Cymbeline Summary

Cymbeline, sometimes called Cymbeline, King of Britain, is a play by William Shakespeare set in ancient Britain. It draws from legends about ancient Britain, especially stories about heroes and kings, like King Arthur. The character of Cymbeline is probably based on a real Celtic king named Cunobeline. The play was originally called a tragedy, but many later critics see it as a romance or comedy. It mainly deals with themes of innocence and jealousy, similar to other Shakespeare plays like Othello and The Winter’s Tale. The play was first performed around 1611, but no one knows the exact date it was finished.

Summary

The King of Britain sits on the throne with his second wife, a wicked queen. The King’s daughter, Imogen, is in love with Posthumus, a gentleman of low birth. Her stepmother wants her to marry Cloten, her own son, but Imogen decides to run away and secretly marry Posthumus. When the King finds out, he banishes Posthumus from the kingdom. Before leaving, Posthumus gives Imogen a bracelet, and she gives him a ring in return.

In secret, the queen orders her physician, Cornelius, to make a poison. However, Cornelius is suspicious and gives her a harmless sleeping potion instead. Posthumus travels to Rome, where he brags about his wife’s loyalty and beauty. There, he meets Iachimo, a smooth-talking Italian who bets Posthumus that he can seduce Imogen. Posthumus accepts the bet. Iachimo hurries to Britain and tries repeatedly to prove Imogen’s infidelity, but she rejects him every time.

Desperate, Iachimo hides in a chest that is carried into Imogen’s bedroom. When she falls asleep, he sneaks out and takes a good look around. He steals the bracelet and notices a mole on Imogen’s breast. He returns to Rome and shows Posthumus the bracelet and describes the mole, convincing Posthumus that Imogen has been unfaithful. Posthumus is furious and orders his friend Pisanio to kill Imogen. He sends two letters: one telling Pisanio to kill Imogen and the other asking Imogen to meet him at Milford Haven, where she is to be killed.

Pisanio refuses to follow the order, believing Imogen is innocent. Instead, he tells Imogen that Posthumus is angry with her. Imogen, fearing her husband’s anger, runs away from her father’s court disguised as a page boy, calling herself Fidele, and heads to Milford Haven. Pisanio tells Posthumus that he has killed Imogen, and he gives her the "poison," which he believes is a restorative.

Meanwhile, Cymbeline angers a Roman ambassador named Lucius, and as a result, Rome declares war on Britain over unpaid tribute. Cloten hears about Imogen’s meeting with Posthumus and plans to kill Posthumus, then abduct and marry Imogen. He dresses in Posthumus’s clothing and sneaks away.

Imogen, now lost in Wales, meets Belarius. Her health is poor, so she stays with him and his two “sons,” who are actually her long-lost brothers, Guiderius and Arviragus, kidnapped as children. The two men feel a connection with the page boy, unaware that she is their sister. Cloten follows close behind and insults Guiderius. The two men fight, and Guiderius kills Cloten, cutting off his head and throwing it into the river.

Imogen, very ill, drinks the “restorative” potion, believing it will heal her, but instead, she seems to die. Belarius and his sons lay her body beside Cloten’s. When Imogen wakes up, she sees the headless body in Posthumus’s clothes and believes him to be dead. She faints and wakes again just as Lucius is traveling by. Still disguised as a page, she agrees to serve him in the war.

The queen, now mad with grief over her son’s disappearance, dies. Posthumus returns to Britain with the Roman army, disguising himself as a British soldier, hoping to die in battle. However, Britain wins the battle, and Posthumus, Belarius, and the two brothers fight bravely against the Italians. Posthumus is mistaken for an Italian soldier and is thrown into prison, where he has a strange prophetic dream. Iachimo, Lucius, and Imogen disguised as Fidele, are also captured and brought before King Cymbeline.

The final climax involves many confessions. The queen confesses her plot to overthrow the king on her deathbed. Iachimo admits he stole the bracelet and lied about Imogen. Posthumus reveals his identity, and Pisanio admits that Imogen is still alive and that he helped her escape. Belarius admits to kidnapping the children, who then discover their true lineage. With the trueborn sons set to inherit the crown, it no longer matters who Imogen marries. Posthumus and Imogen are reunited and married. A soothsayer interprets Posthumus’s dream, predicting the happiness and success of Cymbeline’s family. Overjoyed, Cymbeline shows mercy to all his prisoners and makes peace with Italy.