IMOGEN: “I see a man’s life is a tedious one.”
It’s interesting to compare this play to others that we’ve read. Just as in Othello, there is one man who tells vicious lies get to lovers to break up, and who uses stolen personal articles (handkerchief, bracelet) to “prove” to the lovers that the other one was unfaithful. It’s strange that in Othello his name is Iago, and in Cymbeline his name is Iachimo. Also, just like in Much Ado, we have a man who is very quick to believe lies told about the fidelity of his intended.
Like Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night and As You Like It, a female character disguises herself as a man. Also like in As You Like It and Taming of the Shrew, a character in disguise takes on a new name that has a significant meaning. In this case, Imogen in her disguise as a man takes on the name Fidele, which is Latin for “faithful”.
As in Romeo & Juliet, one character drinks a sleeping potion that causes those around her to believe she’s dead.
Posthumus is Latin for “after death”. It is a name given to Roman boys whose fathers didn’t live long enough to see them born.
It was a common plot device in classical Greek and Roman theater to have one of the gods come down from heaven and solve all the problems of the characters in the play. This was called “deus ex machina” (pr. DE-us ex MA-ki-na) which means “god coming out of the machine”, because the actor was lowered onto the stage from above by a rope on a crank. Shakespeare does an interesting twist on this device in Act Five, by having the god appear in a dream, once again lowered from heaven on a rope.
Some vocabulary:
alarum — alarm
avoid — go away
gall — a bitter liquid
marry — indeed; in fact
nonpareil — (from the French) without equal; best in the world
plight — pledge
silly — (used about clothing) cheap and common
soothsayer — fortuneteller
troth — truth. To “plight one’s troth” is to swear everlasting love.
Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline has angered her father by marrying Posthumus, a poor but good man, instead of marrying Cloten, her step-mother’s son from a previous marriage. In his anger, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus and keeps Imogen locked up in the palace. Imogen gives Posthumus a ring to wear as a symbol of her love, and he gives her a bracelet.
The queen pretends to be on Imogen’s side but she works secretly to hurt the king’s love of her. Pisanio, the servant of Posthumus, enters and describes how Cloten had tried to pick a fight with Posthumus. Fortunately for him Posthumus wouldn’t fight him, because Cloten is actually a coward and a very bad fighter.
Scene 2:
Cloten boastingly describes his fight with Posthumus. While he’s talking, one of his friends humors him by agreeing with him, while the other makes sarcastic remarks behind his back.
Scene 3:
Pisanio describes how Posthumus kept waving as the boat sailed away. Imogen describes how much she’ll miss him.
Scene 4:
In Rome, Posthumus is staying at his friend Philario’s house. Iachimo picks a fight with him about whether Imogen will stay faithful to him. Posthumus bets Imogen’s ring that Iachimo can’t seduce Imogen.
Scene 5:
The Queen asks the doctor for some poisons, telling him that she wants to experiment on animals but really meaning some malice to Posthumus. The doctor suspects her, and gives her instead some medicines that cause deep sleep but not death. She gives the box to Pisanio, telling him that it is life-saving medicine, hoping that he will administer the poison to Posthumus and Imogen. She also tells Pisanio to get Imogen to give up on Posthumus and agree to marry her son instead, saying that she will reward Pisanio if he succeeds.
Scene 6:
Iachimo meets Imogen, tells lies about Posthumus and immediately propositions her. She gets angry, but he confesses that he had done so only to test whether she would be faithful to Posthumus. He asks her to keeps safe a box of treasure which he was taking to the Emperor. She agrees to keep it in her bedroom.
Act 2, Scene 1:
Cloten complains that he lost at bowling, and that his social inferiors try to get him to stop cursing in public. Just like before, his first companion agrees with everything he says and the second makes wisecracks to the
audience. The second man feels sorry for Imogen having such a stupid man courting her, such an evil step-mother, and a good husband who was banished.
Scene 2:
While Imogen is asleep, Iachimo comes out of the box he asked her to keep safe. He steals her bracelet and notes several details about her body and her bedroom, all to convince Posthumus that he had had sex with her.
