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Cymbeline Summary | Play by William Shakespeare | Neb English Support Class 12
Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
SHORT STORYLINE
Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
Innogen's loyalty is questioned, everyone puts forward some kind of disguise, revelations abound at the end, and only one person dies.
SHORT SUMMARY
Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
King Cymbeline of Britain expels his daughter Innogen's husband, who later makes a bet on Innogen's loyalty. Innogen is accused of being unfaithful, escapes, and becomes a page for the army of Romans as it invades Britain. In the end, Innogen clears her name, finds her long-lost brothers, and reunites with her husband, whereas Cymbeline makes peace with Rome.
DETAILED SUMMARY
Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
Act I
King Cymbeline rules over Britain under the security of Rome. His kingdom must pay some kind of tribute. Cymbeline comes to know that his only daughter, Innogen, has secretly married his ward, Posthumus Leonatus, a man of low birth. Enraged by the couple's disobedience, King Cymbeline decides to banish Posthumus from Britain. Before travelling to Italy, Posthumus exchanges his bracelet for the ring of Innogen. The exchange of keepsakes is a pledge of trust and love between the couple upon their separation.
In Italy, Posthumus claims Innogen's faithfulness to him. A local gentleman, Giacomo, challenges Posthumus to place a bet on her fidelity. Giacomo himself plans to seduce Innogen, prove Posthumus wrong, and win the bet.
Soon after, Giacomo arrives at the British court to seduce Innogen. He finds that Innogen is quite true to her husband. However, he convinces her to look after his travel chest for him overnight. Meanwhile, the Queen, Innogen's stepmother, attempts to dissolve her stepdaughter's marriage to Posthumus. Instead, she wants her foolish son, Cloten, to wed her. Innogen rejects Cloten and gets the help of her husband’s servant, Pisanio, to keep him at bay.
Act II
Unbeknownst to Innogen, Giacomo secretly hides in the chest and reaches her bedroom. While she is asleep, Giacomo sneaks out to record the details of the room and also notes a mole under her left breast. He removes Posthumus' bracelet from Innogen's wrist. With proof of his victory, he returns to the chest without being seen. Giacomo arrives in Italy with the bracelet and information about Innogen's body and bedroom. Posthumous believes that his wife has been unfaithful. Enraged, he succumbs to Giacomo's bet.
Act III
Posthumus sends a letter with the help of his servant, Pisanio, ordering him to kill Innogen for her infidelity. The faithful Pisanio doesn't believe that Innogen is guilty of any wrongdoing, and he advises her to flee from court to Wales disguised as a boy. Once they reach Milford Haven in Wales, Pisanio abandons Innogen to seek her fate. He sends word to Posthumus that he has accomplished his task of murdering her. Posthumus is deeply hurt by the news and overcome with guilt. Meanwhile, furious at his rejection by the Princess, Prince Cloten attempts to woo her again and finds that Innogen has escaped the court. Wearing a stolen set of Posthumus' clothes, Cloten follows her to Wales.
Act IV
In Wales, Cloten meets the two young hunters, Polydore and Cadwal. Both hunters have befriended the disguised Innogen, or 'Fidele', as they know him. Cloten's arrogant nature annoys both of them, and after a fight breaks out between them, Cloten is beheaded. The young men return to their cave along with Morgan, their father, and find Fidele apparently dead. Innogen has actually taken'medicine' provided to her by the Queen, her stepmother. The Queen expected it to be a deadly poison. But the doctor who invented it had secretly substituted a sleeping draft after suspecting the Queen's ill motives.
The young men mourn for Fidele as they place Cloten’s body beside her for burial. When Innogen awakes from her drugged sleep, she finds herself lying beside a headless dead body wearing her husband's clothes. She bewails her destiny and her husband’s apparent death. In the meantime, the Roman army arrives there. Giacomo and Posthumus are two Roman soldiers, and Roman General Caius Lucius accepts the disguised Innogen as his page. The Romans immediately demanded payment of the tribute that King Cymbeline had refused to pay them earlier.
A battle ensues between both the Romans and the British, with Polydore, Cadwall, and Morgan assisting the British in overcoming the invaders. Posthumous originally disguised himself and even fought on the British side. But he changes his clothes once more to be taken prisoner with the defeated Romans. He mourns his decision to kill Innogen and seeks vengeance. In prison, he dreams of his dead parents, whose ghosts, accompanied by the god Jupiter, give him a prophetic inscription and hope that his wife may yet return.
Act V
Back at court, the Queen dies, confessing to her plots and treasons. The Romans are strongly criticised (including Innogen, Giacomo, and Posthumus), but the general Caius Lucius asks for Fidele's freedom. When Cymbeline provides Grant with the boon to Fidele, the page asks why Giacomo wears Posthumus' ring. As Giacomo confesses his deception, the Posthumous reveals himself to the court. He tells how he arranged for Innogen's death. She intervenes and later reveals herself in return (it is so fashionable to reveal hidden identities).
Once Innogen is reunited with Posthumus, Pisanio relates the story of Cloten's journey to Wales. Cymbeline is enraged when Polydor and Cadwall admit to murdering the prince. But Morgan saves them from Cymbeline's wrath by revealing that he is Cymbeline's exiled courtier, Belarius. According to his story, he had eloped with the royal nursemaid many years ago. They stole the crown from Prince Guiderius and his brother Arviragus, sons of Cymbeline. Belarius has made them believe that they are his sons, Polydore and Cadwall. The play ends with Cymbeline forgiving Belarius and making peace with Rome, with the return of the long-lost Innogen brothers and a posthumous dream interpretation.
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