Imogen: The Story Of Shakespeare's Cymbeline

By J. Aldric Gaudet

Set in pre-Roman Britain, the story begins when a king’s daughter goes against her father’s wishes and marries a lowborn gentleman instead of her oafish step-brother. The angry king banishes the husband from Britain so the marriage can be annulled.

While the husband waits in Rome he is drawn into a heated discussion in defence of her honour and accepts a wager made against her fidelity.

Shown false proof by the cheat, the despairing husband sends orders to his servant in Britain to murder princess Imogen for being unfaithful.

The servant, knowing her innocence, provides a disguise for her to masquerade as a boy page and travel to Wales where she can hitch a ride to Rome.

Meanwhile the step-oaf forces the servant to reveal Imogen's destination and he races after her, determined to ravage and humiliate her, then drag her back to court.

What none of them count on is that actions taken years previously interfere with their plans.

Like a Roman invasion of Britain by way of Wales.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257535989

Book preview

Imogen: The Story Of Shakespeare's Cymbeline

IMOGEN

William Shakespeare

Edited by

J. Aldric Gaudet

C:\Users\Joe\_XFER my Documents\__JAG Projects\Shakespeare plays\CYMBERLINE\title merge-page.jpg

Copyright © 2016 by J. Aldric Gaudet

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of J. Aldric Gaudet, except in the case of quotations embodied in reviews or use as an actor’s audition monologue.

ISBN 978-1-257-53598-9

Cover art: Evan Korn

Dedicated

to

Candace

always

from the editor . . .

The Tragedie of Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s worst received plays according to critics and commentators alike.

Lytton Strachey found it, difficult to resist the conclusion that he [Shakespeare] was getting bored himself. Bored with people, bored with real life, bored with drama, bored, in fact, with everything except poetry and poetical dreams.

Samuel Johnson wrote, This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expense of much incongruity.

Harold Bloom held a more generous view, "Cymbeline, in my judgment, is partly a Shakespearean self parody; many of his prior plays and characters are mocked by it."

While George Bernard Shaw thought it was . . . for the most part stagy trash of the lowest melodramatic order. He was so incensed that he published a new last act for it called Cymbeline Refinished.

Alfred J. Wyatt took an entirely different point of view, "Probably no play of Shakespeare's is generally appreciated so far below its real merits as Cymbeline. This is partly due to the fact that it yields its gold only to the earnest miner, not to the mere scraper of the surface. That gold is, firstly, the charming sylvan picture of the royal rustics Guiderius and Arviragus; secondly, a denouement of unsurpassed interest in the unraveling of a most intricate plot; lastly, the most fully drawn portrait of a lady in the whole gallery of Shakespeare's women, his ideal of womanhood, the peerless Imogen."

Was it the work of a bored playwright at the end of his talents, or that of a skilled wordsmith playing with form and style? You are invited to read further and make your own judgement.

PREFACE

Imogen takes a fresh look at the story of Cymbeline as presented in 1609, written in language adjusted for 400 years of discovery, commerce, industry and invention which have influenced the words we use and the way we use them.

There is no denying the cleverness of Shakespeare’s language skills, yet it is that very clever use of archaic words, unfamiliar phrases and outdated references that make it difficult to comprehend on first exposure and requires serious study before there is true understanding.

Referencing the most prestigious scholars of Shakespeare and Early Modern English, I removed the stumbling blocks for today’s reader – the ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s, the theatrical ‘in’ jokes, the local sayings – while doing my best to preserve the magnificent imagery and imaginative language underpinning it all.

I added minimalistic prose descriptions of actions and attitudes where necessary, however the primary purpose was to focus on the rich texture of the words spoken.

J. Aldric Gaudet - February, 2016

INTRODUCTION

This is a story of lies. Harmless lies and vicious lies. Helpful lies and malicious lies. Even the honest heroine becomes a liar by taking on a false identity.

However, this is not a mystery story where we have to work out who is lying. Every character who lies is almost immediately revealed to be lying.

And the lies begin right from the top when we learn that the whole court is lying, that everyone is glad Princess Imogen married Posthumus because they despise Cloten, yet they all walk around in pretend sadness to reflect the King’s mood.

As soon as we meet the Queen she reveals that she lies to the King all the time.

