Cymbeline, King of Britain Act 3, Scene 7 Summary

Read the full text of Cymbeline Act 3 Scene 7 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Belarius, Polydore (a.k.a. Guiderius), and Cadwal (a.k.a. Arviragus) return to their cave with a deer from their hunt.
  • Suddenly Belarius stops and declares there's a heavenly boy in their cave. (That would be Imogen.)
  • Belarius and the boys ask questions about where this mysterious guy is going and what his name is.
  • Imogen picks the name "Fidele" and tells them she's trying to get to Milford-Haven—"trying" being the operative word.
  • There's a strange connection between Imogen and the two boys (who are actually her brothers).
  • Arviragus says he'll love Fidele as a brother, which is kind of funny since she's actually his sister. Imogen feels it, too, and tells us in an aside that if these guys were actually her brothers, she could have married Posthumus without so much drama. She wouldn't have been the heir to the throne then, and she wouldn't have been worth so much to her dad.
  • The three men welcome Imogen in and tell her that she'll have to earn her keep by telling them a story.