The secret marriage of a king's daughter sets off a chain reaction of slander, jealousy, and divine intervention in this fairy tale-like romance. Shakespeare based his play on myths of an early Celtic king of Britain, incorporating historical elements from classical Rome and Renaissance Italy. With a cast that includes an evil stepmother, scheming suitor, and devoted lovers, the drama is heightened by duels, kidnappings, and disguised identities.
Cymbeline offers captivating storytelling that's crowned by the beauty of its language. Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett, and countless others have quoted Act IV's funeral song: "Fear no more the heat o' th' sun/Nor the furious winter's rages;/Thou thy worldly task hast done,/Home art gone and ta'en thy wages." A moving story of loss and recovery, Shakespeare's drama promises that a leap of faith can lead to miracles.