Discovering Cymbeline
Overview
Cymbeline does not actually come from a single source. Rather, it is cobbled together from a mix of history, existing fiction, and Shakespeare's imagination. Each box below leads to a page examining one of these sources and its similarities and differences to the play.
Holinshed
Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland is an early comprehensive British history. It includes the historical figures of Cymbeline and his sons and the plot elements of the war with the Romans.
Decameron
The Decameron is a medieval collection of 100 novellas. Day two, story nine is one source for the characters of Iachimo and Posthumus and the plot of their wager and its repercussions, including Imogen's escape via crossdressing.
Love and Fortune
The Rare Triumphs of Love and Fortune is an anonymous early modern play. It includes the character of Belarius and the plot elements of his banishment and Imogen and Posthumus's relationship, including his banishment.
Frederyke of Jennen is a anonymous early modern play. It is another source for the characters of Iachimo and Posthumus and the plot of their wager and its repercussions, including Imogen's escape via crossdressing.