Will anybody challenge a stranger to test his wife’s fidelity? Shakespeare’s Cymbeline follows the story of a man who foolishly places a bet over his wife’s faithfulness and suffers a great deal over it. The play deals with the themes of innocence and jealousy.
Cymbeline was the King of Britain whose wife had an arrogant illegitimate son called Cloten. Cymbeline arranged the marriage of his beautiful daughter, Imogen, to Cloten; however, she defied him and married the poor but worthy Posthumus Leonatus.
Cymbeline banished Posthumus, who went to Rome. Before he went, Imogen gave him a diamond ring and he presented her with a bracelet Posthumus, living in Italy, had a challenge with lachimo that the latter would seduce the chaste Imogen and bring Posthumus proof of her adultery. Lachimo, though unsuccessful in wooing Imogen, brought proof through cunning and deception. This caused distrust between the lovers. In the ensuing events, several plot lines follow, involving disguises, mistaken identity, deceit, treachery and poison.
The play ends in a traditional comic note. Lachimo confesses to his treachery, the characters who are thought to be someone else reveal themselves, all the misunderstandings are resolved and the lovers are reunited.
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