Cymbeline · Chapter
Scene III explained
In the Welsh mountains, Belarius, living in exile with Cymbeline's kidnapped sons Guiderius and Arviragus, reflects on their royal nature and his past banishment.
What happens
In the Welsh mountains, Belarius, living in exile with Cymbeline's kidnapped sons Guiderius and Arviragus, reflects on their royal nature and his past banishment. The brothers express discontent with their rustic life, longing for the wider world, while Belarius extols the virtues of their simple existence over the corruptions of court.
Themes in this chapter
Nature vs. Court
Belarius contrasts the honest freedom of cave life with the corruptions and dangers of court, while the princes yearn for the wider world.
Identity and Disguise
The princes live under false identities as Belarius's sons, unaware of their true royal lineage.
Appearance vs. Reality
Belarius appears as a simple cave-dweller but is actually a wronged nobleman; the princes seem low-born but are heirs to the throne.
Characters to notice
- Belarius
Exiled nobleman living in a cave, raising Cymbeline's stolen sons under the alias Morgan.
- Guiderius
Cymbeline's elder son, raised as Polydore, unaware of his royal birth, chafes at the limitations of cave life.
- Arviragus
Cymbeline's younger son, raised as Cadwal, shares his brother's restlessness and curiosity about the outside world.
- Cymbeline
Mentioned as the king who unjustly banished Belarius and is unaware his sons are alive.
- Euriphile
Deceased nurse of the princes, honored daily by Guiderius and Arviragus as their mother.
Key passages
“How hard it is to hide the sparks of nature!”
It is extremely difficult to suppress innate nobility and character.
Belarius observes that the princes' royal nature shines through despite their humble upbringing.
“This life is nobler than attending for a check, Richer than doing nothing for a bauble, Prouder than rustling in unpaid-for silk.”
This simple life is more honorable than serving at court for mere wages, more fulfilling than idly chasing trinkets, and more dignified than wearing finery one cannot afford.
Belarius extols the virtues of their rustic existence over the corruptions of courtly life.