Episode 226:
Last time I took you through Macbeth, still one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, but now we come to one that is rarely seen and vies with ‘King John’, ‘Two Noble Kinsman’ and ‘Timon of Athens’ as the least performed Shakespeare play. ‘Pericles’ is also a play that did not appear in the first folio and in fact did not make it into a folio edition until 1664 with the second printing of the third folio. More of that history in a moment, but it certainly raises interesting questions about why Hemmings and Condell did not include it in the first folio.
The dating and early performance history of the play
The printing history of the play
The source material for the play
‘Pericles’ as a collaboration
A short word about George Wilkins
A brief synopsis of the play
The riddle that reveals incest
The importance of a good name and family
Brides and fathers contrasted in the play
The Mediterranean locations of the play
How time is placed and passes in the play
The role of Gower in the play
The role of the gods in the play
The recognition scene
The narrative inconsistencies in the play
‘Pericles’ as a bitter-sweet comedy
Critical reception of the play
The later performance history of the play
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