Original: Ay, so thou dost,
Modern: Yes, you’re right,

Original: Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool,
Modern: you Italian devil! Oh God, I’m such a gullible fool,

Original: Egregious murderer, thief, any thing
Modern: I’m a terrible murderer, a thief, anything

Original: That’s due to all the villains past, in being,
Modern: that describes all the villains who have lived before, who live now,

Original: To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison,
Modern: and who will come after! Oh, give me rope, or a knife, or poison,

Original: Some upright justicer! Thou, king, send out
Modern: some honest judge to punish me! You, king, send out

Original: For torturers ingenious: it is I
Modern: for clever torturers: it is me

Original: That all the abhorred things o’ the earth amend
Modern: who makes all the horrible things on earth look better

Original: By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,
Modern: by being worse than them. I am Posthumus,

Original: That kill’d thy daughter:—villain-like, I lie—
Modern: who killed your daughter—like a villain, I’m lying—

Original: That caused a lesser villain than myself,
Modern: I made a lesser villain than myself,

Original: A sacrilegious thief, to do’t: the temple
Modern: a godless thief, do it: she was a temple

Original: Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself.
Modern: of goodness; yes, she was virtue itself.

Original: Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set
Modern: Spit on me, throw stones at me, throw mud on me, set

Original: The dogs o’ the street to bay me: every villain
Modern: the street dogs to howl at me: let every villain

Original: Be call’d Posthumus Leonitus; and
Modern: be called Posthumus Leonatus; and

Original: Be villany less than ‘twas! O Imogen!
Modern: let all evil seem less evil than it was! Oh Imogen!

Original: My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
Modern: My queen, my life, my wife! Oh Imogen,

Original: Imogen, Imogen!
Modern: Imogen, Imogen!

Act V, Scene v of Cymbeline is the play’s lengthy final scene, set in Britain, in which nearly all of the major characters are brought together before King Cymbeline following the British victory over the Roman forces. Cymbeline presides over the aftermath of battle, receiving prisoners including Lucius, Imogen (still disguised as the boy Fidele), Iachimo, and others. Cymbeline, struck by the face of Fidele, expresses a strange fondness for the boy. Pisanio recognizes Imogen in her disguise but keeps silent. The soothsayer Philarmonus is called upon to interpret an earlier vision, and Lucius makes a plea for the life of his page Fidele. As Cymbeline questions Fidele, the disguise begins to unravel. Imogen notices the diamond ring on Iachimo’s finger — the ring that once belonged to Posthumus — and demands to know how he came to possess it. Under pressure, Iachimo confesses the full truth of his wager with Posthumus and his deception, admitting that he never truly won Imogen’s virtue but fabricated his evidence.

Following Iachimo’s confession, Posthumus steps forward, revealing himself and condemning himself for having ordered Imogen’s death. Imogen rushes toward him and he strikes her down, not yet recognizing her. Pisanio intervenes and reveals that the figure Posthumus struck is in fact Imogen, his wife, alive and in disguise. The reunification of Posthumus and Imogen follows, along with a cascade of further revelations: Pisanio discloses that the Queen has died and made a deathbed confession of her plots against Cymbeline and Imogen; Cornelius the physician reports the Queen’s villainy and confirms that the poison given to Pisanio was merely a sleeping draught; and Belarius reveals that the two young warriors, Guiderius and Arviragus, are in fact Cymbeline’s long-lost sons. Guiderius admits to having killed Cloten, which briefly threatens his life, but the revelation of his royal blood resolves the danger. Cymbeline pardons the Roman prisoners, agrees to resume paying tribute to Rome, and the scene closes with general reconciliation and the soothsayer’s interpretation of the prophecy now fulfilled.

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.