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INTRODUCTION
• Cymbeline also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play
by William Shakespeare, set in Ancient
Britain (part of the play is set in the area
corresponding to Wales[1]) and based on legends
concerning the early Celtic British
King Cunobeline.
• Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio,
modern critics often classify Cymbeline as
a romance.
• Like Othello and The Winter's Tale, it deals
with the themes of innocence and jealousy.
While the precise date of composition remains
unknown, the play was certainly produced as
early as 1611.[2]
MAIN CHARACTERS
• Cymbeline, King of Britain
• Queen, Wife to Cymbeline
• Cloten, Son to the Queen by a former husband
• Imogen, Daughter to Cymbeline by a former
queen
• Posthumus Leonatus, a gentleman, husband to
Imogen
• Belarius, a banished lord, disguised under the
name of Morgan
• Guiderius & Arviragus, Sons to Cymbeline,
disguised under the names of Polydore and
Cadwal, supposed sons to Morgan
• Iachimo, Smooth-talking trickster who
befriends Posthumus
THE STORY• Imogen, the daughter of the British king
Cymbeline, disobeys her Father and marries a
lowborn gentleman, Posthumus, instead of his
oafish stepson, Cloten.
• Cloten is the son of Cymbeline's new Queen, a
villainous woman who has made the king her
puppet.
• Cymbeline exiles Posthumus to Italy, where he
encounters the smooth-tongued Iachimo.
Iachimo argues that all women are naturally
unfaithful, and he makes a bet with
Posthumus that he will be able to seduce
Imogen.
• He goes to the British court and resorts to
trickery: He hides in a large chest and has it
sent to her room; that night he slips out,
observes her sleeping, and steals a bracelet
that Posthumus once gave to her.
THE STORY, PART 2
• Posthumus, furious at being betrayed by his
wife, sends a letter to Britain ordering his
servant, Pisanio, to murder Imogen. But
Pisanio believes in Imogen's innocence, and
he convinces her to disguise herself as a boy
and go search for her husband, while he
reports to Posthumus that he has killed her.
• Imogen, however, soon becomes lost in the
wilds of Wales, and she comes upon a cave
where Belarius, an unjustly banished
nobleman, lives with his two sons, Guiderius
and Arviragus.
• In fact, the two young men are not his sons
but Cymbeline's; Belarius kidnapped them to
avenge his banishment. They welcome
Imogen, who is still dressed as a boy.
THE STORY, PART 3• Meanwhile, Cloten appears, having come in
pursuit of Imogen; he fights a duel with
Guiderius, who kills him, and cuts off his
head.
• Elsewhere, Imogen, feeling ill, drinks a
potion the queen has given her. Although
the queen believed it to be poison, it merely
induces a deep, death-like sleep.
• Belarius and the others come upon Imogen
and, thinking her dead, lay her body beside
that of the slain Cloten.
• Awaking after they have left the scene, she
mistakes the body of Cloten for that of
Posthumus, and she sinks into despair.
THE STORY, PART 4
• A Roman army invades, and Postumus
joins their ranks, only to be captured by
Cybeline’s forces, and taken prisoner.
• Eventually, Posthumus and Imogen are
reunited, and they forgive a contrite
Iachimo, who confesses his deception.
• The identity of Guiderius and Arviragus
is revealed, Belarius is forgiven, and the
Queen dies, leaving the king free of her
evil influence.
FAIRY TALE COMPARISONS
• Cymbeline shares several elements with
familiar Fairy Tales:
• It has a wicked stepmother
(Cinderella/Snow White)
• It has a potion that causes a death-like
sleep (Sleeping Beauty/Snow White)
• A servant is sent to kill the ingénue, but
he has pity on her and spares her life
(Snow White)
• Two boys are raised in the wild, and are
later revealed to be royalty (Iron John)
ANALYSIS• Cymbeline is not, to put it charitably, one
of Shakespeare's finest plays. The
language, while sometimes rich, is often
clumsy, and the mediocrity of certain
scenes have led a number of critics to
suggest that the Bard collaborated with a
less talented playwright in writing this
play.
• Nevertheless, the play is entertaining, if
nothing else: It is filled with plot and
provides us with swordfights, disguises,
poisons, and two eminently hissable
villains in the Queen and Cloten. Indeed,
the entire story contains many elements
of the fairy tale--including the best
element, the happy ending.
QUOTES• Lest the bargain should catch cold and starve.
Iachimo, 1.4
• His fortunes all lie speechless, and his name
Is at last gasp.
Queen, 1.5
• Boldness be my friend!
Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!
Iachimo, 1.6
• Some griefs are med'cinable.
Imogen, 3.2
• Our cage
We make a choir, as doth the prison'd bird
And sing our bondage freely.
Arviragus, 3.3
• The art o' the court,
As hard to leave as keep; whose top to climb
Is certain falling, or so slippery that
The fear’s as bad as falling.
Belarius, 3.3
• 'Tis slander,
Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath
Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie
All corners of the world.
Pisanio, 3.4
• I have not slept one wink.
Pisanio, 3.4
• Fear no more the heat o' the sun
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Guiderius, 4.2
FILMS
• Cymbeline has received only a handful
of adaptions on film:
• Two silent films, in 1913, and 1925.
• A 1982 BBC television version.
• And a reimagined “biker-gang” version
starring Ethan Hawke, set to be
released in 2014.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/cymbeline/summary.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbeline
• http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cymbeline
• http://www.imdb.com/find?q=cymbeline&s=all
• MUSIC
Sad Violin – Artist unknown; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuNhTLVgV2Y