Original: Weeps she still, sayst thou? Dost thou think in time
Modern: Is she still crying, you’re telling me? Do you think that eventually

Original: She will not quench, and let instructions enter
Modern: She won’t stop her tears and let some sense get through to her

Original: Where folly now possesses? Do thou work:
Modern: Where foolishness now controls her mind? You do your job:

Original: When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
Modern: When you bring me news that she loves my son,

Original: I’ll tell thee on the instant thou art then
Modern: I’ll tell you immediately that you are then

Original: As great as is thy master; greater, for
Modern: As important as your master; even greater, because

Original: His fortunes all lie speechless, and his name
Modern: His wealth is all gone silent, and his reputation

Original: Is at last gasp; return he cannot, nor
Modern: Is dying; he can’t come back, and he can’t

Original: Continue where he is; to shift his being
Modern: Stay where he is; to change his situation

Original: Is to exchange one misery with another,
Modern: Is just to trade one misery for another,

Original: And every day that comes comes to decay
Modern: And every day that passes only destroys

Original: A day’s work in him. What shalt thou expect,
Modern: A day’s worth of progress in him. What can you expect

Original: To be depender on a thing that leans,
Modern: From depending on someone who is falling,

Original: Who cannot be new built, nor has no friends,
Modern: Who can’t be rebuilt, and has no friends,

Original: So much as but to prop him?
Modern: Not even enough to support him?

Original: Thou tak’st up
Modern: You’re picking up

Original: Thou know’st not what; but take it for thy labour:
Modern: Something you don’t understand; but take it as payment for your work:

Original: It is a thing I made, which hath the king
Modern: It’s something I created, which has saved the king

Original: Five times redeem’d from death; I do not know
Modern: Five times from death; I don’t know

Original: What is more cordial: nay, I prithee, take it;
Modern: What could be more healing: no, please, take it;

Original: It is an earnest of a further good
Modern: It’s a promise of even greater rewards

Original: That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
Modern: That I plan to give you. Tell your mistress how

Original: The case stands with her; do ‘t as from thyself.
Modern: Her situation looks; do it as if it’s your own idea.

Original: Think what a chance thou changest on, but think
Modern: Think about what an opportunity you’re stumbling into, but remember

Original: Thou hast thy mistress still, to boot, my son,
Modern: You still have your mistress, plus my son on top of that,

Original: Who shall take notice of thee. I’ll move the king
Modern: Who will pay attention to you. I’ll convince the king

Original: To any shape of thy preferment such
Modern: To give you any kind of promotion

Original: As thou’lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
Modern: That you want; and then I myself, especially,

Original: That set thee on to this desert, am bound
Modern: Who put you up to this good deed, am obligated

Original: To load thy merit richly. Call my women;
Modern: To reward your worth generously. Call my ladies;

Original: Think on my words.
Modern: Remember what I’ve said.

Original: A sly and constant knave,
Modern: A clever and loyal servant,

Original: Not to be shak’d; the agent for his master,
Modern: Not to be swayed; the go-between for his master,

Original: And the remembrancer of her to hold
Modern: And the one who reminds her to keep

Original: The hand-fast to her lord. I have given him that
Modern: Her marriage promise to her husband. I have given him something

Original: Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her
Modern: Which, if he takes it, will completely clear away her

Original: Of leigers for her sweet, and which she after,
Modern: Lovers who court her sweetness, and which she afterward,

Original: Except she bend her humour, shall be assur’d
Modern: Unless she changes her mood, will certainly

Original: To taste of too
Modern: Get a taste of as well

Original: So, so; well done, well done.
Modern: Good, good; well done, well done.

Original: The violets, cowslips, and the prime-roses
Modern: The violets, cowslips, and primroses

Original: Bear to my closet. Fare thee well, Pisanio:
Modern: Take to my private room. Goodbye, Pisanio:

Original: Think on my words.
Modern: Remember what I’ve said.

In Act I, Scene 5 of Cymbeline, the Queen enters with her ladies and speaks to Cornelius, a physician, requesting poisonous compounds. She claims she wants them to experiment on creatures such as cats and dogs to observe the effects of poisons and then test potential antidotes, presenting this as a scientific pursuit. Cornelius is suspicious of her intentions and, in an aside, reveals that he will not actually give her deadly poison but rather a sleeping potion that will create the appearance of death, with victims waking after a certain period. He presents the box of substances to the Queen, who promises she will only use them on animals and thanks him before he departs.

After Cornelius exits, the Queen reveals in a soliloquy her true intentions: she plans to test the substances on Pisanio, Posthumus’s servant, whom she views as an obstacle to her plans for Imogen to marry Cloten, her son from a previous marriage. Pisanio then enters, and the Queen feigns kindness toward him, claiming she bears no ill will about Imogen’s secret marriage to Posthumus. She gives him the box, falsely describing its contents as a precious medicinal compound that can cure any ailment, instructing him to keep it for his master Posthumus or use it himself if needed. After Pisanio thanks her and exits, the Queen concludes with another aside expressing her malicious hope that the “poison” will prove useful in removing obstacles to her ambitions.

Cymbeline tells the story of King Cymbeline of Britain, whose daughter Imogen secretly marries Posthumus Leonatus against her father’s wishes. Cymbeline banishes Posthumus to Rome, where he boasts of Imogen’s virtue and fidelity. The cunning Iachimo wagers that he can seduce Imogen and prove her unfaithful. When his direct attempts fail, Iachimo hides in a trunk in Imogen’s bedchamber, emerges while she sleeps, and steals her bracelet while noting intimate details of her body and room.

Returning to Rome with his false evidence, Iachimo convinces Posthumus that Imogen has been unfaithful. Enraged, Posthumus orders his servant Pisanio to kill Imogen. Instead, Pisanio reveals the plot to Imogen and helps her escape by disguising her as a young man named Fidele. She flees to the Welsh mountains, where she unknowingly encounters her long-lost brothers, Guiderius and Arviragus, who were kidnapped as infants and raised by the banished lord Belarius.

Meanwhile, Cymbeline’s evil Queen (Imogen’s stepmother) plots to poison Imogen and place her own son Cloten on the throne. Cloten pursues Imogen to Wales, where Guiderius kills him in combat. The Queen’s physician Cornelius has secretly given her a sleeping potion instead of poison, but when Imogen takes it believing it to be medicine, she falls into a death-like sleep beside Cloten’s headless corpse, whom she mistakes for Posthumus upon awakening.

The play culminates when Roman forces invade Britain. During the battle, the disguised Imogen serves the Romans while her unknown brothers and Belarius fight for Britain. After Britain’s victory, all deceptions are revealed: Iachimo confesses his lies, the Queen dies after admitting her evil plots, Imogen’s true identity and virtue are established, the royal brothers are restored to their father, and Posthumus and Imogen are reunited. Cymbeline makes peace with Rome and pardons all offenders.