Cymbeline - eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

Cumberland's in 1829). In 1865, or thereabouts, Laey's
text reverted to using the original, Shakespearean, text
as its basis: a move already made in 1843 by Macready and
established in the years between 1847 and 1860 by Phelps. 22
An account of the text as printed in the acting editions
is given by Michael Kimberley in his thesis The 19th Century
'Proprietary' Acting Editions of Shakespeare (unpublished
Ph.D. thesis, Birmingham 1971J Zimberley suggests that the
Inchbald text of 1808 probably reflects Kemble's revision of
1806: it differs from the 1801 text in six instances.
Kemble's Cyiabeline is described by Kimberley as a
"revision of a version that is substantially Garrick's", 2 ^
The gaol scenes and the apparitions are removed, as is
Posthumus's tirade on the faithlessness of women (11,5 in the
New Arden edition); the last act is ruthlessly simplified,
with the omission of the soothsayer, of the reported death
of the Queer, and her plotting against Cymbeline, of Cornelius's
confession concerning the poison, and of the greater part of
laehimo's confession. In the fourth act the arrangements
for Imogen's funeral are removed, and the dirge is given as
in Garricl.'s version -
Arviragus; Sweet Fidele!
Pear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's blast;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
And the dream of life is past.
Guiderius; Monarchs, sages, peasants must,
Follow thee, and come to dust.^4
Cloten's part is cut down considerably 2 -* but Pisanio's
is extended by giving him the lines of one of the Gentlemen
at the English Court, and the two other gentlemen are dignified
with the names Madan and Locrine.
52.