Pericles · Chapter
Scene I explained
Pericles, shipwrecked and washed ashore at Pentapolis, is taken in by a group of fishermen who discuss the injustices of the world.
What happens
Pericles, shipwrecked and washed ashore at Pentapolis, is taken in by a group of fishermen who discuss the injustices of the world. They recover his father's armor from the sea, and Pericles learns of a tournament for the hand of King Simonides' daughter. He resolves to compete, hoping to restore his fortunes.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Thaisa’s despair…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Fortune and Divine Justice
Pericles thanks fortune for the recovery of his father's armor, seeing his shipwreck as a turn of fate that may lead to better prospects.
- Resilience and Endurance
Despite being cast ashore and losing everything, Pericles resolves to compete in the tournament, showing his determination to rise again.
- Kingship and Governance
The fishermen praise King Simonides for his 'peaceable reign and good government,' contrasting with the corrupt rule of Antiochus.
Characters to notice
- Pericles
Shipwrecked and destitute, Pericles is given shelter and his father's armor by fishermen, and decides to enter the tournament for the princess's hand.
- Second Fisherman
Engages Pericles in conversation about begging and whipping, and helps recover the armor from the net.
- King Simonides
Mentioned as the good king of Pentapolis with a fair daughter and a peaceful reign.
Key passages
“How from the finny subject of the sea / These fishers tell the infirmities of men; / And from their watery empire recollect / All that may men approve or men detect!”
Pericles observes that the fishermen's talk about fish mirrors human vices and virtues.
Pericles reflects on the moral lessons hidden in the fishermen's simple talk.
“I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as to a whale; a' plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful.”
The first fisherman compares greedy rich people to a whale that swallows everything in its path.
The fisherman uses a metaphor to critique social inequality and greed.
