Cymbeline Act Five –“Hang there like fruit my soul, till the tree die.”

Cymbeline Act Five –“Hang there like fruit my soul, till the tree die.”

‘Cymberline’ is a magnificent play with some great verse, well-developed characters and an intricate plot. But many consider Shakespeare’s use of spirits and the God Jupiter in Act Five of ‘Cymberline’ is reason enough to consider this not a Shakespeare play. Some consider the sequence where Posthumus is visited in gaol by his dead parents and Jupiter as forced, clumsy and absurd. But re-reading this play and this scene makes me think about it what the function of doing this scene in this way was for Shakespeare in his day.

Firstly, Shakespeare was an innovator and he liked to use contemporary events and discoveries in his plays. The 1610 discovery by Galileo (using the new invention of a telescope) of three and then the fourth moon of Jupiter was written about by Galileo in his popular work ‘Siderius Nuncius’. It is possible that Shakespeare read this work or at least that he had heard about this discovery and was interested in it. In this sense, it is not unlikely that Shakespeare wanted to put the figure of Jupiter and some allegorical reference to its moons in a play around this time. Secondly, Shakespeare’s plays are influenced by the both the actors he was writing for and the theatre and conventions he was playing with. The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 from the timber of The Theatre. It had served Shakespeare and his company well with its apron or thrust stage, it’s 3,000 person capacity, its tiered audience area, its trapdoor, its balcony and its false ceiling under the roof. But when Inigo Jones hit the scene with the designs he did for Ben Jonson (for plays such as ‘Oberon, the Faery Prince’) and for masque balls and his creation of proscenium arches for performances in the houses of the upper classes, Shakespeare knew that The Globe Theatre needed to be innovative in its use of conventions. It is likely that an elaborate set of pulleys, the use of the trapdoor, the use of smoke and some form of pyrotechnic effects (they had gunpowder and other elements to use) along with ‘music of the spheres’ were used in the first production of ‘Cymberline’ in Act Five. Just as we as modern audiences expect some spectacle with the latest play or musical, Shakespeare’s audience probably expected the same of him and the Globe Theatre. It may be that what some modern readers and audiences find problematic and even forced, clumsy and absurd in these parts of ‘Cymberline’ are in fact linked to conventions that we don’t quite understand or don’t quite understand the context in which Shakespeare was doing this.

Act Five of ‘Cymberline’ starts with Posthumus’s return to Britain with the Roman army. He has heard that Imogen is dead and he has been given a handkerchief from Pisanio which belonged to the now thought dead Imogen. Posthumus is grief-stricken and castes off his Roman clothes and puts on the clothes of a British peasant and decides he will fight on the British side against the Romans.

“Yea, bloody cloth, I'll keep thee, for I wish'd

Thou shouldst be colour'd thus. You married ones,

If each of you should take this course, how many

Must murder wives much better than themselves

For wrying but a little! O Pisanio!

Every good servant does not all commands:

No bond but to do just ones. Gods! if you

Should have ta'en vengeance on my faults, I never

Had lived to put on this: so had you saved

The noble Imogen to repent, and struck

Me, wretch more worth your vengeance. But, alack,

You snatch some hence for little faults; that's love,

To have them fall no more: you some permit

To second ills with ills, each elder worse,

And make them dread it, to the doers' thrift.

But Imogen is your own: do your best wills,

And make me blest to obey! I am brought hither

Among the Italian gentry, and to fight

Against my lady's kingdom: 'tis enough

That, Britain, I have kill'd thy mistress; peace!

I'll give no wound to thee. Therefore, good heavens,

Hear patiently my purpose: I'll disrobe me

Of these Italian weeds and suit myself

As does a Briton peasant: so I'll fight

Against the part I come with; so I'll die

For thee, O Imogen, even for whom my life

Is every breath a death; and thus, unknown,

Pitied nor hated, to the face of peril

Myself I'll dedicate. Let me make men know

More valour in me than my habits show.

Gods, put the strength o' the Leonati in me!

To shame the guise o' the world, I will begin

The fashion, less without and more within.”

The battle between the Romans and the Britons begins. Iachimo duels with Posthumus who is disguised as a British peasant. Iachimo feels guilty and remorseful for his false accusation of Imogen.

“The heaviness and guilt within my bosom

Takes off my manhood: I have belied a lady,

The princess of this country, and the air on't

Revengingly enfeebles me; or could this carl,

A very drudge of nature's, have subdued me

In my profession? Knighthoods and honours, borne

As I wear mine, are titles but of scorn.

If that thy gentry, Britain, go before

This lout as he exceeds our lords, the odds

Is that we scarce are men and you are gods.”

