Pericles Act Four - “She would make a puritan of the devil if he should offer to pay for a kiss.”

Pericles Act Four - “She would make a puritan of the devil if he should offer to pay for a kiss.” 

The Chorus/Narrator Gower enters again taking over a number of events over a number of years. We hear that Pericles went back to Tyre and became king and that the wife he thinks is dead, Thaisa has indeed become a priestess at Ephesus. But Gower’s narration, this time accompanied with no dumbshow or mime, concentrates on Pericles’s daughter Marina who he left with the king and queen of Tarsus. Marina has now blossomed into a young woman and most of her time is spent with King Cleon’s daughter by birth. Cleon’s wife, Dionyza, grows in jealousy of Marina and she develops a plan to murder Marina so that her daughter “might stand peerless by this slaughter”. Gower finishes by telling us that Lychordia, Marina's nurse, has died and that Dionyza wants her servant Leonine to kill Marina:

“Only I carry winged time

Post on the lame feet of my rhyme;

Which never could I so convey,

Unless your thoughts went on my way.

Dionyza does appear,

With Leonine, a murderer.”

The action of ‘Pericles’ Act Four begins down at a seashore in Tarsus where Dionyza is making sure that her servant Leonine never reveals that it was she who ordered Marina’s murder. swear to never tell who ordered the death of Marina. Marina enters carrying flowers to lay on the grave of her nurse Lychordia who has just died. Dionyza shows false concern for Marina’s health and suggests that Marina take a walk with her servant Leonine.

On their walk Marina tells Leonine of the storm she was born in and then Leonine tells her to say her prayers because his mistress, Dionyza has ordered him to kill her. Marina questions why Dionyza would want this and pleads for her life:

“Why would she have me kill'd?

Now, as I can remember, by my troth,

I never did her hurt in all my life:

I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn

To any living creature: believe me, la,

I never kill'd a mouse, nor hurt a fly:

I trod upon a worm against my will,

But I wept for it. How have I offended,

Wherein my death might yield her any profit,

Or my life imply her any danger?

… You will not do't for all the world, I hope.

You are well favour'd, and your looks foreshow

You have a gentle heart. I saw you lately,

When you caught hurt in parting two that fought:

Good sooth, it show'd well in you: do so now:

Your lady seeks my life; come you between,

And save poor me, the weaker.”

Just as Leonine is about to kill Marina, a bunch of pirates appear and Leonine is scared off and the pirates take Marina. Leonine re-enters and decides that he will tell tell Dionyza that he did in fact go through with the deed killing marina and that he disposed of her body in the water.

We then cross to the town of Myteline on the island of Lesbos, where the lowlife Pander is the owner of a brothel with his wife Bawd. A man called Boult appears who procures and supplies prostitutes. They all discuss how Pander needs new girls for his brothel. Boult says that he will go to the market and procure some new girls and he exits.

Boult then re-enters with the pirates from the last scene and Marina. Pander says that he will buy Marina for the agreed price. Pander, the pirates exit and Boult leaves to drum up trade in the market for the newest asset of the brothel the virgin Marina. Marina talks to herself and expresses the wish that Leonine had killed her. Bawd tells marina not to worry since she will be well looked after. Boult returns from announcing Marina. This whole sequence in the play is made more confronting and abhorrent by the nonchalant and almost comic delivery of Bawd and Boult. Bawd even promises Boult that he also will have Marina. Marina asks the aid of the goddess Diana to look after her and keep her virginity.

“If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep,

Untied I still my virgin knot will keep.

Diana, aid my purpose!”

We cross back to Tarsus, where Cleon and Dionyza talk about the murder of Marina by Leonine who Dionyza poisoned soon after. Cleon does not suspect that Dionyza had a hand in plot and laments Marina’s death and asks what he should tell Pericles when he comes back for his daughter. Dionyza says that their own daughter’s prospects were obstructed by Marina and says that Pericles will think they have honoured Marina well by mourning her and building a monument to her.

