The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  The which is good in nothing but in sight!

  If it be true that I interpret false,

  Then were it certain you were not so bad

  As with foul incest to abuse your soul;

  Where now you're both a father and a son,

  By your untimely claspings with your child,

  Which pleasure fits an husband, not a father;

  And she an eater of her mother's flesh,

  By the defiling of her parent's bed;

  And both like serpents are, who though they feed

  On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.

  Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men

  Blush not in actions blacker than the night,

  Will shun no course to keep them from the light.

  One sin, I know, another doth provoke;

  Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke:

  Poison and treason are the hands of sin,

  Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:

  Then, lest my lie be cropp'd to keep you clear,

  By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

  Exit

  How manners try to hide sin,

  when the hypocrite is acting,

  and it's only good on the surface!

  If it was true that my answer is wrong,

  then it would be certain that you were not so evil

  as to abuse your soul with foul incest;

  in fact you are now both a father and son,

  through your filthy embraces with your child,

  with pleasures which should be for a husband, not a father;

  and she devours her mother's flesh,

  through polluting her parent's bed;

  they are both like snakes, who although they eat

  the sweetest flowers, still produce poison.

  Antioch, farewell! For it's clear to see

  that men who do not blush at such filthy actions

  will stop at nothing to stop them being exposed.

  I know one sin follows on from another;

  murder is as close to lust as flame is to smoke.

  Poison and treason are the weapons of sin,

  yes, and its shield, to protect it from shame:

  so I will flee to avoid the danger I fear,

  which is that you will kill me to avoid exposure.

  Re-enter ANTIOCHUS

  ANTIOCHUS

  He hath found the meaning, for which we mean

  To have his head.

  He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,

  Nor tell the world Antiochus doth sin

  In such a loathed manner;

  And therefore instantly this prince must die:

  For by his fall my honour must keep high.

  Who attends us there?

  Enter THALIARD

  He has discovered the answer, and so I intend

  to have him killed.

  He must not live to broadcast my disgrace,

  nor tell the world that Antiochus sins

  in such a revolting way;

  and so this prince must die at once:

  he must die for the sake of my reputation.

  Who's that coming?

  THALIARD

  Doth your highness call?

  Did your Highness call me?

  ANTIOCHUS

  Thaliard,

  You are of our chamber, and our mind partakes

  Her private actions to your secrecy;

  And for your faithfulness we will advance you.

  Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold;

  We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:

  It fits thee not to ask the reason why,

  Because we bid it. Say, is it done?

  Thaliard,

  you are in my inner circle, and I confide

  my deepest secrets to you;

  you will be promoted for your loyalty.

  Thaliard, look, here is poison, and here's money;

  I hate the Prince of Tyre, and you must kill him:

  you don't have to ask for a reason,

  that I order it should be enough. Will you do it?

  THALIARD

  My lord,

  'Tis done.

  My lord,

  I will.

  ANTIOCHUS

  Enough.

  Enter a Messenger

  Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.

  Good.

  Catch your breath, your puffing shows your haste.

  Messenger

  My lord, prince Pericles is fled.

  Exit

  My lord, Prince Pericles has fled.

  ANTIOCHUS

  As thou

  Wilt live, fly after: and like an arrow shot

  From a well-experienced archer hits the mark

  His eye doth level at, so thou ne'er return

  Unless thou say 'Prince Pericles is dead.'

  If you

  want to live, chase him down: be like an arrow

  shot by an expert archer which hits the target

  he aims at, do not come back

  unless you can say, ‘Prince Pericles is dead.’

  THALIARD

  My lord,

  If I can get him within my pistol's length,

  I'll make him sure enough: so, farewell to your highness.

  My lord,

  if I can get him within range,

  I won't miss him: so, farewell to your Highness.

  ANTIOCHUS

  Thaliard, adieu!

  Exit THALIARD

  Till Pericles be dead,

  My heart can lend no succor to my head.

  Exit

  Good luck, Thaliard!

  Until Pericles is dead,

  I can never rest easy.

