Pericles · Chapter
Scene III explained
Cleon and Dionyza discuss the murder of Marina, with Cleon expressing horror and guilt while Dionyza justifies the deed and plans to cover it up by claiming Marina died of natural causes.
What happens
Cleon and Dionyza discuss the murder of Marina, with Cleon expressing horror and guilt while Dionyza justifies the deed and plans to cover it up by claiming Marina died of natural causes.
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 Falling action.
- 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
- Incest and Corruption
Dionyza's murderous plot and manipulation of Cleon reflect the corruption that pervades familial and political bonds.
- Appearance vs. Reality
Dionyza plans to present Marina's death as natural, hiding the foul murder behind a facade of mourning and a grand monument.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“O Dionyza, such a piece of slaughter The sun and moon ne’er look’d upon!”
Cleon exclaims that the murder of Marina is so horrific that the sun and moon have never witnessed anything like it.
Cleon's shock and moral outrage at the crime.
“She died at night; I’ll say so. Who can cross it?”
Dionyza asserts that she will claim Marina died at night, and no one can contradict that story.
Dionyza's plan to fabricate a natural death for Marina.
“Thou art like the harpy, Which, to betray, dost, with thine angel’s face, Seize with thine eagle’s talons.”
Cleon compares Dionyza to a harpy, a mythical creature that uses a beautiful appearance to deceive and then attacks with cruel claws.
Cleon's condemnation of Dionyza's deceptive and predatory nature.
