The secret marriage of a king's daughter sets off a chain reaction of slander, jealousy, and divine intervention in this fairy tale-like romance. Shakespeare based his play on myths of an early Celtic king of Britain, incorporating historical elements from classical Rome and Renaissance Italy. With a cast that includes an evil stepmother, scheming suitor, and devoted lovers, the drama is heightened by duels, kidnappings, and disguised identities.
Cymbeline offers captivating storytelling that's crowned by the beauty of its language. Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett, and countless others have quoted Act IV's funeral song: "Fear no more the heat o' th' sun/Nor the furious winter's rages;/Thou thy worldly task hast done,/Home art gone and ta'en thy wages." A moving story of loss and recovery, Shakespeare's drama promises that a leap of faith can lead to miracles.
- 128 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
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Cymbeline
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ACT V.
SCENE I. Britain. The Roman Camp.
Enter POSTHUMUS, with a bloody handkerchief
POSTHUMUS. Yea, bloody cloth, I ’ll keep thee; for I wish’d
Thou shouldst be colour’d thus.
You married ones,
If each of you should take this course, how many
Must murder wives much better than themselves
For wrying but a little! O Pisanio! 6
Every good servant does not all commands:
No bond but to do just ones. Gods! if you
Should have ta’en vengeance on my faults, I never
Had lived to put on this: so had you saved 10
The noble Imogen to repent, and struck
Me, wretch more worth your vengeance. But, alack,
You snatch some hence for little faults; that ’s love,
To have them fall no more: you some permit
To second ills with ills, each elder worse, 15
And make them dread it, to the doers’ thrift. 16
But Imogen is your own: do your best wills,
And make me blest to obey! I am brought hither
Among the Italian gentry, and to fight
Against my lady’s kingdom: ’t is enough 20
That, Britain, I have kill’d thy mistress; peace!
I ’ll give no wound to thee. Therefore, good heavens,
Hear patiently my purpose: I ’ll disrobe me
Of these Italian weeds, and suit myself
As does a Briton peasant: so I ’ll fight
Against the part I come with; so I ’ll die
For thee, O Imogen, even for whom my life
Is, every breath, a death: and thus, unknown,
Pitied nor hated, to the face of peril
Myself I ’ll dedicate. Let me make men know 30
More valour in me than my habits show.
Gods, put the strength o’ the Leonati in me!
To shame the guise o’ the world, I will begin 33–34
The fashion, less without and more within. [Exit.
6 wrying] going awry, swerving.
15 each elder worse] each later crime worse than its forerunner.
16 to the doers’ thrift] The meaning seems to be that the sense of dread of their crimes, which the evil-doers experience, is to their ultimate advantage.
SCENE II. Field of Battle Between the British and Roman Camps.
Enter, from one side, LUCIUS, IACHIMO, IMOGEN, and the Roman Army; from the other side, the British Army; LEONATUS POSTHUMUS following, like a poor soldier. They march over and go out. Then enter again, in skirmish, IACHIMO and POSTHUMUS: he vanquisheth and disarmeth IACHIMO, and then leaves him
IACH. The heaviness and guilt within my bosom
Takes off my manhood: I have belied a lady,
The princess of this country, and the air on ’t
Revengingly enfeebles me; or could this carl, 4
A very drudge of nature’s, have subdued me
In my profession? Knighthoods and honours, borne
As I wear mine, are titles but of scorn.
If that thy gentry, Britain, go before
This lout as he exceeds our lords, the odds
Is that we scarce are men and you are gods. [Exit. 10
The battle continues; the Britons fly; CYMBELINE is taken: then enter, to his rescue, BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS
BEL. Stand, stand! We have the advantage of the ground;
The lane is guarded: nothing routs us but
The villany of our fears.
Re-enter POSTHUMUS, and seconds the Britons: they rescue CYMBELINE and exeunt. Then re-enter LUCIUS, IACHIMO, a...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Note
- Dramatis Personæ
- Contents
- Act I
- Act II
- Act III
- Act IV
- Act V
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Yes, you can access Cymbeline by William Shakespeare in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & British Drama. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.