  Enter PERICLES

  PERICLES

  [To Lords without] Let none disturb us.--Why should

  this change of thoughts,

  The sad companion, dull-eyed melancholy,

  Be my so used a guest as not an hour,

  In the day's glorious walk, or peaceful night,

  The tomb where grief should sleep, can breed me quiet?

  Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them,

  And danger, which I fear'd, is at Antioch,

  Whose aim seems far too short to hit me here:

  Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,

  Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.

  Then it is thus: the passions of the mind,

  That have their first conception by mis-dread,

  Have after-nourishment and life by care;

  And what was first but fear what might be done,

  Grows elder now and cares it be not done.

  And so with me: the great Antiochus,

  'Gainst whom I am too little to contend,

  Since he's so great can make his will his act,

  Will think me speaking, though I swear to silence;

  Nor boots it me to say I honour him.

  If he suspect I may dishonour him:

  And what may make him blush in being known,

  He'll stop the course by which it might be known;

  With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,

  And with the ostent of war will look so huge,

  Amazement shall drive courage from the state;

  Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,

  And subjects punish'd that ne'er thought offence:

  Which care of them, not pity of myself,

  Who am no more but as the tops of trees,

  Which fence the roots they grow by and defend them,

  Makes both my body pine and soul to languish,

  And punish that before that he would punish.

  Enter HELICANUS, with other Lords

  Let me be alone.

  Why has this new frame of mind,

  this sad companion, this depression,

  so taken me over, that there's not an hour,

  du
ring the beautiful day or peaceful night,

  even in the tomb where grief should end, that I have any peace?

  I see all these pleasures and I turn away from them.

  The danger which I feared is in Antioch,

  whose reach is surely too short to hit me here;

  but the arts of pleasure cannot cheer me up,

  nor does my distance from danger comfort me.

  This is how it is: the torments of the mind,

  which are born out of misgivings,

  are fed and nurtured by worrying;

  what was at first a fear of what might happen

  has grown into a worry that it will happen.

  That's how it is with me: the great Antiochus,

  whom I am too small to fight against,

  as he is so powerful he can do what he wants,

  thinks that I will speak out, even if I swear I won't;

  nor will it do me any good to say that I honour him,

  if he suspects that I will dishonour him;

  he will take steps to stop those things becoming known

  which would shame him if they got out.

  He'll invade the land with his hostile armies,

  and with the trappings of war he will look so powerful

  that astonishment will drive bravery out of the country,

  our men will be beaten before they even fight,

  and my people will be punished when they've done nothing wrong:

  it's my worries for them, not for myself–

  I'm just like the tops of trees

  which protect the roots they grow from and defend them–

  which makes my body ill and my soul depressed,

  I'm being punished even before the punishment comes.

  First Lord

  Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast!

  May happiness and ease fill your sacred heart!

  Second Lord

  And keep your mind, till you return to us,

  Peaceful and comfortable!

  And keep your mind, until you come back to us,

  quiet and settled!

  HELICANUS

  Peace, peace, and give experience tongue.

  They do abuse the king that flatter him:

  For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;

  The thing which is flatter'd, but a spark,

  To which that blast gives heat and stronger glowing;

  Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,

  Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err.

  When Signior Sooth here does proclaim a peace,

  He flatters you, makes war upon your life.

  Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

  I cannot be much lower than my knees.

  Hush, hush, let the experienced talk.

  Those who flatter a king abuse him:

  flattery is the bellows which blow up sin;

  what starts out as just a spark heats up

  and glows stronger under the blast of flattery:

  whereas criticism, if it is respectful and justified,

  is good for kings, because they are men, and so they make mistakes.

  When Sir Flattery here wishes you peace,

  he flatters you, and so attacks your life.

  Prince, forgive me, or strike me, as you wish;

  I can't go much lower than kneeling.

  PERICLES

  All leave us else; but let your cares o'erlook

  What shipping and what lading's in our haven,

  And then return to us.

  Exeunt Lords

  Helicanus, thou

  Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?

  Everyone leave but him; make it your job to see

  what ships are in the harbour, and what their cargoes are,

  and then come back to us.

  Helicanus, you

  have moved me: what can you see in my looks?

  HELICANUS

  An angry brow, dread lord.

  An angry face, terrible lord.

