Original: I am a maid,
Modern: I am a young woman,

Original: My lord, that ne’er before invited eyes,
Modern: My lord, who has never before sought attention,

Original: But have been gazed on like a comet: she speaks,
Modern: But has been stared at like a strange wonder: this woman speaks,

Original: My lord, that, may be, hath endured a grief
Modern: My lord, who perhaps has suffered a sorrow

Original: Might equal yours, if both were justly weigh’d.
Modern: That might equal yours, if both were fairly measured.

Original: Though wayward fortune did malign my state,
Modern: Though cruel fate attacked my social position,

Original: My derivation was from ancestors
Modern: My family background came from ancestors

Original: Who stood equivalent with mighty kings:
Modern: Who were equal to powerful kings:

Original: But time hath rooted out my parentage,
Modern: But time has destroyed my family heritage,

Original: And to the world and awkward casualties
Modern: And to the world and unfortunate accidents

Original: Bound me in servitude.
Modern: Have made me a servant.

Original: I will desist;
Modern: I will stop talking;

Original: But there is something glows upon my cheek,
Modern: But there is something that makes my face flush,

Original: And whispers in mine ear, ‘Go not till he speak.’
Modern: And whispers in my ear, ‘Don’t leave until he speaks.’

In Act V, Scene 1 of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre,” the scene opens aboard Pericles’ ship anchored off Mytilene, where the prince has been in deep mourning, refusing to speak, cut his hair, or bathe for three months following what he believes is the loss of his daughter Marina. Lysimachus, the Governor of Mytilene, comes aboard to greet the visiting vessel and learns from Helicanus about Pericles’ profound melancholy. When Lysimachus offers to help, Helicanus explains that nothing has been able to rouse Pericles from his despair. Lysimachus then suggests bringing Marina, a young woman of exceptional virtue and accomplishment, to attempt to revive the grieving prince with her conversation and singing.

Marina is brought aboard and begins speaking to the silent Pericles, eventually breaking through his silence with her words. As they converse, Pericles becomes increasingly convinced that Marina is his long-lost daughter, asking her detailed questions about her parentage and history. When Marina reveals her name and confirms her mother was Thaisa, who died at sea, and that she was born aboard a ship during a storm, Pericles realizes this is indeed his daughter. Overwhelmed with joy at their reunion, Pericles hears celestial music and experiences a vision of the goddess Diana, who instructs him to go to her temple in Ephesus and publicly recount the story of how he lost his wife and daughter. The scene concludes with Pericles sharing his divine vision with those present and declaring his intention to obey the goddess’s command.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre follows the wandering journey of Prince Pericles across the Mediterranean. The play opens with Pericles fleeing Antioch after discovering that King Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Fearing for his life, Pericles leaves his kingdom of Tyre in the care of his trusted advisor Helicanus and sets sail. He arrives in Tarsus during a famine, where he provides grain to the starving people, earning the gratitude of Governor Cleon and his wife Dionyza.

Continuing his travels, Pericles is shipwrecked near Pentapolis, where he washes ashore and participates in a tournament to win the hand of Thaisa, daughter of King Simonides. Pericles wins both the tournament and Thaisa’s love, and they marry. However, news arrives that Antiochus and his daughter have died, making it safe for Pericles to return to Tyre. During the sea voyage home, Thaisa gives birth to a daughter during a violent storm but appears to die in childbirth. The sailors insist her body must be cast overboard, so Pericles places her in a sealed coffin and commits it to the sea.

Thaisa’s coffin washes ashore in Ephesus, where the physician Cerimon revives her. Believing her husband and child are dead, she becomes a priestess in Diana’s temple. Meanwhile, Pericles leaves his infant daughter Marina with Cleon and Dionyza in Tarsus, asking them to raise her. Fourteen years pass, and Marina grows into a beautiful and virtuous young woman, causing Dionyza’s own daughter to pale in comparison. Jealous, Dionyza orders Marina’s murder, but pirates capture her before the deed is done and sell her to a brothel in Mytilene.

In the brothel, Marina’s purity and eloquence convert clients to virtue rather than vice, eventually leading to her release and employment as a teacher. When Pericles returns to Tarsus, Cleon and Dionyza show him a false tomb, claiming Marina died of natural causes. Grief-stricken, Pericles becomes a hermit aboard his ship. His vessel eventually arrives in Mytilene, where the governor Lysimachus brings Marina aboard to cure the melancholy stranger through music. Father and daughter recognize each other, leading to joyful reunion. The goddess Diana then appears to Pericles in a vision, directing him to her temple in Ephesus, where he is reunited with Thaisa. The play concludes with Marina’s betrothal to Lysimachus.