Cymbeline, King of Britain Themes

Remember when Posthumus and Imogen proclaim their love for one another in the beginning of the play? Everything is candy hearts and flowers: they're madly, head-over-heels, rom-com in love with one...

Call the fire department, because everyone's pants are on fire in Cymbeline. Iachimo lies to Posthumus about hooking up with his wife. The Queen tricks Cymbeline into believing that she loves him a...

Social class was a big deal in Shakespeare's England, and Cymbeline is totally reflective of that. Take Posthumus: the main argument against him getting together with Imogen is that he doesn't come...

Hardly a scene goes by without someone reminding us of death: Imogen might as well launch into singing Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Cruel World." Posthumus orders Pisanio to kill her for her (fake) infide...

How do you manage to forgive a person who has ruined your life? Shmoop's answer: we don't know. It's a tricky question, but it's one that Cymbeline asks again and again. Cymbeline is faced with his...

In Cymbeline, there's only one way to deal with suffering: endure it. That's doesn't mean the characters in this play are always up to the task: they may put up with the suffering, but they also we...

Women: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. That's the philosophy of a lot of the guys in Cymbeline (we're looking at you, Posthumus and Iachimo). But underneath the jokes and bets about wo...

Bring out the Union Jacks, because this play is patriotic. … Or is it? As is often the case with Shakespearean plays that deal in some way with fair England and her politics, it's very heard to t...