in Cymbeline, King of Britain — Shakespeare, William
Metadata
Play
Cymbeline, King of Britain
Author
Shakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)
1623
First performance
1609
Decade
1620s
Genre
Romance
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Speech prefix(es)
1.
Words
167
Characters
896
Typicality
0.23 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11954.36
BritDrama no.
1623
Cluster
Cluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
His daughter, and the heir of's kingdom (whom He purposed to his wives sole Son, a Widow That late be married) hath referred her self Unto a poor, but worthy Gentleman. She's wedded, Her Husband banished: she imprisoned, all Is outward sorrow, though I think the King Be touched at very heart. Sir, I would advise you to shift a Shirt; the Vio lence of Actium hath made you reek as a Sacrifice: where air comes out, air comes in: There's none abroad so wholesome as that you vent. What God he by that? you have broke his pate with your Bowl. Did you here of a Stranger that's come to Court night? There's and Italian come, and it's thought one of Leonatus Friends. One of your Lordship's Pages. Your Lordship is the most patient man in lose, the most coldest that ever turned up Ace. But not every man patient after the noble temper of your Lordship; You are most hight, and furious when you win.
Plot summary
Plot — Cymbeline, King of Britain
Imogen has been the heir to Cymbeline’s kingdom since the disappearance of her infant brothers twenty years ago. Now her father intends her to marry her foolish stepbrother Cloten; but she pre-empts this by marrying Posthumus instead. Cymbeline objects to Posthumus, whom he took in as an orphan and brought up at court, and banishes him. The Queen pretends support for the couple, but is really the source of Cymbeline’s hostility; her objective is to bring the succession into her own family line, if necessary by destroying Imogen. Claiming to be studying toxicology, she asks Cornelius to give her some poison for experimental purposes. He mistrusts her motives: the ‘poison’ he supplies is really only a sleeping potion. She then gives it to Posthumus’ servant, Pisanio, claiming it to be a powerful medicine. Posthumus goes to Rome, leaving his bracelet behind with Imogen as a love-token, and taking her ring. There he boasts of his wife’s beauty and chastity, and bets Iachimo the ring that she will never succumb to his seduction. Iachimo comes to Britain, tells Imogen that Posthumus is behaving adulterously in Rome, and tries to persuade her to do the same. When she refuses, he claims he was only testing her, and asks her to take charge of a chest of valuables, partly paid for by Posthumus, and lodge them for the night in a safe place, her bedroom. He hides in the chest and emerges when she is asleep, giving him the opportunity to inspect the room, look at her in bed, and take Posthumus’ bracelet from her arm. Back in Rome, he claims to have enjoyed Imogen sexually, and the bracelet convinces Posthumus that he is telling the truth. Iachimo takes the ring and Posthumus sends two letters home: one to Imogen asking her to meet him at Milford Haven, the other to Pisanio ordering him to kill her on arrival there. Pisanio escorts her as planned, but then gives her boy’s clothes to enable her to escape from Britain; he also passes on the ‘medicine’ he had from the Queen, then writes to tell Posthumus that she has been killed as ordered. Cymbeline has neglected to pay the tribute to Rome agreed by his predecessors. Caius Lucius comes to demand it, but gets a dusty answer. Rome prepares its 1610 forces for an invasion. Imogen is found to be absent from court, and, stung by her contemptuous rejection, Cloten follows her wearing a suit of Posthumus’ clothes, intending to rape her and bring her back humiliated to court. The hungry, cross-dressed Imogen finds herself in a…