Cymbeline by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online Page B

they will be captured and executed for Cloten’s death. The boys refuse, however, sensing their time finally to taste battle and prove their valor. Belarius agrees to join them.
ACT 5 SCENE 1
    Posthumus enters alone, carrying the bloody cloth sent to him by Pisanio, and in a long, tortured soliloquy, expresses deep repentance for what he has done to Innogen. He has been brought back to Britain to fight with the Romans, but resolves to doff his “Italian weeds” and dress as a British peasant to fight for his country.
ACT 5 SCENE 2
    Iachimo fights Posthumus in his peasant’s disguise, and is beaten. Posthumus leaves Iachimo on the ground, who says that guilt at slandering Innogen “enfeebles” him. In the continuing battle, some Britons beat a retreat and Cymbeline is captured, but Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus, seconded by Posthumus, come to his rescue. Lucius, with the Romans facing defeat, tells Innogen/Fidele to run.
ACT 5 SCENE 3
    Lines 1–102: Posthumus tells a British Lord, one of the deserters from the front line, about the battle. He describes how in a narrow lane, as the Romans chased the fleeing Britons, an old man and his two sons took a stand, fighting so bravely that they restored the British army’s courage. He then berates the Lord for cowardice, who leaves him. Posthumus, wanting to be captured, has changed back into his Italian garments. Having partly atoned for Innogen’s death by helping Britain win the battle, he now seeks to atone fully through self-destruction. Two British Captains enter and tell of Lucius’ capture. Seeing Posthumus, and thinking him a Roman, they take him also.
    Lines 103–306: In a British stockade, taunted by his Jailers, Posthumus speaks of his desire for death and falls asleep. While sleeping he is visited by the ghosts of his father, mother, and two brothers, who plead with the gods to intercede on the young man’s behalf. Jupiter descends amid thunder and lightning and berates the spirits for their impertinence. Nonetheless, he agrees to help Posthumus, leaving him a tablet inscribed with a prophecy telling of Jupiter’s will in the events to come. The spirits thank Jupiter, and all vanish. Posthumus awakes and sees the tablet, but is not able to interpret its meaning. A Jailer comes to fetch Posthumus to the gallows, but a Messenger intervenes, saying the prisoner has been summoned before the king.
ACT 5 SCENE 4
    Lines 1–306: Cymbeline knights Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus for their valor and service in battle, wishing that the “poor soldier” who helped them (Posthumus) could be found and likewise rewarded. Cornelius, the doctor, enters to tell Cymbeline that the Queen is dead, and that she confessed before dying that she hated Innogen, that she never loved Cymbeline, and was plotting to kill him slowly with poisons so that Cloten could become king. Cymbeline says that he was utterly deceived by her, and that her beautywas the cause. Innogen (as Fidele), Caius Lucius, the Soothsayer, Iachimo, and Posthumus (disguised as a Roman) are brought in as prisoners. Lucius begs only that his page (Innogen) be freed, to which Cymbeline agrees, taking the “boy” into his service, and offering Fidele any “boon” he can give. Innogen has seen Iachimo wearing her ring, and talks aside with Cymbeline, during which time Belarius and the two boys express amazement to each other that Fidele is alive again. Innogen questions Iachimo about the ring, and he confesses at length everything that he has done. Posthumus, revealing his own identity, comes forward to attack Iachimo, and admits remorsefully to being the cause of Innogen’s death. Innogen rushes to him but he spurns her, thinking her to be an insolent page boy intruding on his grief. Pisanio then steps forward to tell everyone that the page is in fact Innogen in disguise, and Innogen curses Pisanio for trying to poison her. Cornelius remembers that the Queen had also confessed to giving Pisanio what she