Scene 3:
Cloten, who had been up all night gambling (and losing), decides to serenade Imogen to wake her up. However, she insults him, saying that she likes the dirtiest clothes that Posthumus ever wore more than she likes Cloten, and he can’t believe that she said that. She also notices that her bracelet is missing.
Scene 4:
Iachimo returns to Rome, and boasts to Posthumus how he had sex with Imogen. Posthumus believes him, even though Philario tries to disprove it, and gives up Imogen’s ring as he wagered.
Scene 5:
Posthumus laments how he thinks Imogen betrayed him, and how all women are not to be trusted.
Act 3, Scene 1:
Cymbeline meets with Lucius, the ambassador from Rome. He refuses to pay the tribute which was owed to Caesar since the conquest of Britain; this means Rome will certainly declare war against Britain.
Scene 2:
Posthumus writes a letter ordering Pisanio to kill Imogen for her adultery, and tells Imogen to meet him at a city in Wales, in order to give Pisanio the opportunity to kill her. However, Pisanio, knowing that Imogen is innocent, decides that he will not follow the order.
Scene 3:
Belarius, once a member of Cymbeline’s court, was banished after being falsely charged with treason. Since then he has lived in a cave in the mountains under the name of Morgan. For his revenge he kidnapped Cymbeline’s only two sons, Guiderius and Arviragus, and raised them to believe that he is their natural father.
Scene 4:
Pisanio tells Imogen that Posthumus has ordered him to kill her, and shows her his letter. He advises her to disguise herself as a man and seek employment from Lucius. Meanwhile, he will tell Posthumus that he has carried out the order. He also gives Imogen the box of false poison which he got from the queen, thinking it to be actual medicine.
Scene 5:
Cymbeline gives Lucius safe passage to Wales, to tell the Roman Emperor to prepare for war. He also notices that Imogen is gone. Pisanio returns, and Cloten accosts him. Pisanio pretends not to know about Imogen’s disappearance, but lets Cloten see his letter from Posthumus. Cloten decides to track Posthumus to Wales and kill him. Remembering Imogen’s earlier insult, he decides it will be sweet revenge to be wearing Posthumus’ old clothes at the same time he kills Posthumus and rapes Imogen. He commands Pisanio to be his servant, even though Pisanio is still true to the two lovers in his heart.
Scene 6:
Imogen, disguised as a boy named Fidele, is not making very good progress through the mountains by herself. By coincidence, she makes friends with Guiderius and Arviragus, but of course doesn’t know that they are her long-lost brothers.
Scene 7: In Rome, plans are made for the attack of Britain.
Act 4, Scene 1:
Cloten comes close to where he expects to find Posthumus, kill him, then rape Imogen and take her back to the palace.
Scene 2:
Long long scene! Belarius and the boys prepare to go hunting, but Fidele(Imogen) begs off, feeling sick, and drinks some of the medicine which the queen had given Pisanio. Cloten stumbles upon the camp, and is beheaded in a fight with Guiderius. Belarius recognizes Cloten, and realizes how much trouble they are in. Then Arviragus discovers Fidele(Imogen) unconscious from the effects of the medicine. Thinking she is dead, the two brothers give a solemn and loving funeral to Fidele(Imogen) but throw Cloten’s head into the river. Then the effects of the medicine wear off, and Imogen wakes up. She sees the body of Cloten, still dressed in the clothes of Posthumus, and believes that it is Cloten who has beheaded Posthumus, with the help of Pisanio. When Lucius passes through with the Roman army, Imogen again passes herself off as Fidele, and joins the entourage of Lucius.
Scene 3:
Pisanio offers his service to Cymbeline, who is distraught at not being able to find either Cloten or Imogen, and the Queen is also sick worrying about Cloten at a time when Cymbeline needs help preparing for the war with Rome.
Pisanio reflects that although he must tell some lies to the king, he is still being a faithful servant to both him and Posthumus and Imogen.