“And as for Pericles,

What should he say? We wept after her hearse,

And yet we mourn: her monument

Is almost finish'd, and her epitaphs

In glittering golden characters express

A general praise to her, and care in us

At whose expense 'tis done.”

Unusually, Gower then enters in the middle of the act and reveals that Pericles has decided to come back to Tarsus to see his daughter, Marina. Helicanus is left in charge but he follows Pericles in another ship. Then another mime or dumb show is acted out and Gower narrates the arrival of Pericles, his hearing of the terrible news of his daughter Marina’s apparent death, Cleon and Dionyza showing Pericles Marina's tomb and Pericles grief. Gower then reads out the inscription on Marina’s monument and and says that must leave Pericles to his grief and his belief that his daughter Marina is dead.

“See how belief may suffer by foul show!

This borrow'd passion stands for true old woe;

And Pericles, in sorrow all devour'd,

With sighs shot through, and biggest tears

o'ershower'd,

Leaves Tarsus and again embarks. He swears

Never to wash his face, nor cut his hairs:

He puts on sackcloth, and to sea. He bears

A tempest, which his mortal vessel tears,

And yet he rides it out. Now please you wit.

The epitaph is for Marina writ

By wicked Dionyza.

(reading Marina’s monument’s inscription)

'The fairest, sweet'st, and best lies here,

Who wither'd in her spring of year.

She was of Tyrus the king's daughter,

On whom foul death hath made this slaughter;

Marina was she call'd; and at her birth,

Thetis, being proud, swallow'd some part o' the earth:

Therefore the earth, fearing to be o'erflow'd,

Hath Thetis' birth-child on the heavens bestow'd:

Wherefore she does, and swears she'll never stint,

Make raging battery upon shores of flint.'

No visor does become black villany

So well as soft and tender flattery.

Let Pericles believe his daughter's dead,

And bear his courses to be ordered

By Lady Fortune; while our scene must play

His daughter's woe and heavy well-a-day

In her unholy service. Patience, then,

And think you now are all in Mytilene.”

We then cross to Mytilene, where we had feared the worst for Marina but are pleasantly surprised when two gentlemen come out of the brothel talking about the spiritual advice and divinity they received from a woman there.

When Pander, Bawd and Boult enter they remark on how they wish they had never purchased Marina since she is ruining their business through making everyone who meets her want to live a good life and become virtuous. Boult says that he or someone must ravish her and just then Lysimachus, the disguised governor of Myteline, arrives at the brothel. Bawd talks up Marina to the governor and Boult brings in Marina. Bawd remarks to Marina that Lysimachus is good man and Marina says that she  will note that. Pander, Bawd and Boult leave.

Lysimachus is alone with Marina. He asks her how long she has been in the profession and Marina says as long as she can remember. He reminds her that he is the governor and Marina says that he should govern his own nature and not take her honour.

“If you were born to honour, show it now;

If put upon you, make the judgment good

That thought you worthy of it…

For me,

That am a maid, though most ungentle fortune

Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came,

Diseases have been sold dearer than physic,

O, that the gods

Would set me free from this unhallow'd place,

Though they did change me to the meanest bird

That flies i' the purer air!”

Lysimachus admits his lustful intentions and renounces them and gives Marina gold for her words and then exits:

“I did not think

Thou couldst have spoke so well; ne'er dream'd thou couldst.

Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,

Thy speech had alter'd it. Hold, here's gold for thee:

Persever in that clear way thou goest,

And the gods strengthen thee!”

When Pander, Bawd and Boult come back and realize that Marina has made the corrupt governor Lysimachus saintly as well, it is decided that Boult to rape her, so that she can then service men in the brothel. When left alone with her, Boult is also convinced by her to follow a more noble path, She convinces him that she can become a teacher to them all and help them to do other activities for money. Boult says that he will help Marina:

“Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them.

But since my master and mistress have bought you,

there's no going but by their consent: therefore I

will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I

doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough.

Come, I'll do for thee what I can; come your ways.”