The Main Themes of the Drama Cymbeline
The main themes of the drama Cymbeline are love, hatred, deceit, and betrayal. The play's primary character, Imogen, suffers insults from Posthumus, her lover, and Cymbeline, her father, throughout. As a result, the play incorporates both tragic and comic aspects to elicit an emotional reaction from the audience. Imogen is a strong lead character who is utilized to advance the narrative and highlight the play's central themes. Imogen is unquestionably a heroine who faces formidable challenges as she tries to complete her brave journey. She is presented in a period when women were not valued, and she is thus displayed as a warrior in a male-dominated society. Evidently, the play also rhetorically uses two contrasting songs to unfold the actions of the scenes.
The Power of Persuasion in Winning Love
The author says that persuasion is a critical factor when one wants to win the love of somebody he or she loves. From the play, Cloten believes that he can be able to win Imogen's love and he uses a song to persuade her that he loves her. Persuasion depicts to be a strong sense of dignity, and it has positively been used in the play. Shakespeare communicates to the reader that persuasion should cultivate love and forgiveness and that a person should not get tired of convincing. For example, the relationship of Imogen and Posthumus s faced by critical challenges, but forgiveness is what keeps their love.
The Song "Hark, Hark! The Lark"
One of the songs used in the play is Hark, Hark! The Lark which Cloten sings to Imogen to persuade her to love him. Cloten and his other musicians sang this song outside Imogen's house. Lark is repeatedly used and to symbolize the dawn of a new day for Cloten and Imogen. He tells her that "forgets that old husband and takes me instead" (Shakespeare). However, it is ironical that this does not turn out to be a new dawn or him because Imogen tells Cloten that he is less with that the nasty clothes of Posthumus. Again, this song is used to foreshadow what will occur at the end of the play. The song says "on chaliced flowers that lies" and "arise," and at the end one sees the image of Imogen resurrecting while at the same time surrounded by flowers showing "reborn" (Shakespeare).
The Song "Fear No More the Heat O’ the Sun"
Another song that is used in the play is Fear No More the Heat O' the Sun. Guiderius and Arviragus sing to Imogen's dead body, and it is contrasting with the first song. The theme and motive of this song is a contrast to the other song. The first one is a love song while this is a funeral song. It reveals heartbreak and a somber mood which is contrary to Cloten's song. While the first song depicted love, this song creates a poignant and sad moment in the play.
The Instrumental Role of Songs
Iachamo loves Imogen even though she is love with Pothulums. When cynical Iachimo sees her, he is impressed. Posthumus, an adopted orphan by Cymbeline, is deeply in love with Imogen. Imogen also loves him, and the two secretly get married against the will of Imogen's father. Indeed, songs are instrumental in the play and are used to create an atmosphere of music and love. They establish an emotional climate behind the scenes and enable the reader to understand the theme of love which is highly evident in the play. Notably, songs are rhetorically used giving a metaphor of love and sexual fulfillment. For instance, in Act II and scene 3 of the play, an imagery of the clothes is provided and reports that "I am advised to give her music o' mornings; they say it will penetrate" (Shakespeare). Persuasion relationships reinforce each other through creating emotions of love and show the reader how the characters strive to be loved.
Work Cited
Shakespeare. Cymbeline. Shakespeare Homepage. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/cymbeline/full.html. Accessed 12 December, 2017.
