Cymbeline by William Shakespeare

“Cymbeline” is a play by William Shakespeare, first performed in 1611. It is categorized as a romance, combining elements of tragedy, comedy, and history. The play is set in ancient Britain and Rome, focusing on the British king Cymbeline, his daughter Imogen, and the court’s political intrigues, love, betrayal, and misunderstandings. Shakespeare explores themes of innocence, jealousy, and reconciliation against the backdrop of a Roman invasion of Britain.

Plot Summary

In ancient Britain, King Cymbeline rules a kingdom fraught with tensions both political and personal. His daughter, the noble and virtuous Imogen, has secretly married Posthumus Leonatus, a man of noble birth but poor fortune, whom Cymbeline had raised in the royal court after Posthumus’ parents died. Enraged by this union, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus, hoping to keep his daughter for a more advantageous marriage to Cloten, the son of his scheming second wife, the Queen. Cloten is a foolish and arrogant young man, but the Queen is determined to see him married to Imogen and secure the throne.

Exiled to Rome, Posthumus remains devoted to Imogen, wearing her ring as a symbol of their bond. However, when the cunning Iachimo, an Italian nobleman, meets Posthumus and boasts that no woman can remain faithful, Posthumus defends Imogen’s virtue. Iachimo proposes a wager: if he can seduce Imogen and prove her infidelity, he will win Posthumus’ ring. If not, Iachimo must give Posthumus gold. Confident in Imogen’s loyalty, Posthumus agrees to the bet.

Iachimo travels to Britain and visits Imogen, pretending to bring her news from Posthumus. Despite his smooth words and attempts to charm her, Imogen remains faithful, rejecting his advances. Foiled in his initial plan, Iachimo resorts to deceit. That night, he sneaks into Imogen’s bedchamber while she sleeps, noting the intimate details of the room, including a distinctive mole on her body. He steals her bracelet, a gift from Posthumus, and flees back to Rome with what he believes to be proof of her betrayal.

Back in Rome, Iachimo presents the bracelet and describes Imogen’s bedchamber to Posthumus, who is devastated by the supposed evidence of her infidelity. In his grief and anger, Posthumus sends a letter to Pisanio, his faithful servant, ordering him to kill Imogen as punishment for her disloyalty. Pisanio, however, cannot believe the accusations against his mistress. When Imogen reads the letter, she is horrified, but Pisanio helps her to escape. Together, they devise a plan: Imogen will disguise herself as a boy and travel to Milford Haven, where she hopes to meet Posthumus and explain the truth.

Meanwhile, back at Cymbeline’s court, tensions escalate as the Queen continues to plot, hoping to eliminate both Imogen and Posthumus to secure Cloten’s path to the throne. Unbeknownst to Cymbeline, the Queen has been secretly gathering poisonous herbs to test on unsuspecting victims, including her stepson Posthumus and her daughter Imogen. She also manipulates Cymbeline into defying Rome by refusing to pay tribute, setting the stage for an impending war with the Roman Empire.

As Imogen, now disguised as a young man named Fidele, journeys through the countryside, she stumbles upon a cave where two young men, Guiderius and Arviragus, live with an old man named Belarius. Unbeknownst to Imogen, these young men are actually her long-lost brothers, stolen from Cymbeline’s court by Belarius when they were infants. The three offer her hospitality, not realizing her true identity, and Imogen is struck by their nobility despite their rustic lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Cloten, furious that Imogen has rejected him, sets out to find her at Milford Haven, wearing Posthumus’ clothes in a twisted bid to impersonate him. His arrogance leads him to the same cave where Imogen is staying, and he confronts Guiderius, insulting him and claiming the right to take Imogen as his wife. A fight ensues, and Guiderius kills Cloten, discarding his body.

Imogen, still unaware of Cloten’s death, becomes ill after unknowingly consuming one of the Queen’s poisonous concoctions. Believing her dead, her newfound friends lay her next to Cloten’s body, which they find dressed in Posthumus’ clothes. When she awakens, she is horrified, mistaking Cloten’s corpse for that of her husband. Despairing over Posthumus’ supposed death, she continues her journey to the Roman camp, where she hopes to serve Caius Lucius, the leader of the Roman forces, as his page.

