Pericles, Prince of Tyre Essay Questions

Why does Pericles dock in Tarsus as his first stop after he takes flight from Antiochus?

Pericles sets sail for Tarsus to bring corn to the people who are suffering from a horrific famine. Cleon, the governor, and his wife Dionyza open the scene by bemoaning the state to which the famine has reached from the heights of plentiful bounty where it once stood. The situation has gotten so bad that children beg for bread and husbands and wives draw lots to choose who should be allowed to die first. The need for the corn is so dire that Cleon even suggests—hyperbolically, one would hope—that the reversion to cannibalism may not be far off. As Pericles, facing the wrath of Antiochus and needing every ally he can get, what better way to earn loyalty could there be? And, indeed, when he returns to place his daughter in the care of Cleon and Dionyza, he is greeted by the people as a hero.

Why is Thaisa buried at sea after appearing to have died during childbirth?

Two sailors confront Pericles after he has received news that he is a father immediately after news that his wife has died as a result. All this is taking place on a ship at sea during a tempest. The tempest is so dangerous that Pericles can focus on only one thing: getting his newborn daughter safely through the storm. This fragile state of mind devoted to a single purpose is thus made particularly amenable to the cautious warning by two approaching sailors. They remind Pericles that carrying a dead body on board a ship is bad luck and when he protests their superstitions, they claim to have experienced it enough to know it is true. And so, he complies with the request to improve the odds of his daughter’s survival by any means.

Shakespeare's plays are frequently irrational, but Pericles seems particularly chaotic. What are some examples of this and why might this chaos be significant?

The story begins with one of the most inexplicable moments in the Bard’s canon. Before anyone can take the hand of the daughter of Antiochus in marriage, they must solve a riddle. Many men have gone before Pericles and died as a result, but Pericles seems to solve the riddle rather easily. The bigger question is why would Antiochus devise a riddle with an answer exposing his incestuous relationship? Even more inexplicable than that decision is one made by Pericles. Why would you take it on anyone’s word that your wife was dead without making sure it was true yourself? That strange decision leads directly to what is probably the greatest suspension of disbelief asked of the audience: that Thaisa, in such a deep state of unconsciousness as to appear dead, could survive being thrown overboard in a coffin during a hurricane-level storm, float for miles, and wash up on a shore to be resuscitated with no apparent effects upon her health and well-being. These are just a few examples of questions audiences might have while watching Pericles. However, one must remember that Pericles is first and foremost a play about the unpredictability of life and the importance of god-guided fate. These lapses in logic only serve to emphasize the happy ending for which Pericles and his family were always destined.

What commentary does the play offer on leadership?

As Pericles sails from place to place, he encounters a number of rulers (including himself, who is still the Prince of Tyre throughout the entire play). He meets Antiochus, the incestuous villain, as well as Cleon (who starts out as an ally only to turn on Pericles later on), and Simonides (Thaisa's father). All of these rulers become examples of either poor or effective leadership, with Antiochus figured as a leader who abuses his power, Cleon as one who is eventually corrupted by his own desires, and Simonides as a benevolent ruler who allows Thaisa to choose her husband for herself. Notably, though, the ruler that the play seems to praise the most is not a ruler at all: Helicanus is portrayed as balanced, trustworthy, and honorable precisely because he refuses the crown and acknowledges that there is only one true King of Tyre.

Pericles has always been more popular with audiences than it has with critics. Why might this be the case?

Even during the seventeenth century, Pericles was a popular play for performance at the same time theater critics expressed their disappointment in it. That relationship has only persisted over the years, as audiences enjoy seeing the play performed while scholars often see the play as one of Shakespeare's dramatic failures. This phenomenon is likely due to the play's reliance on seemingly random plot devices (like the arrival of pirates) to help move the action along. For audiences, these random interventions provide entertainment. For critics, however, they are seen largely as weaknesses that highlight the play's lack of unity and organization. Still, some scholars maintain that this randomness is precisely the point of Pericles, which is after all a play about the roles of fate and free will in one's life.