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Heaneyland!: Pericles, Prince of Tired Plots: "PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE

ACT 1, PROLOGUE

NARRATOR: The king is having sex with his daughter, and to keep suitors from marrying her, he asks them to solve a riddle. If they don't solve it, he kills them. If they do solve it, he also kills them, since the answer is 'the king is having sex with his daughter'.

ACT 1, SCENE 1
Antioch

PERICLES: Hello, king. I'd like to marry your daughter.

ANTIOCHUS: Well, first you have to answer this riddle. Answer incorrectly, and you die:
My first is in Paris, my second in France,
The rest is...whatever, I'm having sex with my daughter.

PERICLES: Uh...how about if I answer that tomorrow?

ANTIOCHUS: Oh, sure, think about it as long as you like.

PERICLES: (aside) I suspect he's having sex with his daughter. I probably shouldn't say anything about it. Maybe I'll just go back home to Tyre. (he exits)

ANTIOCHUS: Hmm, I think he might have figured it out. Thaliard!

THALIARD: (entering) Yes?

ANTIOCHUS: I need you to kill Pericles for me.

THALIARD: Okay."

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