Pericles, Prince of Tyre Themes

So, you probably noticed how this entire play is structured so that Pericles can 1) create a family, 2) lose everyone he loves, and then 3) miraculously reunite with his wife and daughter after yea...

Pericles is all about rebirth—both the literal and figurative kind. Come to think of it, all of Shakespeare's romances are into the idea that what's been lost (or what just seems to have been los...

Like King Lear and Shakespeare's history plays, Pericles asks us to think about what it is that makes a good ruler. As Pericles travels from city to city in the ancient Mediterranean, we get a look...

Sex is pretty complicated in Pericles. When the play opens, our hero tries to marry a princess who turns out to be sleeping with her own father. Yikes. Later, Pericles's daughter Marina is kidnappe...

We all know that appearances can be deceiving, right? Part of Pericles's journey is about learning to know the difference between outer appearances and inner worth. When Pericles opens, our boy...

In Pericles, gods and goddesses are the ones pulling the strings. Still, even though it's clear that Pericles's family has absolutely no control over all the terrible stuff that keeps happening to...

Pericles is based on an ancient story that had already been retold over and over again by the time Shakespeare sat down and gave it new life. What's interesting is that Pericles is really self-...