Cymbeline (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Cymbeline (Folger Shakespeare Library)

<i>Cymbeline</i> tells the story of a British king, Cymbeline, and his three children, presented as though they are in a fairy tale. The secret marriage of Cymbeline’s daughter, Imogen, triggers much of the action, which includes villainous slander, homicidal jealousy, cross-gender disguise, a deathlike trance, and the appearance of Jupiter in a vision.<BR> <BR>Kidnapped in infancy, Cymbeline’s two sons are raised in a Welsh cave. As young men, they rescue a starving stranger (Imogen in disguise); kill Cymbeline’s stepson; and fight with almost superhuman valor against the Roman army. The king, meanwhile, takes on a Roman invasion rather than pay a tribute. He too is a familiar figure—a father who loses his children and miraculously finds them years later; a king who defeats an army and grants pardon to all.<BR> <BR><i>Cymbeline</i> displays unusually powerful emotions with a tremendous charge. Like some of Shakespeare’s other late work—especially <i>The Winter’s Tale</i> and <i>The Tempest</i>—it is an improbable story lifted into a nearly mythic realm.<BR> <BR>The authoritative edition of <i>Cymbeline</i> from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:<BR> <BR> -Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play<BR> -Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play<BR> -Scene-by-scene plot summaries<BR> -A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases<BR> -An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language<BR> -An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play<BR> -Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books<BR> -An annotated guide to further reading<BR> <BR>Essay by Cynthia Marshall<BR> <BR>The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.