Scene 4:
For fear of being captured by Cymbeline for the death of Cloten, or by the Romans, Belarius wants to go higher into the mountains. However, both Guiderius and Arviragus want to join the army in disguise and fight the Romans. Belarius realizes that even though they don’t know it, they have royal blood and are too proud to run away.
Act 5, Scene 1:
Posthumus has been drafted into the Roman army and brought to England to fight against his homeland. He has the bloody handkerchief with which Pisanio fooled him into thinking that Imogen is dead; he wishes that she had not been killed. He decides to run away from the Roman army and fight on the other side, and perhaps atone for having killed Imogen.
Scene 2:
Battle scenes. Posthumus, disguised as a peasant, disarms Iachimo, who thinks that being beaten by a peasant shows that he is being punished for lying about Imogen. Cymbeline is captured in battle, but Posthumus, Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus rescue him.
Scene 3:
Posthumus mocks a Lord who had run away from the fighting. When the victorious British soldiers ask who he is, he tells them that he is a Roman, instead of admitting that he is one of the four who rescued Cymbeline.
Scene 4:
In jail, Posthumus dreams about his parents, who died when he was a baby. He also dreams that the Roman god Jupiter gives him a book containing a prediction about the future. When he wakes up he discovers that he actually does have a book, but he can’t understand the prediction. He jokes a little about death with the very witty jailer, and then he is ordered to appear before the king.
Scene 5:
In a very long scene that ties together all the loose ends, Cymbeline honors Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus for rescuing him, but still doesn’t know their true identity. He also regrets not knowing who the fourth soldier, wearing a peasant’s outfit, was. The doctor informs him that the queen is dead, and that on her deathbed she revealed A) She was only using her marriage to the king to put her son on the throne, B) She always hated Imogen, and C) She was planning to poison the king one day to replace him with Cloten.
Lucius, now a prisoner of Cymbeline, asks the king to spare his new servant Fidele(Imogen). Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus think they recognize the friend they thought dead. Cymbeline takes an instant liking to Fidele(Imogen) and grants a request to question Iachimo about where he got the ring of Posthumus. Iachimo, feeling guilty about what he had done, confesses how he had tricked both Imogen and Posthumus.
When Posthumus hears this he is overcome with rage and reveals himself. Imogen tries to reveal herself, but in his impatience he doesn’t recognize her and punches her. Then Pisanio rushes forward to help Imogen, but she thinks he is a traitor for giving her the false medicine. That’s when the doctor remembers that he had given the queen a box of sleeping potion when she had asked for deadly poison.
Pisanio explains that Cloten had left to find Imogen in Wales, but hadn’t returned. Then Guiderius admits to killing Cloten, which forces Cymbeline to punish him for the murder. When Belarius steps forward and admits his true identity, Cymbeline calls for the guards to take him away too for the crime of treason he was falsely accused of many years before. That is, until Belarius tells Cymbeline that Guiderius and Arviragus are his long-lost sons. He receives the news with joy, and absolves Belarius of any blame.
Iachimo confirms that Posthumus was the fourth soldier who rescued Cymbeline in battle, and gets forgiven for his lies. A fortuneteller interprets the prophecy from the dream of Posthumus. And they all lived happily ever after.
Here is some commentary I’ve found on the play.
Cymbeline, play written by English playwright William Shakespeare around 1609, near the close of his career. The source of the main plot of Cymbeline, a husband’s wager on the virtue of his wife, goes back to a story by Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio. Shakespeare gave the story an air of romance by promoting the heroine from a merchant’s wife to a British princess, daughter of King Cymbeline. The heroine of the story is secretly married to a noble gentleman of the court. Shakespeare set his tale against a background of legendary history and used loosely historical accounts of a war between Rome and Cunobelius, an early English king, to bring about a surprising resolution and a happy ending. The construction of Cymbeline is loose and rambling, but it is a charming story, written in beautiful poetic verse. The play has been a favorite with poets; English poet Lord Alfred Tennyson died with a copy of it open in his hand. In 1937 British dramatist George Bernard Shaw wrote a new fifth act for the play.
