Cymbeline

“In the garden of King Cymbeline's palace, two gentlemen spoke in low voices.”

Act I, Scenes I–III, adapted from William Shakespeare

This reader is adapted from Act I, Scenes I–III of Cymbeline, one of William Shakespeare's late romances, first performed around 1610. The play weaves together themes of loyalty, mistaken identity, and the clash between love and duty. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. Shakespeare's work endures because he captures the permanent conflicts of the human heart—between obedience and conviction, appearance and reality, pride and humility. In this opening act, a secret marriage sets in motion a chain of events that will test every character's understanding of worth, honour, and truth.

Band

Blue · Independent readers, confidentTypical starting range: ages 12–14

Length

long · about 1007 words in 4 sections · 2 pictures

Source

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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