The well intentioned Doctor lies about the drugs he gives the Queen. A lie that saves lives because the Queen lied about what she wanted to use the drugs for.

The biggest lie of all is the one Jachimo tells about Imogen which is the Slander that drives most of the action.

Even a letter lies, and twice serves to alter the fate of its reader.

Imogen’s traveling in disguise begins as a small lie to escape the palace and grows into a gender lie when she learns that the letter which started her happy journey was a lie.

Imogen is even lied to by people giving her directions and ponders the difference between a poor man’s lie and a rich one’s.

As soon as we meet Morgan we learn he has raised his sons on a huge lie that resulted from lies told against him.

The faithful servant Pisanio lies to do good. He lies about the blood on his handkerchief. He lies to the Queen about helping her. He lies to Cloten about serving him and gives him the lying letter. And he lies to the King, denying all knowledge of Imogen’s movements.

On the battlefield Posthumus lies about who he is and who he fights for.

These lies are set in Britain and Rome in 16 AD.

Even that is a lie because Augustus Caesar was two years dead by then.

In the end all the lies get sorted, as truths are unpicked thread by thread. And because they are known to be lies every emotional moment comes tinged with irony.

Act 1 Scene 1

The tapestry of lies begin in Lud’s Town, Britain, 16 AD, at the palace court of King Cymbeline where everyone goes about their tasks with serious faces, reflecting the mood of the King, despite being joyful about the cause of his frowns.

The King had promised his daughter, and heir of his kingdom, to the son of his second wife, a widow he married late, but instead the Princess married a poor but worthy gentleman for love.

The reason no one in the court are sad despite their outward scowls is that the thwarted suitor, Cloten, is an oafish lout while the husband, Posthumus, is greatly loved by all and held as a model of the best qualities.

His father fought for King Cassibelan against the Romans and was given titles for serving with glory, gaining the surname Leonatus. When his two sons fell in battle, he died of sorrow for their loss while his noble lady died in childbirth.

King Cymbeline took the orphaned babe under his protection, named him Posthumus Leonatus, and brought him up in the palace. He was exposed to all the knowledge of his time, which he took in as fast as it was administered and in his young manhood it began to harvest.

He lived in the court most praised, most loved, an example to the youngest. To the more mature, a mirror that flattered them. And to the solemn, a child to guide dotards.

As for his wife, the Princess, for whom he is banished. Her great sacrifice proclaims how much she values him. And his virtues can be truly read by her decision. She will inherit the crown because her two brothers were stolen from their nursery twenty years ago and never heard from again.

The story begins moments after the King has sentenced Posthumus to banishment, put Imogen under house arrest, and ordered them never to speak together.

Act 1 Scene 2

Posthumus and Imogen sneak into the palace garden to say their last farewells.

Before they do more than press their lips together, the Queen, Genvissa, comes into the garden and finds them. They break their embrace and face her.

Genvissa is quick to soothe Imogen, Be assured, daughter, you won’t find me, after the slander of most stepmothers, evil-eyed against you. You are my prisoner, but your jailer shall give you the keys to your restraints.

She turns to Posthumus, For you, Posthumus, until I can win over the offended King, I will be known as your advocate. The fire of rage is still in him, and it is good you accepted his sentence with patience.

If it please your highness, I will leave today, Posthumus says.

You know the risk, Genvissa says. I’ll take a turn about the garden, in pity for the pangs of barred affections, even though the King has ordered you not to speak together.

She strolls away.

Imogen seethes silently until the Queen is out of earshot, then cries out in exasperation, Oh deceitful courtesy! How sharp this tyrant tickles where she wounds? My dearest husband, I fear my father’s anger, but not – as long as I perform my royal duties – what his rage can do to me. You must go. I shall endure the hourly glare of angry eyes, no other comfort than the knowledge there is this jewel in the world that I may see again.

She crumbles into tears.

Posthumus pleads with her, Oh my lady, weep no more, or I will give cause to be suspected of more tenderness than suits a man. I will remain the loyalist husband that ever pledged marriage vows. I’m staying in Rome at one Philario’s. He was a friend to my father, known to me only by letters. Write to me there, my queen, and with my eyes, I’ll drink the words you send, even if ink were made of gall.

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