Cymbeline (Vol. 47) - Speech, Genre, And Characterization
SPEECH, GENRE, AND CHARACTERIZATION
R. J. Schork (essay date 1972)
SOURCE: "Allusion, Theme, and Characterization in Cymbeline," in Studies in Philology, Vol. LXIX, No. 2, April, 1972, pp. 210-16.
[Below, Schork maintains that the classical allusions spoken by Imogen and Iachimo highlight key elements of their characterization in Cymbeline.]
Granted Shakespeare's penchant for classical allusions and the pseudo-antique setting of the play, it comes as no surprise that two central characters in Cymbeline frequently view present actions in terms of the mythology, heroic legends, and history of ancient Rome. The purpose of this brief paper is to show that several of these allusions are not only conventionally appropriate, but also (and sometimes most subtly) dramatically significant.
When Iachimo rises from the trunk in Imogen's bedchamber in II, ii, he first compares himself to Tarquín (12)1 and then...
[The entire page is 27703 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
