Beautiful Stories from ShakespeareShakespeare, William
General
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Shakespeare, William
Children's literature; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
Now Dionyza, the wife of the Governor of Tarsus, was a jealous and
wicked woman, and finding that the young Princess grew up a more
accomplished and charming girl than her own daughter, she determined to
take Marina's life. So when Marina was fourteen, Dionyza ordered one of
her servants to take her away and kill her. This villain would have done
so, but that he was interrupted by some pirates who came in and carried
Marina off to sea with them, and took her to Mitylene, where they sold
her as a slave. Yet such was her goodness, her grace, and her beauty,
that she soon became honored there, and Lysimachus, the young Governor,
fell deep in love with her, and would have married her, but that he
thought she must be of too humble parentage to become the wife of one in
his high position.
The wicked Dionyza believed, from her servant's report, that Marina was
really dead, and so she put up a monument to her memory, and showed it
to King Pericles, when after long years of absence he came to see
his much-loved child. When he heard that she was dead, his grief was
terrible to see. He set sail once more, and putting on sackcloth, vowed
never to wash his face or cut his hair again. There was a pavilion
erected on deck, and there he lay alone, and for three months he spoke
word to none.
At last it chanced that his ship came into the port of Mitylene, and
Lysimachus, the Governor, went on board to enquire whence the vessel
came. When he heard the story of Pericles' sorrow and silence, he
bethought him of Marina, and believing that she could rouse the King
from his stupor, sent for her and bade her try her utmost to persuade
the King to speak, promising whatever reward she would, if she
succeeded. Marina gladly obeyed, and sending the rest away, she sat and
sang to her poor grief-laden father, yet, sweet as was her voice, he
made no sign. So presently she spoke to him, saying that her grief might
equal his, for, though she was a slave, she came from ancestors that
stood equal to mighty kings.
Something in her voice and story touched the King's heart, and he looked
up at her, and as he looked, he saw with wonder how like she was to his
lost wife, so with a great hope springing up in his heart, he bade her
tell her story.
Then, with many interruptions from the King, she told him who she was
and how she had escaped from the cruel Dionyza. So Pericles knew that
this was indeed his daughter, and he kissed her again and again, crying
that his great seas of joy drowned him with their sweetness. “Give me my
robes,” he said: “O Heaven, bless my girl!”
Then there came to him, though none else could hear it, the sound of
heavenly music, and falling asleep, he beheld the goddess Diana, in a
vision.
“Go,” she said to him, “to my temple at Ephesus, and when my maiden
priests are met together, reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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