Cymbeline: Act 4, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

Fidele feels unwell, so Belarius and Arviragus urge him to rest in the cave while they hunt. Guiderius says he will stay behind, but Fidele tells him to go since he’ll be all right by himself. Guiderius says he loves Fidele as much as he loves his father. Arviragus doesn’t know why, but he, too, cares deeply for Fidele. Belarius comments to himself that the brothers are saying noble and virtuous things. Arviragus says goodbye, calling Fidele his brother. Imogen remarks to the audience how kind the men are, and how remarkable their good manners are in the country, compared to the vile behavior of courtiers. She says that she’s heartsick and will try the medicine that Pisanio gave her to feel better. She swallows the concoction.

Guiderius says that he couldn’t get Fidele to open up about his identity: he just said that he was a poor, honest gentleman in a bad situation. Arviragus says Fidele told him the same thing, and that he might reveal more later on. Belarius tells Fidele that he hopes he’ll get better soon, since he’ll have to act as the trio’s housewife. Imogen says she’s bound to them, and goes into he cave.

Belarius says he finds Fidele noble, and Arviragus adds that he has a good singing voice. Guiderius praises Fidele’s excellent cooking. The trio notice that Fidele seems sad but also patient, enduring his sorrow with both sighs and smiles. As Belarius encourages the brothers to get going, Cloten arrives, complaining that he can’t find “those runagates” (Imogen and Posthumus).

Belarius interprets Cloten’s remark to mean that he knows that the boys are the kidnapped princes—and thus Cloten must know Belarius’ true identity. He recognizes Cloten as the Queen’s son, and urges the brothers to hurry away since they’re outlaws. Guiderius tells Belarius and Arviragus to scout for any men accompanying Cloten.

Cloten asks who Guiderius is, calling him and the other men “villain mountaineers.” He insults Guiderius, calling him a “robber/ A law-breaker, a villain.” Guiderius doesn’t withstand the insults: he asks who Cloten thinks he is to call him such names. Cloten asks Guiderius if he knows who he is from his fancy clothes, but Guiderius says that his clothes make him look low-born. Cloten reveals his name, and Guiderius says that it doesn’t make him afraid. Then Cloten says he’s the Queen’s son, and Guiderius tells him that he doesn’t live up to his noble birth. Cloten asks if Guiderius is afraid of him, but Guiderius says he doesn’t fear fools. Cloten draws his sword, saying he’ll kill Guiderius. They exit, fighting.

Belarius and Arviragus return, having found no other men around their cave. Arviragus wonders if Belarius is confused about who he saw, but Belarius is adamant that it was Cloten. Arviragus hopes that Guiderius deals with Cloten before too long, since Belarius says he’s dangerous and reckless.

Carrying Cloten’s head and calling him a brainless fool, Guiderius comes back. Belarius asks him what he’s done; Guiderius tells him how Cloten insulted him and threatened to kill the three men. They fought, and Guiderius killed Cloten. Belarius fears that they’re “undone.” Yet Guiderius asserts the killing was done in self-defense. Besides, they live beyond the law, and there were no witnesses. Belarius, nevertheless, fears that Cloten had attendants who will find them. Arviragus sides with his brother and praises him for protecting his honor and killing Cloten.

Belarius no longer feels like hunting, and he worries about Fidele. While Guiderius goes to a creek to dispose of Cloten’s head, Belarius encourages Arviragus to return to the cave and cook dinner with Fidele. Alone, Belarius marvels how the princes’ natural nobility makes itself clear. Even though nobody taught them how to behave as royals, the brothers act with honor, civility, and bravery.

Guiderius comes back from the creek. Suddenly, Belarius hears music playing from his instrument back at the cave. Guiderius notes they haven’t heard it played since Belarius’ wife Euriphile’s death, and he fears it’s a bad omen. Arviragus then enters, carrying a limp Fidele in his arms.

Arviragus explains that he found Fidele lying dead in the cave, and says he would give up his youth to avoid seeing this sight. Guiderius praises Fidele’s beauty, and Belarius calls his melancholy bottomless upon seeing Fidele dead. Belarius asks how Arviragus found Fidele; he reports that Fidele looked as though he were smiling in his sleep, lying on the floor.

The men plan to prepare a grave for Fidele, and decorate it with flowers as beautiful as his appearance and as sweet-smelling as his breath. Arviragus wants to reprise the mourning tune they sang when Euriphile died, but Guiderius fears he’ll cry if he tries to sing. They vow to recite it, but Belarius reminds them that they’ve forgotten all about Cloten’s body—even though he was their enemy, he was still a royal, and he deserves respect for his status. Belarius goes to fetch Cloten’s corpse, and the brothers arrange Fidele’s body and sing their song about the painlessness of death.

Belarius returns and lays Cloten’s body next to Fidele’s. He tells the brothers to strew some flowers on the corpses and they leave to pray.

Imogen wakes up from a deep sleep babbling about finding the way to Milford Haven. Reviving, she notices the headless body of Cloten next to her. Since the headless body is dressed in Posthumus’ clothes, she thinks it’s her husband—even claiming that she recognizes his figure. She compares his body to that of the gods.

Imogen curses Pisanio. She’s sure that the servant must have plotted with Cloten to kill Posthumus out of resentment and greed. She calls Pisanio’s letters fake and thinks that he gave her the potion to knock her out while he killed her husband. She says she’ll put the corpse’s blood on her cheeks to scare anyone who comes their way.

While Imogen grieves, prostrate on the ground, Lucius and his troops enter. A captain says that the Roman recruitment effort was a success, and Iachimo will lead the Italian troops to Britain shortly. Lucius takes this as a good sign.

Lucius asks his Soothsayer for his prediction on the battle’s outcome. The Soothsayer reports having a vision of Jove’s eagle flying and vanishing into the sun—a sign of impending Roman success. Lucius thanks him, but then spots the headless corpse and the “boy” lying beside it. Lucius asks the captain if the boy is dead, but he reports that the boy is alive.

Lucius asks Fidele what happened to the dead man, and Fidele responds that the dead man was his master, Richard du Champ, who was killed by mountaineers. In an aside, Imogen insists that lies like this—told for good reasons—can’t be bad. Fidele claims he’ll never find so good a master as this one, and Lucius praises him for his loyalty, inviting Fidele to join him as a servant. Fidele takes the offer, but insists that he must say prayers for his dead master first. Lucius tells his troops that Fidele is the portrait of proper manly honor. Then, he tells Fidele to cheer up—the men can bury “Richard” before they leave for battle.