How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)
Quote #4
SECOND LORD
Alas, poor princess,
Thou divine Imogen, what thou endur'st,
Betwixt a father by thy stepdame governed,
A mother hourly coining plots, a wooer
More hateful than the foul expulsion is
Of thy dear husband, than that horrid act
Of the divorce he'd make! (2.1.56-62)
Give it up for the minor characters: the two lords have a lot of say about how ridiculous Cloten is. They help us understand these characters, and they make us have more sympathy for Imogen. It seems that everyone can see how bad she has it except for Cymbeline himself. Why are the lords able to see through things, while characters directly involved with the plot have a hard time understanding what's actually going on?
Quote #5
POSTHUMUS
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
Kills me to look on 't. Let there be no honor
Where there is beauty, truth where semblance, love
Where there's another man. (2.4.136-139)
Okay, okay. For the sake of fairness, we also have to think about Posthumus's side of things. Sure, he creates a lot of heartache for our main gal, but he also thinks she's been unfaithful. Does that excuse him when he orders her killed? Uhh, we don't think so. But it does mean he's hurting about the whole Iachimo trick, and hurting hard.
Quote #6
BELARIUS
The fear's as bad as falling; the toil o' the war,
A pain that only seems to seek out danger
I' the name of fame and honor, which dies i' th' search (3.3.54-56)
Telling his sons about the dangers of the city, Belarius sheds some light on why he left in the first place. It turns out he was wronged, too, and that the city is full of falseness and dishonesty. Why are things like this in the city but not in the country? What makes city people—or the people at Cymbeline's court—so dishonest?