How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)
Quote #7
PANDER
Thou sayest true; they're too unwholesome, o'
conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead, that
lay with the little baggage.BOULT
Ay, she quickly pooped him, she made him
roast-meat for worms. But I'll go search the market. (4.2.21-25)
We can't talk about the play's sex theme without discussing the brothel scenes, can we? Here, Pander and Boult have a frank conversation about how their prostitutes have been giving all their customers some nasty STDs. (Um, we're pretty sure it works the other way around, too.) In fact, one woman gave the Transylvanian client syphilis, which ended up killing him. Yikes. The moral seems to be that cheap casual sex literally leads to death. (This isn't just garden-variety sex outside of marriage we're talking about here; it's prostitution.)
Quote #8
That the gods
Would safely deliver me from this place! (4.6.179-180)
The extraordinary thing about Marina is that the girl manages to do the following after she's sold to a brothel and threatened with rape: 1) she remains a virgin, and 2) she manages to convert a bunch of the brothel's customers into virtuous men who swear off prostitutes forever.
Quote #9
I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping.
My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a one
My daughter might have been: my queen's square brows;
Her stature to an inch; as wand-like straight;
As silver-voiced; her eyes as jewel-like
When Pericles is introduced to his long-lost daughter, he doesn't recognize her, but he thinks she looks a lot like his beautiful dead wife—same brows, same stature, same lovely voice, and same gorgeous eyes. Hmm. Is Pericles attracted to Marina? You can argue either way, but before Pericles can ask Marina out on a date or something, father and daughter recognize each other and have a big family reunion. Is it just us, or is the play still just a little anxious about the threat of incest here?