# Scene I explained — Pericles

> Chapter companion for Pericles by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

Dionyza orders Leonine to murder Marina, but pirates intervene and abduct her. Leonine decides to report her dead.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance vs. Reality

Dionyza feigns maternal care while plotting Marina's murder.

### Resilience and Endurance

Marina's survival instinct and plea for mercy highlight her enduring spirit.

## Character check-ins

### Dionyza

Commands Leonine to kill Marina, showing her cruelty and deceit.

### Leonine

Sworn to kill Marina but hesitates; allows pirates to take her and plans to lie about her death.

### Marina

Innocent and pleading for her life; recounts her birth during a storm; is abducted by pirates.

## Key lines

> Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do’t: ’Tis but a blow, which never shall be known.

Remember your oath; you swore to do it—it's just a blow that will never be discovered.

_Dionyza urges Leonine to fulfill his promise to kill Marina._

> I never kill’d a mouse, nor hurt a fly: I trod upon a worm against my will, But I wept for it.

I have never killed a mouse or hurt a fly; I even cried when I accidentally stepped on a worm.

_Marina protests her innocence and gentle nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pericles_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pericles_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pericles_se/chapters