Cymbeline by Edith Nesbit (1907)
Cymbeline, King of Britain, had lost his two infant sons years before and was left with one daughter, Imogen. He raised Leonatus, son of a dear friend, alongside her, and the two secretly married. Furious, Cymbeline banished Leonatus, who went to Rome to lodge with an old friend of his father's. There, when a Frenchman recalled Leonatus's boasts of Imogen's constancy, the Italian Iachimo wagered half his estate against Leonatus's ring that he could seduce her. In Britain, Iachimo failed to win Imogen with lies about her husband, then tricked her into keeping a trunk of "jewels" overnight. Hidden inside, he stole her bracelet while she slept and noted details of her room. Back in Rome, his false proof convinced Leonatus, who surrendered the ring and sent orders to his servant Pisanio to murder Imogen, while writing Imogen herself to meet him at Milford Haven. Pisanio refused to kill her, revealed the plot, and helped her disguise herself as a boy to travel on; he also gave her a drink from the wicked Queen, who had supplied it hoping it was poison, though it was only a sleeping-draught. Wandering, Imogen found a cave belonging to old Bellarius and his two foster sons, who welcomed her as a brother. Later, feeling ill, she took the draught and was found seemingly dead; Bellarius and the boys mourned her with songs and flowers before leaving her body in the wood. She revived, wandered on, and met Lucius, the Roman general whose forces were invading Britain, and became his page. Leonatus, repentant, returned to fight for Britain disguised as a peasant. In the battle, Bellarius, his two foster sons, and Leonatus rescued the captured King Cymbeline, helping Britain win. Among the prisoners brought before Cymbeline were Lucius with his page (Imogen), Iachimo, and Leonatus in Roman uniform, seeking death out of guilt. Lucius pleaded for his page's life; Cymbeline, strangely drawn to the boy, granted him any boon. Imogen asked how Iachimo had gotten his ring, forcing his confession. Leonatus broke down in grief and recognition, Imogen revealed herself, and husband and wife were reunited. Bellarius then confessed he was Cymbeline's wronged former servant who had stolen the two princes in revenge, and produced them as the foster sons. The wicked Queen died of her own poisons, and Cymbeline, restored to all three children, lived to a happy old age.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1907 · Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure · 2,450 words
First lines
Cymbeline was the King of Britain. He had three children. The two sons were stolen away from him when they were quite little children, and he was left with only one daughter, Imogen. The King married a second time, and brought up Leonatus, the son of a dear friend, as Imogen's playfellow; and when Leonatus was old enough, Imogen secretly married him. This made the King and Queen very angry, and the King, to punish Leonatus, banished him from Britain.
Similar titles
- Cymbeline by Charles Lamb
- The Two Gentlemen Of Verona by Charles Lamb
- The Two Gentlemen Of Verona by William Shakespeare
- Ill Not Let You Go by Charlotte Maria Tucker
- Mcalister by Sabine Baring Gould
- Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy
Genres
- Romance — The narrative centers entirely on Imogen and Leonatus's love, their separation, the testing of their fidelity through Iachimo's deception, and their emotional reunion as the climactic resolution.
- Fantasy — The story incorporates magical elements including a sleeping draught mistaken for death, implausible coincidences enabling the resolution, and fairy-tale structure with supernatural-seeming interventions.
- Adventure — Imogen's journey in boy's disguise, her travels to distant locations, survival in a cave, service as a page to a Roman general, and participation in battle constitute adventure narratives with physical peril and exploration.
- Drama — The work features intense dramatic tension through betrayal, false accusations of infidelity, a murder plot against the heroine, emotional confrontations, tragic misunderstandings, and climactic revelations.
Tags
ancient Britain · Rome · legendary · lost children · family separation · family reunion · constancy · wager · deception · betrayal · disguise · cross-dressing
What this Textopian page supports
Cymbeline is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1907 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Children's Literature
- Length: 2,450 words
- Structure: 1 section, 49 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Cymbeline by Edith Nesbit
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