  PERICLES

  If there be such a dart in princes' frowns,

  How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?

  If a prince's frowns are so deadly,

  how can you dare to say things which will anger me?

  HELICANUS

  How dare the plants look up to heaven, from whence

  They have their nourishment?

  How can the plants dare to look up to heaven, from where

  they get their nourishment?

  PERICLES

  Thou know'st I have power

  To take thy life from thee.

  You know I have the power

  to have you killed.

  HELICANUS

  [Kneeling]

  I have ground the axe myself;

  Do you but strike the blow.

  I have sharpened the axe myself;

  all you have to do is use it.

  PERICLES

  Rise, prithee, rise.

  Sit down: thou art no flatterer:

  I thank thee for it; and heaven forbid

  That kings should let their ears hear their

  faults hid!

  Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

  Who by thy wisdom makest a prince thy servant,

  What wouldst thou have me do?

  Get up, please, get up.

  Sit down: you are no flatterer:

  I'm grateful for it; and heaven forbid

  that kings should have their faults hidden!

  You are the right sort of adviser and servant for a prince,

  you are so wise that the prince becomes your servant;

  and what do you think I should do?

  HELICANUS

  To bear with patience

  Such griefs as you yourself do lay upon yourself.

  You should suffer patiently

  these sorrows you lay upon yourself.

  PERICLES

  Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus,

  That minister'st a potion unto me

  That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.

  Attend me, then: I went to Antioch,

  Where as thou know'st, against the face of death,

  I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty.

  From whence an issue I might propagate,

  Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects.

  Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;

  The rest--hark in thine ear--as black as incest:

  Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father

  Seem'd not to strike, but smooth: but thou

  know'st this,

  'Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss.

  Such fear so grew in me, I hither fled,

  Under the covering of a careful night,

  Who seem'd my good protector; and, being here,

  Bethought me what was past, what might succeed.

  I knew him tyrannous; and tyrants' fears

  Decrease not, but grow faster than the years:

  And should he doubt it, as no doubt he doth,

  That I should open to the listening air

  How many worthy princes' bloods were shed,

  To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,

  To lop that doubt, he'll fill this land with arms,

  And make pretence of wrong that I have done him:

  When all, for mine, if I may call offence,

  Must feel war's blow, who spares not innocence:

  Which love to all, of which thyself art one,

  Who now reprovest me for it,--

  You speak like a doctor, Helicanus,

  who gives me a medicine

  that you would be afraid to take yourself.

  Listen to me then: I went to Antioch,

  intending, as you know, to get for myself

  a glorious beauty, in the face of death,

  from whom I could breed my heirs,

  bringing strength to a prince and joy to his sub
jects.

  Her looks were beautiful beyond belief;

  the rest, listen carefully, as disgusting as incest;

  when I discovered it, the sinful father

  pretended not to attack but to be friendly; but you know

  that the time to fear a tyrant is when he embraces you.

  I became so afraid of him that I fled here,

  under the blanket of a protecting night,

  who seemed to be a friendly guardian; once here

  I thought of what had happened and what might happen.

  I knew he was a tyrant; and tyrants' fears

  never lessen, but grow quicker than time.

  And if he fears, as no doubt he does,

  that I will reveal to the world

  how much good princes' blood was shed

  to preserve the secret of his filthy bed,

  to ease that fear he'll gather up his armies,

  and pretend that I have done him some wrong;

  then everyone will feel the blow of war,

  which doesn't spare the innocent, as punishment

  for my offence, if you can call it an offence.

  My love for all, including you,

  who just now reproved me for it–

  HELICANUS

  Alas, sir!

  Alas, sir!

  PERICLES

  Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,

  Musings into my mind, with thousand doubts

  How I might stop this tempest ere it came;

  And finding little comfort to relieve them,

  I thought it princely charity to grieve them.

  Stopped me from sleeping, drained the blood from my cheeks,

  put my mind in a whirl, with a thousand worries as to

  how I could stop this storm before it broke;

  and as I could not think of a way to save them

  I thought it was fitting for a prince to grieve for them.

  HELICANUS

  Well, my lord, since you have given me leave to speak,

  Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear,

  And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,