Pericles, Prince of Tyre Fate and Free Will

Right off the bat, it becomes clear that Pericles doesn't see himself as a man who is in control of his own fate. According to our hero, his life is determined by the gods' "will." As an example, he insists that the gods are the ones who have "inflam'd" his desire for the princess and that they will decide whether or not he'll win her for a wife.

Pericles and his family aren't the only ones who suffer at the hands of the gods in this play. Tharsus was once a thriving city... until "heaven" sent a famine that has brought the place and all the people in it to their knees.

Pericles has a pretty good reason to be ticked off at the gods. After all, he just experienced a terrible shipwreck that killed his entire crew. What's interesting about Pericles is that he's not all that defiant toward the "angry stars of heaven." Here, he insists on his obedience and his human weakness.

Just as things seem to be going well for our hero (he marries Thaisa and sets sale for home with his pregnant wife), moody fortune whips up another tempest that tears apart Pericles's family. Is it just us, or does this remind you of that famous passage in Shakespeare's King Lear? "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods / They kill us for their sport" (King Lear 4.1.4). In other words, the gods seem totally indifferent to human suffering and can be incredibly cruel.

Pericles is pretty ticked off when he hears that his wife has died giving birth to the couple's child, and he demands to know why the gods are always taking away the things we love the most in this world. What's interesting about Pericles is how this is as close as he ever really comes to rebelling against the gods and fate.

Gee. Thaisa sure is lucky her coffin just so happened to wash up on shore near a brilliant doctor who would be able to revive her, don't you think? It's also quite a coincidence that the first words out of Thaisa's mouth invoke the name of the goddess who will later lead Pericles to Thaisa. In other words, it seems like Diana is totally looking out for Thaisa, even though her husband thought she was dead and tossed her body into the ocean. 

When murderous Leonine says the "gods are quick of ear," he means that the gods really aren't going to be interested in Marina's prayers, so she should just hurry up and spit them out. As we've said, this often seems true in the play. But, here's the thing: it seems like the gods <em>are</em> listening to Marina's prayers, because her life is saved about two seconds later, when a bunch of random pirates show up and kidnap her. So, we sort of get the sense that someone really is looking out for Marina.

After hearing that his daughter is dead, Pericles hops back on his ship and encounters yet another tempest. What does Pericles do? He "rides it out," of course. Is this a metaphor for our hero's unwavering patience and determination? Or does it seem like Pericles has just given up all hope at this point in the play?

Gower certainly seems to think that there's a divine presence in the world that's been looking out for Pericles and his family. He also thinks they've been rewarded for their "virtue." (Unlike, say, wicked King Antiochus, who was punished with a fireball sent down from the heavens.)