The British seem to be loosing the battle until the unexpected arrival of Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. They along with Posthumus (disguised as a peasant) save Cymbeline from being captured by the Romans. The Romans are defeated, Caius Lucius is taken prisoner. Posthumus, thinking that he deserves the punishment of death for what he did to Imogen, changes back into Roman clothes and allows himself to be captured, claiming he is a Roman (even though he fought with the Britons). Posthumus is put in a stockade and when he falls asleep, he is visited by his ancestors and then Jupiter himself descends:

“No more, you petty spirits of region low,

Offend our hearing; hush! How dare you ghosts

Accuse the thunderer, whose bolt, you know,

Sky-planted batters all rebelling coasts?

Poor shadows of Elysium, hence, and rest

Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:

Be not with mortal accidents opprest;

No care of yours it is; you know 'tis ours.

Whom best I love I cross; to make my gift,

The more delay'd, delighted. Be content;

Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift:

His comforts thrive, his trials well are spent.

Our Jovial star reign'd at his birth, and in

Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade.

He shall be lord of lady Imogen,

And happier much by his affliction made.

This tablet lay upon his breast, wherein

Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine:

and so, away: no further with your din

Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.

Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.”

Posthumus wakes up, finding an oracle in writing beside him which reads:
'When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown,

without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of

tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be

lopped branches, which, being dead many years,

shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock and

freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries,

Britain be fortunate and flourish in peace and plenty.'

The gaoler arrives to lead Posthumus to his death but death is avoided when a messenger enters saying that Cymberline wishes to see the prisoner.

Cymbeline enters with Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus. Cymberline wants to reward them for their valour along with the other peasant (Posthumus in disguise)who saved him but who seems to have disappeared. Then Cornelius enters and announces that the Queen has succumbed to her fever and died. On her deathbed she confessed that she only loved Cymberline for his title and riches and that she was planning to use poison to kill him slowly so that her now dead son Cloten would become king. Cymberline is shocked and says that it was the Queen’s beauty that allowed him to be deceived for so long.

Guards bring in the Roman prisoners, Caius Lucius, Iachimo, Imogen (still dressed as a boy and known as Fidele) and Posthumus. Caius Lucius asks for mercy for his servant Fidele (Imogen) who is a Briton. Fidele (Imogen) is then brought before Cymberline (her father). He grants freedom to Fidele (Imogen), and says he will grant her whatever he (she) wants. Fidele (Imogen) asks for a private word. They quickly come back and Iachimo is asked to step forward. Fidle (Imogen) asks Iachimo where he got his ring from. We already know that it is the ring that Imogen gave Posthumus. Iachimo, confesses all including his deception to gain access to Imogen’s bedchamber. Posthumus is angry and attempts to attack Iachimo, but knocks Fidele down. Pisanio goes to the Fidele and reveals Fidele is in fact Imogen. Cymberline and Posthumus are overjoyed. Imogen awakens and tries to push Pisanio away since she thinks he tried to poison her but it is revealed that the Queen gave him the potion and told him was medicine. The doctor, Cornelius, says he gave this potion to the Queen for another purpose but not trusting her, made a compound that gave the semblance of death but in fact put the taker to sleep.

Then the whole story of Imogen’s coming to the cave and how it looked like she was dead is revealed. The death of Cloten is also told and Cymberline condemns Guiderius to death for killing a prince. Then Belarius reveals how his sons are in fact the sons of Cymberline.

“ I am too blunt and saucy: here's my knee:

Ere I arise, I will prefer my sons;

Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir,

These two young gentlemen, that call me father

And think they are my sons, are none of mine;

They are the issue of your loins, my liege,

And blood of your begetting…

I, old Morgan,

Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd:

Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment

Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd

Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes--

For such and so they are--these twenty years

Have I train'd up: those arts they have as I

Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, as

Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,

Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children

Upon my banishment: I moved her to't,

Having received the punishment before,

For that which I did then: beaten for loyalty

Excited me to treason: their dear loss,

The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shaped

Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir,

Here are your sons again; and I must lose

Two of the sweet'st companions in the world.

The benediction of these covering heavens

Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy

To inlay heaven with stars.”

Cymbeline is joyful to see his sons and forgives Guiderius and also Belarius. Iachimo asks for Posthumus to kill him for what he has done but Posthumus pardons him. A Soothsayer (who has been hanging around with Caius Lucius) interprets Posthumus’s prophecy as predicting the return of Cymberline’s sons and the reunion of Imogen and Posthumus. Cymberline makes many final announcements including announcing he will free all the Roman prisoners and start to pay again a tribute to Rome. He encourages them all to celebrate and to honour the god Jupiter who has brought them such happiness and peace:

“My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius,

Although the victor, we submit to Caesar,

And to the Roman empire; promising

To pay our wonted tribute, from the which

We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;

Whom heavens, in justice, both on her and hers,

Have laid most heavy hand…

Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils

From our blest altars. Publish we this peace

To all our subjects. Set we forward: let

A Roman and a British ensign wave

Friendly together: so through Lud's-town march:

And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.

Set on there! Never was a war did cease,

Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace.”

Shakespeare returns to battle with storms of the inner and outer world of Prospero in 'The Tempest'.