–Microsoft Encarta
Article by Kim Pereira for the 1995 Illinois Shakespeare Festival Program Guide
Cymbeline has always been a difficult play to categorize. The original collection of Shakespeare’s plays, “The First Folio” (published in 1623), classifies it as a tragedy; modern editors have revised that to comedy, and to distinguish it further from other comedies, it is also referred to, along with The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and Pericles, as a romance. Of course, like so many other plays of Shakespeare, these classifications are only guidelines rather than definitions, for an attempt to analyze a work of art according to somewhat arbitrary classifications is to diminish the very essence – its originality – that makes it a work of art. Undoubtedly, there are many aspects, patterns, and rhythms in this play that echo through several of Shakespeare’s other tragedies, comedies, and even histories, for he used all his plays to view and explore a multi-faceted human condition from a variety of angles.
There appear to be three main narratives to Cymbeline – the tale of Imogen and Posthumus, with the villainous Iachimo lurking beside them, poised to destroy their happiness; the story of two sons, Guiderius and Arviragus, who have been separated from their father and are eventually restored to him; and the successful defense of Britain by King Cymbeline against foreign invasion, the one character most involved with all three stories, hence the name of the play. The understructure supporting these three plots is a virtual labyrinth of sub-plots and strands that shift in and out of each tale until the final scenes at the end, when Shakespeare, in a masterful denouement, perhaps unparalleled even in his own plays, weaves each skein (some two dozen or so), into a harmonious resolution. In the intrigue of Iachimo, Imogen, and Posthumus are echoes of Othello, including the initial confrontation between father and son-in-law in the presence of the newly-married daughter. The danger to Imogen’s life by her husband’s jealous action is as real as is Desdemona’s fate, thus propelling the play to the edge of tragedy. Unlike Iago, however, Iachimo (the similarity of their names is interesting) repents (he is even ready to accept death as his punishment) and is then forgiven by the generous Posthumus.
The theme of forgiveness is characteristic of Shakespeare’s romances – Hermione’s forgiveness of Leontes is one of the most beautiful moments of The Winter’s Tale, and Prospero’s decision to return to his kingdom is itself a forgiveness of the wrongs done him. Another staple of romantic epics is the story of lost and found children. Often, the lost child is a girl, but sometimes, as Shakespeare chooses here, the children may be boys. The Guiderius – Arviragus story includes the tale of Belarius, the “supposed father” who is drawn from the “rusticated courtier” of pastoral romance. By deciding to make Belarius a hunter and not a shepherd (as he does with the adoptive father of Perdita in The Winter’s Tale), Shakespeare permits the credibility of Guiderius and Arviragus as fighters in the defense of their country. In Imogen’s taking of the “poison,” Shakespeare employs a standard device of Greek romance which called for the supposed death of a beloved woman; it is a device that he uses in his tragedies (Romeo and Juliet), comedies (Much Ado About Nothing), and romances (Pericles, and The Winter’s Tale).
The story of Cymbeline’s defense of Britain is a return to a theme that greatly interested Shakespeare – the history of England – not only in the so-called history plays, but also in King Lear, Macbeth, and even in Hamlet, which is dimly linked with the period of Danish ascendancy over England. In Cymbeline are bound together primitive Wales, Roman Britain, and Italian Rome. At the end, King Cymbeline calls for a lasting peace between Rome and England, a peace that is a fitting resolution not only to the war but also to the internal conflicts, as wives and husbands, fathers and children return in harmony to one another. But Cymbeline, for all its tragicomic patterns, romantic devices, and historical pretensions, is at heart, as Northrop Frye put it, “a pure told tale, featuring a cruel stepmother with her loutish son, a calumniated maiden, lost princes brought up in a cave by a foster father, a ring of recognition that works in reverse, villains displaying false trophies of adultery and faithful servants displaying equally false trophies of murder, along with a great firework display of dreams, prophecies, signs, portents, and wonders.” It is a complex journey of love, forgiveness, jealousy, murder, war, and peace.
–Kim Pereira
© 1995 Illinois Shakespeare Festival
Shakespeare-sama, Tokyo 