"Unity in <em>Pericles, Prince of Tyre</em>" by Virginia Zager
 

Date of Award

8-1968

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

First Advisor

Joseph Schwartz

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some aspects of unity that exist in Shakespeare’s Pericles, Since Pericles is a five-act play that covers approximately sixteen years and has a long sequence of scenes, unity is of prime importance. Many critics have stated that this play lacks coherence because of its episodic nature, One says that " ... Pericles is an old fashioned play, a mere chronological sequence of disconnected adventures," Another states that Pericles is a " ... failure in creative consistency ..." due to the fact that it is difficult to distinguish between the various layers of the play. A third critic says, "I do not recall a single plot of Shakespeare’s formation in which the majority of characters are not so well connected ... ; in Pericles, ... continuity is wanting and even with the aid of Gower the scenes are rather loosely tacked together than closely interwoven." One possible reason for this lack of coherence in the unity stems from the fact many critics believe that since Pericles is a collaborative effort, unity has been sacrificed. In spite of these criticisms concerning the formation of Pericles there exists, nevertheless, a kind of unity all its own. In an examination of the nature of this unity, two items emerge. One, unity of plot is achieved through Gower and the dumb show. Second, thematic unity is revealed by tone, repetitive figures, and imagery. The tone throughout the play is predominantly moral; repetitive figures are those of "father and daughter" and "life and death"; imagery is that of the sea and music. All of the elements to be discussed aid in reinforcing the unity of the entire play - a play which shows not only Pericles’ encounter with evil, but his survival and final physical and spiritual victory.

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