As the Roman army marches towards Britain, war breaks out. Posthumus, now guilt-ridden for ordering Imogen’s death and believing her lost, disguises himself as a lowly soldier and fights for Britain. In the chaos of battle, he helps secure a British victory, though Cymbeline attributes their success to divine intervention. After the battle, Posthumus surrenders to the British, hoping to atone for his sins through death.

In the aftermath of the war, the many tangled threads of the story begin to unravel. Imogen, still disguised as Fidele, is reunited with Pisanio and brought before the court. There, Iachimo confesses his deception and reveals how he falsely accused Imogen of infidelity. Posthumus, overwhelmed with guilt and joy at finding his wife alive, begs for her forgiveness, and she readily grants it.

Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus are also brought before Cymbeline, and their true identities are revealed. The king rejoices at the discovery of his long-lost sons, and Belarius, despite his past crimes, is forgiven. The Queen, however, dies offstage, her wickedness exposed, leaving Cymbeline to rule with a clearer heart.

With peace restored between Britain and Rome, and family reunited, Cymbeline agrees to pay the tribute to Rome. Harmony reigns as the king, his children, and the reunited couple stand together, having endured trials of jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness, but emerging stronger and more united.

Main Characters

• Cymbeline: The king of Britain, who has married a scheming second wife. His primary struggle is balancing family and political duties. He is deceived by his wife and harsh in his judgment of his daughter.
• Imogen: Cymbeline’s daughter, the play’s heroine. Imogen is intelligent, resourceful, and loyal to her husband, Posthumus, despite being unjustly accused of infidelity. She undergoes trials but remains virtuous and forgiving.
• Posthumus Leonatus: Imogen’s husband, a nobleman of humble origins. He is loyal to Imogen but is quick to jealousy and falls victim to manipulation by Iachimo. His journey is one of redemption after realizing his mistakes.
• The Queen: Cymbeline’s second wife and the play’s antagonist. She plots to secure her son Cloten’s marriage to Imogen and is deceitful, manipulative, and power-hungry.
• Cloten: The Queen’s arrogant, foolish son, who is obsessed with marrying Imogen. He serves as comic relief but also embodies danger due to his violent tendencies.
• Iachimo: A deceitful Italian who wagers that he can seduce Imogen. His trickery causes much of the play’s conflict, though he eventually repents.
• Pisanio: Posthumus’ loyal servant, who helps Imogen when she is wrongfully accused. He represents honesty and integrity in the play.

Theme

• Jealousy and Misunderstanding: Much of the play’s conflict stems from jealousy and deception. Posthumus’ quickness to believe in Imogen’s betrayal, based on Iachimo’s lies, drives the tragic elements.
• Innocence and Virtue: Imogen represents purity and loyalty. Despite the chaos around her, she remains virtuous, emphasizing the play’s ideal of feminine virtue.
• Reconciliation and Forgiveness: At its heart, Cymbeline is about reconciliation. By the end, characters are forgiven, and misunderstandings are cleared, showcasing Shakespeare’s theme of mercy and forgiveness.
• Loyalty and Betrayal: Several characters experience betrayals—Cymbeline by his queen, Imogen by Posthumus—but loyalty also plays a significant role, especially through Pisanio’s steadfastness.

Writing Style and Tone

Shakespeare’s writing in Cymbeline blends lyrical poetry with sharp dialogue, showcasing both his trademark wordplay and the more serious tones of romance and drama. The play’s language often shifts from courtly elegance to moments of deep emotion, particularly in Imogen’s soliloquies and Posthumus’ reflections on his misguided jealousy.

The tone throughout the play moves between lighthearted humor, especially in scenes with Cloten, to darker, more serious tones involving betrayal and injustice. Shakespeare weaves these shifts smoothly, ensuring the reader or audience is engaged through both comic relief and emotional depth. The mix of fantastical elements and grounded human conflicts creates an atmosphere that is both magical and moralistic, fitting within the romantic genre of his later plays.