Hello! I’m…. not Shannon. I’m her friend Eileen. Shannon’s asked me to pop in every so often and throw down a monologue, so, here goes!
I’m going to start with a piece from a show I saw recently that knocked my socks off. Shakespeare’s Cymbeline (which I saw performed at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.) The play itself has many problems, but the performances were so good, it really didn’t matter. So, here you go, an amazingly epic monologue from a play that’s just alright. And good news for you boys- it’s not just Innogen that gets the awesome dialogue- check out the speeches from Giacomo, the creeper (2.2, 5.6), Pisanio, the loyal but conflicted servant (3.2) and Posthumus, the lover (2.5, 5.1). And if you’re older, there’s plenty of speeches for you too- the roles of Cymbeline, the Queen, and Belarius are all fantastic.
But back to Innogen. Before I take on her monologue, here’s a basic rundown of the plot. It’s a very complicated play, so I’m only scratching the surface here, I recommend reading it yourself, or go see it!
ACT I
-Innogen is married to Posthumus, a poor man whom she loves. The King and Queen are not happy about this, and so they banish him.
-The King had two sons, brothers to Innogen, who were lost twenty years ago.
-Posthumus prepares to leave- Innogen gives him her mothers’ ring, and they promise to love each other until they die.
-Posthumustravels to Rome and boasts about Innogen’s virtue to a group of menfolk, including Giacomo. Giacomo, not believing him, offers a wager- if he can seduce Innogen, Posthumus will give him his ring, if he cannot, he will give Posthumus ten thousand ducats.
-The Queen acquires poison from the doctor… so she thinks. But the doctor instead gives her a potion that will make someone look dead for awhile, but won’t harm them (much like the potion in Romeo and Juliet.)
-The Queen gives the potion to Pisano, telling him that it is a curative potion.
-Giacomo visits Innogen, first delivering a fake letter from Posthumus, singing his own praises. After his attempted seduction fails, he asks Innogen to look after a box for him. Innogen agrees, and orders that it be put in her bedchamber for safety.
Act II
-Giacomo hides in the box, and while Innogen sleeps, he looks at her bedchamber and her body- things he could only know if he had slept with her. He also takes her bracelet.
-Cloten, the bumbling young man the King and Queen want their daughter to marry (and also the only character who speaks in prose), prepares music to serenade Innogen. Innogen shoots him down.
-Giacomo returns to Posthumus, with his “proof,” Posthumus is distraught, but gives Giacomo his ring.
Act III
-War is brewing between Rome and Britain.
-Posthumus gives Pisanio a letter to deliver to Innogen saying that he will be at Milford Haven. Upon reading the letter, Innogen prepares to meet him.
-We meet Belarius, a banished lord, and his “sons”, Guiderius and Arviragus (actually Cymbeline’s sons, who were stolen as infants.)
-Pisanio and Innogen reach Milford Haven, where Pisanio delivers another letter accusing Innogen of adultery. Posthumus has ordered Pisanio to kill Innogen.
-Innogen, upon reading the letter, wants to die, and demands that Pisanio kill her. Pisanio refuses, and instead sends a bloody sign of her “death” to Posthumus.
-Innogen refuses to go back to Britain, and Pisanio persuades her to disguise herself like a man. Pisanio gives her the Queen’s potion.
-Innogen is discovered missing.
-Pisanio, now anyone and everyone’s servant, gives Cloten some of Posthumus’ clothes, so that he can meet Innogen at Milford Haven. He plans to kill Posthumus, and in doing so, win Innogen.
-Innogen is welcomed by Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus.
Act IV
-Innogen feels sick and takes the potion given to her by Pisanio.
-Cloten challenges Guiderius and gets his head chopped off. Guiderius throws it down the stream.
-They discover Innogen, seemingly dead. They place the two bodies side by side.
-Innogen wakes up, sees the dead body and thinks it is Posthumus. She is found by Lucius, a Roman general, and agrees to fight in his army.
Act V
-According to scholars, there are 27 revelations in the final scene alone
-For the sake of this monologue, all you need to know is everything is brought to light and those who deserve to live happily ever after!
THE MONOLOGUE
THE TEXT
Yes, sir, to Milford-Haven; which is
the way?--
I thank you.--By yond bush?--Pray, how far thither?
'Ods pittikins! can it be six mile yet?--
I have gone all night. 'Faith, I'll lie down and sleep.
But, soft! no bedfellow!--O god s and goddesses!
This bloody man, the care on't. I hope I dream;
For so I thought I was a cave-keeper,
And cook to honest creatures: but 'tis not so;
'Twas but a bolt of nothing, shot at nothing,
Which the brain makes of fumes: our very eyes
Are sometimes like our judgments, blind. Good faith,
I tremble stiff with fear: but if there be
Yet left in heaven as small a drop of pity
As a wren's eye, fear'd gods, a part of it!
The dream's here still: even when I wake, it is
Without me, as within me; not imagined, felt.
A headless man! The garments of Posthumus!
I know the shape of's leg: this is his hand;
His foot Mercurial; his Martial thigh;
The brawns of Hercules: but his Jovial face
Murder in heaven?--How!--'Tis gone. Pisanio,
All curses madded Hecuba gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted on thee! Thou,
Conspired with that irregulous devil, Cloten,
Hast here cut off my lord. To write and read
Be henceforth treacherous! Damn'd Pisanio
Hath with his forged letters,--damn'd Pisanio--
From this most bravest vessel of the world
Struck the main-top! O Posthumus! alas,
Where is thy head? where's that? Ay me!
where's that?
Pisanio might have kill'd thee at the heart,
And left this head on. How should this be? Pisanio?
'Tis he and Cloten: malice and lucre in them
Have laid this woe here. O, 'tis pregnant, pregnant!
The drug he gave me, which he said was precious
And cordial to me, have I not found it
Murderous to the senses? That confirms it home:
This is Pisanio's deed, and Cloten's: O!
Give colour to my pale cheek with thy blood,
That we the horrider may seem to those
Which chance to find us: O, my lord, my lord!
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