CONTENT NOTE: We intend our productions in the parks to be family-friendly and stage them with this in the mind. This summer, we are treating CYMBELINE as a sweeping fairy tale with many of the same plot devices and themes as other well-known fairy tales. Nevertheless, as with many Shakespeare plays, CYMBELINE contains adult themes including adultery, misogyny, and violence (sword fighting and an offstage beheading).

The following synopsis provides more context (as well as spoilers!) for those who want to know more about the play before attending a performance.

Once Upon a Time…

Once upon a time, King Cymbeline married a scheming Queen and promised his daughter Imogen’s hand in marriage to the Queen’s foolish son Cloten.

In secret, Imogen instead marries the noble but orphaned (and therefore “unworthy”) Posthumus Leonatus. In response to this disobedience, King Cymbeline banishes Posthumus from Britain. Posthumus gives Imogen a bracelet and she gives him a diamond ring before he departs.

Posthumus travels to Italy where he meets Iachimo, an Italian who baits him into making a wager for the diamond ring; Iachimo boasts that he can seduce Imogen, and if he succeeds then the diamond will be his. He travels to Britain and makes his attempt, but Imogen rebuffs him. Not deterred, he concocts a scheme to hide in a traveling trunk to sneak into her bedchamber at night, observing details about her room and her body, as well as stealing the bracelet off her wrist. He returns to Italy with this “evidence” of his success, and Posthumus believes him.

Caius Lucius, a Roman ambassador, visits Cymbeline to collect the overdue payments that Britain owes to the Roman Caesar. Britain refuses to pay tribute, and Caius warns the Roman army will wage war.

In a jealous despair, Posthumus writes to his loyal servant Pisanio back in Britain, ordering Pisanio to kill Imogen for her infidelity. Pisanio remains true to Imogen, knowing that Posthumus is mistaken. Instead, Pisanio helps Imogen escape to Wales disguised as a boy for safety.

Along the journey, Imogen, now disguised as Fidele, stumbles across a mountain cave that is home to Morgan and his sons Polidor and Cadwall. The sons immediately feel a kinship with Fidele, though they know not why. In an aside, Morgan tells the audience that he is actually named Belarius. Twenty years ago, he was wrongfully banished for treason, and in revenge he kidnapped the King’s two young sons. Polidor is actually named Guiderius and Cadwall is actually named Arviragus; they do not know that they are Cymbeline’s sons and Fidele’s real brothers.

Cloten, given incomplete information from Pisanio and wearing stolen clothing that belonged to Posthumus, pursues Imogen to capture her and bring her back to the British court to be married. Before he can find her, he runs into Polidor and Cadwall instead. They fight and Polidor beheads Cloten.

Fidele drinks a potion believing it to be medicinal, but it causes a sleep that mimics death instead. Polidor, Cadwall, and Morgan bury Fidele and Cloten’s headless body next to each other. Imogen awakens alone next to a beheaded body wearing Posthumus’s clothing and believes that Posthumus is dead.

Caius Lucius and his Roman soldiers arrive in Britain as they prepare for war, and stumble on the recently awoken Fidele. Caius takes Fidele under his wing, and Imogen disguised as Fidele joins the Roman Army as a page serving Caius Lucius.

A battle ensues between the Romans and the British. Amongst them, Posthumus arrives with the Roman Army from Italy. Believing that Pisanio has carried out his orders and that Imogen is dead, he feels intense guilt and changes his army uniform to fight for the British instead. During the battle, Polidor, Cadwall, Morgan, and Posthumus save King Cymbeline from Roman capture and help win the war. Posthumus changes back into his Roman attire so that he will be captured with the other defeated Roman soldiers; in his guilt and despair over Imogen, he hopes he will be put to death with the other prisoners of war.

In the end, mistaken identities are revealed, and lost siblings are reunited. The evil Queen dies and Iachimo repents. Imogen and Posthumus return to each other, and Cymbeline declares a peace with Rome. They all live happily ever after.