ABSTRACT
The Queen of Britain is the wife of King Cymbeline and stepmother of his daughter Imogen, and mother (by a former marriage) of the oafish Cloten. She wants to see him married to Imogen so as to secure the throne for him. However, Imogen has secretly married Posthumus who is then banished. His faithful servant, Pisanio, stays behind to serve Imogen. The Queen has just received, what she believes, is a potent poison (in a ‘box’) from a doctor (Cornelius) when Pisanio arrives. She dismisses the doctor and begins by trying to recruit Pisanio to convince Imogen to forget her husband and marry Cloten. Pisanio does not respond and she ‘drops’ the box and continues with this.
