Pericles, Prince of Tyre Act 4, Scene 1 Summary

Read the full text of Pericles Act 4 Scene 1 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Wicked Dionyza meets up with her hitman, Leonine.
  • Dionyza warns Leonine not to wimp out when he goes to snuff out little Marina, even if the kid starts crying andbegging and stuff.
  • Marina comes walking along with a basket of flowers. She's crying for her dead nurse, Lychorida.
  • Dionyza tells Marina to stop blubbering and take a nice, long walk along the seashore with Uncle Leonine—itwill totally make her feel better to get some fresh air.
  • Marina agrees and starts getting chatty—she talks about her birth at sea and shares the stories she's heardabout her parents.
  • Leonine tells her she better say her prayers because he's a busy guy, and he has to hurry up and kill her.
  • Shocked, Marina tries to talk Leonine out of it. She points out that she's a really good person and has never hurtanyone in her entire life.
  • Then, out of nowhere, a bunch of pirates jump out and kidnap Marina. Seriously. We couldn't even begin to makethat up, folks.
  • Leonine runs away like a scaredy-cat and says he'll tell Dionyza he killed Marina and threw her in the ocean.
  • Leonine figures the pirates will probably rape Marina on their ship before they toss her overboard.