320
C
ymbeline is one of the
strangest of Shakespeare’s
plays. This darkly romantic
tale tells the story of the misguided
king of ancient Britain, Cymbeline,
whose misjudgment loses him two
sons and his remarkable daughter
Innogen, before, in the end, all is
restored. The plot is so convoluted
that commentators have ridiculed
it as a mess, although now most
critics acknowledge that on stage
it is a captivating masterpiece.
The play is based, in part, on the
historical king Cunobelinus, who
ruled over southern England at
around the time Jesus was born.
Shakespeare found the story of
Cunobelinus in Holinshed’s famous
Chronicles, where he is known as
Kymbeline. However, the story
Shakespeare weaves in his play
Cymbeline is almost entirely
divorced from any historical truth.
Indeed, Shakespeare seems
completely unconcerned with any
historical consistency. When the
hero Posthumus is banished fromCYMBELINE
ancient Britain, for instance, he
ends up in Rome at the time of the
Renaissance. There, Posthumus’s
companions, who have Italian
names like Filario and Giacomo,
talk anachronistically of France
and England. And when the Roman
general Lucius lands with his army
in Britain, he lands in Milford
Haven, the port in west Wales where
Henry Tudor landed in 1485 to claim
the throne of England as Henry VII.
The British court physician is
named Doctor Cornelius, which calls
to mind the famous 15th-century
German magician Cornelius
Agrippa, while the Latin name
Posthumus is an odd one for an
ancient Briton, or for anyone.Patchwork of influences
This apparent mishmash is surely
not carelessness on the part of
Shakespeare but a deliberate act of
association to create a play that has
both contemporary relevance and
mythical power. It is part fairy
tale—with a wicked stepmother,
lost princes living in a cave, and a
sleeping beauty—and part tragedy.
Shakespeare brings in a variety
of elements from his earlier plays.
When Posthumus, fooled by the lies
of Giacomo, becomes disastrously
jealous of Innogen, it recalls Othello’s
murderous jealousy of Desdemona
fueled by Iago. And Innogen’sIN CONTEXT
THEMES
Jealousy, deception,
suffering, hope, love,
redemptionSETTING
Cymbeline’s court in
ancient Britain, Rome, a
cave, and later, Milford
Haven in WalesSOURCES
1353 The wager plot in
Bocaccio’s Decameron.1587 Basic historical
background is taken from
Holinshed’s Chronicles.LEGACY
1610 It is possible that the
first performances take place
at the indoor Blackfriars
Theatre, London.1611 The first recorded
performance takes place.1634 A performance for
Charles I is staged on New
Year’s Day in Whitehall Palace.1770 American actress
Nancy Hallam makes a
famous Innogen.
1837–67 Popular actress
Helen Faucit plays Innogen
as a paragon of calm virtue.1896 Ellen Terry’s portrayal
of Innogen is of a more
forthright woman.1988 Three major productions
in the UK, including Peter
Hall’s at the National Theatre,
confirm Cymbeline’s place
as a great play.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.
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers,
come to dust.
Guiderius
Act 4, Scene 2Pardon’s the word to all.
Cymbeline
Act 5, Scene 6