Cymbeline

Cymbeline

By William Shakespeare.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dramatis Personae
4. Cymbeline
   1. Act I
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
      6. Scene VI
   2. Act II
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
   3. Act III
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
      6. Scene VI
      7. Scene VII
   4. Act IV
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
   5. Act V
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
5. Colophon
6. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on a transcription from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on digital scans from the HathiTrust Digital Library.

The source text and artwork in this ebook are believed to be in the United States public domain; that is, they are believed to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. They may still be copyrighted in other countries, so users located outside of the United States must check their local laws before using this ebook. The creators of, and contributors to, this ebook dedicate their contributions to the worldwide public domain via the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces ebook editions of public domain literature using modern typography, technology, and editorial standards, and distributes them free of cost. You can download this and other ebooks carefully produced for true book lovers at standardebooks.org.

Dramatis Personae

• Cymbeline, King of Britain

• Cloten, son to the Queen by a former husband

• Posthumus Leonatus, a gentleman, husband to Imogen

• Belarius, a banished lord, disguised under the name of Morgan

• Guiderius, son to Cymbeline, disguised under the name of Polydore, supposed son to Morgan

• Arviragus, son to Cymbeline, disguised under the name of Cadwal, supposed son to Morgan

• Philario, friend to Posthumus, Italian

• Iachimo, friend to Philario, Italian

• Caius Lucius, general of the Roman forces

• Pisanio, servant to Posthumus

• Cornelius, a physician

• A Roman captain

• Two British captains

• A Frenchman, friend to Philario

• Two lords of Cymbeline’s court

• Two gentlemen of the same

• Two gaolers

• Queen, wife to Cymbeline

• Imogen, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen

• Helen, a lady attending on Imogen

• Lords, ladies, Roman senators, tribunes, a soothsayer, a Dutchman, a Spaniard, musicians, officers, captains, soldiers, messengers, and other attendants

• Apparitions

Scene: Britain; Rome.

Cymbeline

Act I

Scene I

Britain. The garden of Cymbeline’s palace.

	Enter two Gentlemen.
First Gentleman	You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods No more obey the heavens than our courtiers Still seem as does the king.
Second Gentleman	But what’s the matter?
First Gentleman	His daughter, and the heir of’s kingdom, whom He purposed to his wife’s sole son⁠—a widow That late he married⁠—hath referr’d herself Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: she’s wedded; Her husband banish’d; she imprison’d: all Is outward sorrow; though I think the king Be touch’d at very heart.
Second Gentleman	None but the king?
First Gentleman	He that hath lost her too; so is the queen, That most desired the match; but not a courtier, Although they wear their faces to the bent Of the king’s looks, hath a heart that is not Glad at the thing they scowl at.
Second Gentleman	And why so?
First Gentleman	He that hath miss’d the princess is a thing Too bad for bad report: and he that hath her⁠— I mean, that married her, alack, good man! And therefore banish’d⁠—is a creature such As, to seek through the regions of the earth For one his like, there would be something failing In him that should compare. I do not think So fair an outward and such stuff within Endows a man but he.
Second Gentleman	You speak him far.
First Gentleman	I do extend him, sir, within himself, Crush him together rather than unfold His measure duly.
Second Gentleman	What’s his name and birth?
First Gentleman	I cannot delve him to the root: his father Was call’d Sicilius, who did join his honour Against the Romans with Cassibelan, But had his titles by Tenantius whom He served with glory and admired success, So gain’d the sur-addition Leonatus; And had, besides this gentleman in question, Two other sons, who in the wars o’ the time Died with their swords in hand; for which their father, Then old and fond of issue, took such sorrow That he quit being, and his gentle lady, Big of this gentleman our theme, deceased As he was born. The king he takes the babe To his protection, calls him Posthumus Leonatus, Breeds him and makes him of his bedchamber, Puts to him all the learnings that his time Could make him the receiver of; which he took, As we do air, fast as ’twas minister’d, And in’s spring became a harvest, lived in court⁠— Which rare it is to do⁠—most praised, most loved, A sample to the youngest, to the more mature A glass that feated them, and to the graver A child that guided dotards; to his mistress, For whom he now is banish’d, her own price Proclaims how she esteem’d him and his virtue; By her election may be truly read What kind of man he is.
Second Gentleman	I honour him Even out of your report. But, pray you, tell me Is she sole child to the king?
First Gentleman	His only child. He had two sons: if this be worth your hearing, Mark it: the eldest of them at three years old, I’ the swathing-clothes the other, from their nursery Were stol’n, and to this hour no guess in knowledge Which way they went.
Second Gentleman	How long is this ago?
First Gentleman	Some twenty years.
Second Gentleman	That a king’s children should be so convey’d, So slackly guarded, and the search so slow, That could not trace them!
First Gentleman	Howsoe’er ’tis strange, Or that the negligence may well be