Book Cover of Cymbeline

Cymbeline

by William Shakespeare

Cymbeline, the Roman Empire's vassal king of Britain, once had two sons, Guiderius and Arvirargus, but they were stolen 20 years earlier as infants by an exiled traitor named Belarius. Cymbeline discovers that his only child left, his daughter Imogen (or Innogen), has secretly married her lover Posthumus Leonatus, a member of Cymbeline's court. The lovers have exchanged jewellery as tokens: Imogen with a bracelet, and Posthumus with a ring. Cymbeline dismisses the marriage and banishes Posthumus since Imogen — as Cymbeline's only child — must produce a fully royal-blooded heir to succeed to the British throne. In the meantime, Cymbeline's Queen is conspiring to have Cloten (her cloddish and arrogant son by an earlier marriage) married to Imogen to secure her bloodline. The Queen is also plotting to murder both Imogen and Cymbeline, procuring what she believes to be deadly poison from the court doctor. The doctor, Cornelius, is suspicious and switches the poison for a harmless sleeping potion. The Queen passes the "poison" along to Pisanio, Posthumus and Imogen's loving servant — the latter is led to believe it is a medicinal drug. No longer able to be with her banished Posthumus, Imogen secludes herself in her chambers, away from Cloten's aggressive advances.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1611

Authors

William Shakespeare image

William Shakespeare

United Kingdom

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford, where he...

Books by William Shakespeare

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Anna Karenina, Book 1 Cover image

Anna Karenina, Book 1 by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna...

Two Sides To Every Question: From A South Australian Standpoint Cover image

Two Sides To Every Question: From A South Australian Standpoint by Maud Jean Franc

Set in Adelaide, South Australia, before Federation, 'Two Sides to Every Question' delves into the lives of two families from contrasting social backg...

Virgin Soil Volume 2 Cover image

Virgin Soil Volume 2 by Ivan Turgenev

Virgin Soil, the final novel by Ivan Turgenev, explores the tumultuous social changes sweeping through Russia in the wake of serf emancipation. The s...

Portrait of a Lady Cover image

Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady is a novel by Henry James that follows the life of Isabel Archer, a young American woman who inherits a substantial fortune and...

When Woman Proposes Cover image

When Woman Proposes by Anne Warner

In the glittering world of high society, where wealth and reputation reign supreme, a bold and unconventional proposal is about to turn everything ups...

Pleasant Commodie of Faire Em, the Miller's Daughter of Manchester, with the Love of William the Conquerour Cover image

Pleasant Commodie of Faire Em, the Miller's Daughter of Manchester, with the Love of William the Conquerour by William Shakespeare

This play is a comedy that revolves around the love and intrigue surrounding Fair Em, a miller's daughter from Manchester. The story takes place in me...

His Grace of Osmonde Cover image

His Grace of Osmonde by Frances Hodgson Burnett

His Grace of Osmonde, a companion piece to 'A Lady of Quality', delves into the life of the titular nobleman. The novel explores his personal journey,...

明暗 (Meian) Cover image

明暗 (Meian) by Sōseki Natsume

Meian (Light and Darkness) is Natsume Soseki's final novel, tragically unfinished due to his passing during its serialization. The story centers on Ts...

Avalanche Cover image

Avalanche by Gertrude Atherton

Set against the backdrop of San Francisco's rebuilding after the devastating 1906 earthquake, "Avalanche" tells the story of Price Ruyler, a young man...

Clara Vaughan, Vol I. Cover image

Clara Vaughan, Vol I. by Richard Doddridge Blackmore

Clara Vaughan is a young woman determined to solve the mystery of her father's murder, a crime that occurred when she was just a child. Years later,...

Reviews for Cymbeline

No reviews posted or approved, yet...