Cymbeline: A royal marriage of convenience
 Once
again, Shakespeare reveals the frailties of women in a mix-up of a royal
marriage. Cymbaline, the King of Britain takes unto himself a second
wife who too has been married before to someone that Shakespeare has not
named. This queen is a vicious woman whose sole ambition is to get her
son Cloten, by her previous marriage wedded to the King's daughter (by
his previous queen) Imogen. The play revolves around this plot,
stretching over boundaries until it is resolved at the end.
Written in 1609, Cymbeline is a semi-tragedy though meant to be a
romance. A father cruel, stepmother ambitious, a suitor foolish coils
around in intricacy that mingles the essence of a fairy-tale of Snow
White and the Renaissance.
I presume, when Shakespeare sat down to write Cymbaline, he may not
have had the plot already in hand except for the King and Queen, their
children born separately (Imogen and Cloten) and a marriage of
convenience. But as he wrote, his characters emerged and they were sent
helter skelter and in a rare turn of events, brought together at the
end.
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Cymbeline Act. IV, Scene III |
Imogen marries against her father's wishes. The gentleman she marries
is Posthumous Leonatus who is banished by the King but before he
departs, he gives Imogen a bracelet. While in Rome, Iachimo boasts to
the angry Posthumous that Imogen is corruptible and later in Britain,
arranges to be secretly smuggled in a trunk to Imogen's bedroom chamber
and when she is asleep, steals her bracelet.
Iachimo 'The roof ever the chambers
With golden cherubins is fretted... her andirons
I had forget them..... were two winking cupids
Of silver each, one on one foot, standing nicely
Depending on their brands
Posthumous 'This is her honour
Let it be granted you have seen all these, and praise
Be given to your remembrance: the description
Of what is in her chamber nothing saves
The wager you have laid
Iachimo 'Then if you can (shows the bracelet)
Be pale, I beg but leave to air this jewel, see
And now 'this up again. It must be married
And that your diamond, I'll keep them'.......
Act. 11 Scene III
Posthumus persuaded by Iachimo, vows revenge on Imogen. Writing to
her, Posthumus requests her to meet him at Milford Haven and orders his
faithful servant, Pisanio to kill her on the journey. Pisanio is also
faithful to Imogen and tells the bewildered Imogen everything and
requests her to disguise herself as a boy and seek the invading Roman
General. In the meantime Rome demands from Britain tribute that the king
refuses.
Imogen loses herself in Wales and is sheltered under the name of
Fidel b y a long-banished Lord, Belarius who calls himself Morgan along
with two youths who really are the sons of the king stolen in childhood.
(and Imogen's brothers too) They had been brought up in a mountain cave
by Morgan. Feeling sick, Imogen (Fidel) takes a sleeping drug that gives
the appearance of death.
Wearing some clothes of Posthumus, Cloten has followed her with evil
intent but one of the youths, confronts and kills him.
Guiderius - 'Where's my brother?
I have sent Cloten's clotpoll down the stream,
In embassy to his mother; his body's hostage
For his return...
Act. IV Scenell
When Morgan and the youths return, they find 'Fidel' apparently dead.
When she wakes and finds Cloten's headless body and thinking it to be
her husband's, she grieves. Imogen/Fidel makes up her mind to join the
Roman General whose forces are ready to attack Cymbaline. But the
courage and determination of Morgan (Belarius) win the battle for
Britain.
Lord - 'This was strane chance
A narrow lane, an old man and two boys
Posthumus - 'Nay, do not wonder at it. You are made
Rather to wonder at the things you hear
Than to work any, Will you rhyme upon
And vent it for the mock'ry. Here is one
Two boys and an old man and a lane
Preserved the Britons was the Roman's bane'... |
