Cymbeline, Act 1 Scene 3 runs 48 lines of dialogue, spoken by 3 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 144 lines. This scene is part of Act 1 of Cymbeline.
Full Dialogue
Imogen ♀
I would thou grew'st unto the shores o' the haven,
And question'dst every sail: if he should write
And not have it, 'twere a paper lost,
As offer'd mercy is. What was the last
That he spake to thee?
And question'dst every sail: if he should write
And not have it, 'twere a paper lost,
As offer'd mercy is. What was the last
That he spake to thee?
Pisanio ♂
It was his queen, his queen!
Imogen ♀
Then waved his handkerchief?
Pisanio ♂
And kiss'd it, madam.
Imogen ♀
Senseless Linen! happier therein than I!
And that was all?
And that was all?
Pisanio ♂
No, madam; for so long
As he could make me with this eye or ear
Distinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and stirs of 's mind
Could best express how slow his soul sail'd on,
How swift his ship.
As he could make me with this eye or ear
Distinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and stirs of 's mind
Could best express how slow his soul sail'd on,
How swift his ship.
Imogen ♀
Thou shouldst have made him
As little as a crow, or less, ere left
To after-eye him.
As little as a crow, or less, ere left
To after-eye him.
Pisanio ♂
Madam, so I did.
Imogen ♀
I would have broke mine eye-strings; crack'd them, but
To look upon him, till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle,
Nay, follow'd him, till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turn'd mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,
When shall we hear from him?
To look upon him, till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle,
Nay, follow'd him, till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turn'd mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,
When shall we hear from him?
Pisanio ♂
Be assured, madam,
With his next vantage.
With his next vantage.
Imogen ♀
I did not take my leave of him, but had
Most pretty things to say: ere I could tell him
How I would think on him at certain hours
Such thoughts and such, or I could make him swear
The shes of Italy should not betray
Mine interest and his honour, or have charged him,
At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
To encounter me with orisons, for then
I am in heaven for him; or ere I could
Give him that parting kiss which I had set
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father
And like the tyrannous breathing of the north
Shakes all our buds from growing.
Most pretty things to say: ere I could tell him
How I would think on him at certain hours
Such thoughts and such, or I could make him swear
The shes of Italy should not betray
Mine interest and his honour, or have charged him,
At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
To encounter me with orisons, for then
I am in heaven for him; or ere I could
Give him that parting kiss which I had set
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father
And like the tyrannous breathing of the north
Shakes all our buds from growing.
Lady ♀
The queen, madam,
Desires your highness' company.
Desires your highness' company.
Imogen ♀
Those things I bid you do, get them dispatch'd.
I will attend the queen.
I will attend the queen.
Pisanio ♂
Madam, I shall.
48 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Imogen | 33 | 68.8% |
| Pisanio | 13 | 27.1% |
| Lady | 2 | 4.2% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 33 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 16 lines.
Total speakers on stage
3 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 1
This is Scene 3 of 6 in Act 1 of Cymbeline.
Scene length vs. play average
At 48 lines, this scene is shorter than the Cymbeline average scene in Cymbeline (~144 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 1 Scene 2 · Next: Act 1 Scene 4