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Enter POSTHUMUS, with a bloody
handkerchief
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
|
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. |
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[Exit] |
Enter, from one side, LUCIUS,
IACHIMO, and
the Roman Army: from the other side, the
British Army; POSTHUMUS LEONATUS following,
like a poor soldier. They march over and go
out. Then enter again, in skirmish, IACHIMO
and POSTHUMUS LEONATUS he vanquisheth and disarmeth
IACHIMO, and then leaves him
| IACHIMO
|
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. |
| |
[Exit] |
| |
[The battle continues; the Britons fly; CYMBELINE is
taken: then enter, to his rescue, BELARIUS,
GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS] |
| BELARIUS
|
Stand, stand! We have the advantage of the ground;
The lane is guarded: nothing routs us but
The villany of our fears. |
GUIDERIUS
ARVIRAGUS |
|
| Stand, stand, and fight!
| |
| |
[Re-enter POSTHUMUS LEONATUS, and seconds the
Britons: they rescue CYMBELINE, and exeunt. Then
re-enter LUCIUS, and IACHIMO, with IMOGEN] |
| CAIUS LUCIUS
|
Away, boy, from the troops, and save thyself;
For friends kill friends, and the disorder's such
As war were hoodwink'd. |
| IACHIMO
|
'Tis their fresh supplies.
|
| CAIUS LUCIUS
|
It is a day turn'd strangely: or betimes
Let's reinforce, or fly. |
| |
[Exeunt] |
To view other scenes
from the show:
|
Full Text |
Act III, Scene 2 Another room in the palace. |
|
Act I, Scene 1 Britain. The garden of
Cymbeline's palace. |
Act III, Scene 3
Wales. a mountainous country with a a cave. |
|
Act I, Scene 2 The same. A public Place |
Act III, Scene 4 Country near Milford Haven |
|
Act I, Scene 3 A room in Cymbeline's palace. |
Act III, Scene 5 A room in Cymbeline's palace |
|
Act I, Scene 4 Rome. Philario's house. |
Act III, Scene 6 Wales Before the cave of
Belarius./Act III, Scene 7 Rome A public place. |
|
Act I, Scene 5 Britain. A room in Cymbeline's
palace. |
Act IV, Scene 1 Wales: near the cave of
Belarius./Act IV, Scene 2 Before the cave of Belarius |
|
Act I, Scene 6 The same. Another room in the
palace. |
Act IV, Scene 3 A
room in Cymbeline's palace. |
|
Act II, Scene 1 Britain. Before Cymbeline's
palace. |
Act IV, Scene 4
Wales: before the cave of Belarius. |
|
Act II, Scene 2 Imogen's bedchamber in
Cymbeline's palace. |
Act V, Scene 1
Britain. The Roman camp./Act V, Scene 2 Field of battle between the
British and Roman camps. |
|
Act II, Scene 3 An ante-chamber adjoining
Imogen's apartments. |
Act V, Scene 3
Another part of the field. |
|
Act II, Scene 4 Rome. Philario's house./Act II, Scene 5 Another room in Philario's
house. |
Act V, Scene 4 A
British prison. |
|
Act III, Scene 1 A hall in Cymbeline's house |
Act V, Scene 5
Cymbeline's tent. |
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Cymbeline sections:
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