The Infamous 14 year gap

The reason for the absence of 14 years within the play of Pericles is unknown. What happened between those 14 years that made it so Pericles was unable to come back for his daughter Marina? Shakespeare, and whoever else wrote this play along with him, I suppose lets the audience decide for themselves what exactly happened.

If I were to write in a portion or scene of the play dealing with the 14 year gap, I would, out of the blue, probably include something about the Greek gods in that scene. Doing this would be an extreme curve-ball to the Elizabethan Age where Greek mythology was hardly recognized as an appropriate worship compared to Christianity and the such. In this scene, I would write of how the gods look upon Pericles and see his future and stuff and must save and rescue his daughter for a certain purpose. I haven't read further into the play to know what exactly happens later, but if if I did, I would tie that in to the reason why the Greek gods would interfere with mortal affairs. This scene is certainly something out of the blue, but I think it would make an interesting story twist considering nothing referring to the Greek gods have come up prior in the play. 

The importance of essential / central metaphors

In Scene 5 of Pericles, the central metaphor of the play is expressed during a portion of comic relief in the play. While out sailing, Pericles and his ship is overcome by a terrible tempest in which the audience can recognize the struggle between nature and man. In all his melancholy, Pericles humbles himself to the storm and states, "...remember, earthly man / Is but a substance that must yield to you; / And I, as fits my nature, do obey you." The strength and unpredictability of the storm has overcome Pericles so much that he pretty much admits defeat. And thus defeated, is washed up onto shore by the storm, where he will begin a new.

Upon landing on shore, Pericles is greeted by three fishermen who are in awe at what they have found- a washed up man. As nearly anyone would wonder, the fisherman joked and asked where Pericles, the stranger had come from. The ensuing conversation marks a rebirth of Pericles, him starting with nothing, not even telling the fishermen he is a prince. Pericles gleams with purity at this moment, and this foreshadows possible changes in the following scenes in the play. 

The Depiction of Evil in Form/Figure

In the first four scenes, evil manifests itself in the characters of Antiochus and his daughter. If Pericles wishes to court his daughter, Pericles must solve Antiochus’ riddle. If Pericles answers incorrectly, he dies. Once he solves the riddle however, Pericles keeps it to himself, and tells Antiochus he knows the answer to the riddle, but does not state it. Antiochus then vows to kill Pericles. So whether or not Pericles got the answer right, the riddle was fashioned to kill any who tried to marry his daughter.

Incest itself is an extremely foul practice. Especially between father and daughter, and the fact that it is consensual is striking. This incestuous relationship between Antiochus and his daughter is twisted and since they wish to keep the relationship a secret is obvious. Those who have tried to court Antiochus’s daughter before Pericles have fallen into an abyss where they have not known that they are doomed to die. However, before Antiochus can kill Pericles, he escapes, back to his city of Tyre.

Because Antiochus doesn’t want his dirty, sinful deed revealed, he hires an assassin named Thaliard to kill Pericles. The evil of this incest has evolved, pretty much causing a chain reaction of events, to the unease of Antiochus.  But, as we learn later in Scene 3 that Pericles escapes, thus leaving the possibility of Pericles revealing the evils of Antiochus and his daughter. 

If I were have to list my favorite epic, it would be the trilogy of the video game "Halo". Basically stating, the plot centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the "Covenant". The Covenant are led by their leaders, The Prophets, and worship an ancient civilization known as the "Forerunners" who perished in combat with the parasitic "Flood". The Flood are organic, infected, warper creatures, who can take the hosts of other bodies and spread the plague. The plot is obviously more complex than this, but what my favorite part is the main character / protagonist, named Master Chief, or Spartan-117. He is an elite super-soldier who is he last of his military breed. And he saves the world.

This youtube link basically sums it up, somewhat serious/humorous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIwnrIOqhO8&feature=related