s beauty turns into an attempted murder.
The Pirates
The rogue pirates arrive just in time to thwart the murder attempt on Marina. They kidnap her and sell her to a brothel in Mytilene.
Lysimachus
The Governor of Mytilene first enters the proceedings as yet another visitor to the brothel. Up to that point, Marina has stymied all attempts on her virginity, causing the brothel owners to regret ever buying her from the pirates. Lysimachus winds up saving Marina from the brothel, mediating the reunion with Pericles, marrying Marina, and becoming the new king of Tyre.
Cleon
Cleon is the Governor of Tarsus. When Pericles first arrives in Tarsus, Cleon is convinced that he is attacking the city. However, Pericles offers them food and aid instead, making Cleon and his wife Dionyza forever grateful to Pericles. When Pericles comes to them with his infant daughter Marina, Cleon and Dionyza agree to keep her safe while Pericles travels back to Tyre.
Dionyza
Dionyza is Cleon's wife. At first she is a friend of Pericles, as Cleon is. However, when the two agree to raise Marina, Dionyza quickly becomes jealous of Marina's beauty and plots to have her killed.
Helicanus
Helicanus is a trusted counselor to Pericles. He advises Pericles on political and personal moves, and is the one to suggest that Pericles leave Tyre to keep himself safe from Antiochus. In Pericles' absence, Helicanus becomes ruler of Tyre. When the people of Tyre try to encourage Helicanus to take the throne for himself, he refuses, believing Pericles to be the one true ruler of Tyre.
Thaliart
Thaliart is the assassin sent to Tyre by Antiochus to kill Pericles after Pericles discovers Antiochus's secret incestuous relationship.
Simonides
Simonides is the King of Pentapolis and Thaisa's father.
Leonine
Leonine is a murderer hired by Dionyza to kill Marina.
Diana
Diana is the Goddess of chastity.
