Pericles: Scansion for names

No, it’s not bowling for dollars. But looking at the scansion of some of the poetic lines in Pericles gives us a better idea of how to pronounce the unusual names found therein…

Antioch
This one’s pretty easy (and well-known): AN-tee-OCK
And the scansion backs it up:


~ / ~ / ~ –/– ~ / ~ /

And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch
  • I.ii.7

Though, here, you do need to elide “feared’s”

Antiochus
A little counter-intuitive, given Antioch: an-TIE-ah-KUS


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

And so with me. The great Antiochus
  • I.ii.16

Pretty straightforward.

Thaliard
THA-lee-ARD (or THAL-yerd)


/ -~- -~- / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Thaliard, you are of our chamber, Thaliard
  • I.i.153

You get both here, the line opens with a trochee and an elided second syllable (THAL-yerd), and an elided first syllable to the next iambic foot (you’re), but the line ends with a fully pronounced THA-lee-ARD.

Helicanus
Now, this one’s a tough one…we get a kind of hint from the shortened Helicane:
HEH-li-KANE


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Good Helicane, that stayed at home,
  • II.Ch.17

so… HEH-li-KANE-us


~ / / ~ ~ / ~ / ~ / ~

Thou speak’st like a physician, Helicanus
  • I.ii.66

Note the trochee second foot. But earlier usages didn’t really help:


~ / ~ / ~ / || / ~ / ~ – / –

And then return to us. Helicanus, thou hast
  • I.ii.50

The line’s messy, with a caesura before the name, plus a final elided syllable (thou’st)

Dionyza
DIE-oh-NIE-za


~ /~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

My Dionyza, shall we rest us here
  • I.iv.1

Straightforward.

Cleon
KLEE-on


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Most honored Cleon, I must needs be gone.
  • III.iii.1

Again, straightforward.

Escanes
ES-ka-NES


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

No, Escanes; know this of me–
  • II.iv.1

Straightforward.

Simonides
se-MON-e-DEES


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Good morrow to the good Simonides.
  • II.v.1

Straightforward.

Lychorida
lie-KO-re-DUH


~|| / / ~ / ~ / / /

O, no tears, Lychorida, no tears
  • III.iv.38

It’s a weird line: a opening spondee or trochee, with the second syllable swallowed by a caesura; a second spondee foot (plus another at the end of the line). But this pronunciation is supported by other instances:


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Lychorida, our nurse is dead:
  • IV.Ch.42

Philemon
fi-LEH-mon


~ / ~ /

Philemon, ho!
  • III.ii.1

Straightforward even in this short poetic line.

Cerimon
SER-eh-MON


~ / ~ / ~ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Your purse, still open, hath built Lord Cerimon
  • III.ii.46

There seems to be an extra unstressed syllable (hath) or a stressed syllable swallowed up by a caesura there.

Philoten
Given Philemon’s rhythm, I would have expected this to be fi-LOH-ten, but the scansion supports
FIL-oh-TEN


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Hight Philoten, and it is said
  • IV.Ch.18

and


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

This Philoten contends in skill
  • IV.Ch.30

AND


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

In Philoten all graceful marks
  • IV.Ch.36

Go figure.

Leonine
LEE-ah-NINE


~ / ~ / || /~ / -~- /

Not none can know, Leonine being gone.
  • IV.iii.30

A strange line, with a caesura before the name, and an elision in the final foot.

Mytilene
MI-te-LEEN


~ – / – ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

Sir, there is a bark put off from Mytilene
  • V.i.3

There’s a elision in that second syllable (there’s), but otherwise straightforward.

Lysimachus
lie-SIM-ah-KUS


~ / ~ / ~ / -~- / ~ /

Lysimachus our Tyrian ship espies
  • V.Ch.18

Straightforward, with a slight elision of TEAR-yen.

Ephesus
EF-uh-SUS


~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

At Ephesus the temple see
  • V.ii.17

And of course from The Comedy of Errors

Ah, scansion, our dependable ol’ friend.

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