Character Summary

Two Gentlemen: gentlemen of Cymbeline's royal court who talk, informing the audience of the play's central conflict

Queen: Cymbeline's wife and Queen whose secret, evil ambition is to make her son from a previous marriage Britain's sovereign

Imogen: Cymbeline's daughter from a previous marriage who falls in love with one of her father's attendants to her father's displeasure

Posthumus Leonatus: Imogen's beloved whose father was a great warrior for which the King raised the parentless child as an attendant

Pisanio: Posthumus' faithful servant

Cymbeline: the play's namesake and the King of Britain who is displeased with his daughter for loving one of his attendants rather than taking his wife's son from a previous marriage as her husband

Cloten: the Queen's son from a previous marriage who is a rascally villain

Lords 1 &2: lords attending Cloten; #1 does all he can to praise and flatter, while #2 disparages Cloten with remarks off to the side

Philario: Posthumus' friend who has fought in wars with Posthumus' father

Jachimo: an Italian who, staking his wealth and life, wagers Posthumus that he can seduce Posthumus' beloved Imogen

Frenchman: one of Philario's friends who welcomes Posthumus

Cornelius: a physician who doesn't trust the Queen enough to supply her with the poisons which she has requested, replacing them with sedatives

Caius Lucius: ambassador from Rome whose demand that Britain resume paying her neglected tribute owed Augustus Caesar is rebuffed

Belarius: a.k.a. Morgan, a renowned soldier in Cymbeline's army who was falsely accused of being a traitor for which he was banished and for which Belarius kidnapped the King's two sons and raised them as his own

Guiderius: a.k.a. Polydore, he is Cymbeline's elder son and heir who was abducted by Belarius

Arviragus: a.k.a. Cadwal, he is Cymbeline's younger son, also abducted by Belarius

Senators: two Roman senators who direct the Tribunes on how to proceed with the affairs concerning Britain

Tribunes: high-level Roman officials who coordinate with the Senators to implement the Empire's policy with regard to Britain

Captains: officers attending on Caius Lucius on the heels of the senators of Rome making Lucius the general of the Roman armies that were deployed to Milford-Haven

Soothsayer: a Roman seer, named Philarmonus, who predicts Roman success (not victory) vis-a-vis the British

Lord: a British noble who has fled from the fight and who is taken to task by Posthumus for talking too much and doing very little

Captains 1 & 2: British officers who take Posthumus captive after Posthumus had switched his British uniform for a Roman one

Jailers: British jailers who are put in charge of executing Posthumus

Ghosts: the spirits of Posthumus' father, mother, and two brothers who appeal to Jupiter on behalf of Posthumus' welfare in a dream that Posthumus has while in jail

Jupiter: the god of gods who chides and assures the ghosts appealing on Poshumus' behalf that Posthumus will ultimately find happiness and prosperity