Cymbeline
The most complex and improbable of the romances, Cymbeline combines a domestic wager plot (borrowed from Boccaccio), a political plot about Britain's tribute to Rome, and a pastoral plot involving lost princes — all resolved in an almost absurdly crowded final scene.
At a Glance
- Genre: Romance (Late Play)
- Approximate date: c. 1609–1610
- Setting: Britain and Rome
- Source: Holinshed's Chronicles (historical frame); Boccaccio's Decameron (wager story); various
- Acts: 5
Dramatis Personæ
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| CYMBELINE | King of Britain; manipulated by his Queen; eventually reconciled with Rome |
| QUEEN | Cymbeline's second wife; villain; stepmother to Imogen; dies confessing her crimes |
| CLOTEN | Queen's son; brutish; obsessed with Imogen; killed by Guiderius |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Gentleman; Imogen's secret husband; banished; susceptible to Iachimo's manipulation |
| BELARIUS | Banished lord; disguised as Morgan; has raised Cymbeline's sons as Polydore and Cadwal |
| GUIDERIUS (as POLYDORE) | Cymbeline's elder son; raised in the hills; heroic |
| ARVIRAGUS (as CADWAL) | Cymbeline's younger son; tender and musical |
| PHILARIO | Italian friend to Posthumus |
| IACHIMO | Italian; the wager villain; hides in a chest; nearly destroys Imogen; repents |
| CAIUS LUCIUS | Roman general; courteous |
| PISANIO | Posthumus's faithful servant; refuses to kill Imogen |
| CORNELIUS | A physician; gives the Queen a sleep potion (not poison) |
| A SOOTHSAYER | |
| A ROMAN CAPTAIN | |
| TWO BRITISH CAPTAINS | |
| A FRENCH GENTLEMAN | |
| TWO LORDS of Cymbeline's court | |
| TWO GAOLERS | |
| IMOGEN | Cymbeline's daughter; the play's heroine; almost uniquely virtuous; disguises as Fidele |
| HELEN | Lady attending on Imogen |
| APPARITIONS | Appear to Posthumus in prison; Jupiter descends on an eagle |
Plot Summary
Acts I–II (The Wager Plot): Posthumus, secretly married to Imogen, is banished by Cymbeline. In Rome, Iachimo bets Posthumus that he can seduce Imogen. He travels to Britain, hides in a chest in her bedchamber overnight, emerges and steals her bracelet, observes a mole on her breast, and returns with "proof" of her infidelity. Posthumus, horrified, sends Pisanio orders to kill Imogen.
Acts II–IV (Imogen's Flight): Pisanio refuses to kill Imogen; he gives her man's clothes and sends her toward Wales. Imogen (disguised as Fidele) discovers the cave of Belarius and the princes; they take her in. Cloten, following in Posthumus's clothes (hoping to rape Imogen), is killed and beheaded by Guiderius. Imogen takes a sleeping draft (from the Queen's medicine chest); she is found apparently dead; the princes mourn her in one of Shakespeare's most beautiful scenes. She wakes beside Cloten's headless body, thinks it is Posthumus, and joins Lucius's Roman army.
Act V (Multiple Revelations): A battle between the Romans and Britons: the day is turned by Belarius and the princes. Posthumus, having returned and fought for Britain, gives himself up for execution. In prison, the spirits of his family appear; Jupiter descends. Imogen is brought before Cymbeline (still as Fidele). A cascade of recognitions: Pisanio recognizes Fidele as Imogen; the Queen's crimes are confessed by Cornelius; Guiderius is recognized as Cymbeline's son; Belarius reveals the princes; Posthumus recognizes Imogen; Iachimo confesses his deception; Posthumus forgives Iachimo. Britain makes peace with Rome and agrees to pay tribute.
Key Themes
- Improbability and wonder — the play accumulates impossible coincidences; the effect is fairy-tale
- Patience and fidelity — Imogen's extraordinary endurance; Pisanio's loyalty
- The pastoral retreat — the Welsh hills represent a more virtuous life than the court
- Forgiveness — nearly universal in the final scene; even Iachimo is forgiven
Notable Quotations
"Fear no more the heat o' the sun, / Nor the furious winter's rages." *(Guiderius and Arviragus, IV.ii)*
"Imogen is dead. I fear she knew my meaning; she was dead." *(Pisanio, IV.iii)*
LibriVox Recording
Cymbeline audiobook on LibriVox — Free public domain recording.
Cross-references
- Romances — genre context
- Othello — Posthumus's credulity and Iachimo's manipulation parallel Othello and Iago
- The Winter's Tale — unjust jealousy; miraculous restoration
- The Tempest — the magician figure replaced by the virtuous daughter