How? of adultery? Wherefore write you not
What monsters her accuse? Leonatus!
O master, what a strange infection
Is fall’n into thy ear! What false Italian
(As poisonous-tongu’d as handed) hath prevail’d
On thy too ready hearing? Disloyal? No.
She’s punish’d for her truth, and undergoes,
More goddess-like than wife-like, such assaults
As would take in some virtue. O my master,
Thy mind to her is now as low as were
Thy fortunes. How? that I should murder her?
Upon the love, and truth, and vows, which I
Have made to thy command? I, her? Her blood?
If it be so to do good service, never
Let me be counted serviceable. How look I
That I should seem to lack humanity
So much as this fact comes to?
How? of adultery? Wherefore write you not What monsters her accuse? Leonatus! O master, what a strange infection Is fall’n into your ear! What false Italian (As poisonous-tongu’d as handed) has prevail’d On your too ready hearing? Disloyal? No. She’s punish’d for her truth, and undergoes, More godde
how? of adultery? wherefore write you not what monsters her accuse? leonatus! o master, what a strange infection is fall’n into your ear! what false italian (as poisonous-tongu’d as handed) has prevail’d on your too ready hearing? disloyal? no. she’s punish’d for her truth, and undergoes, more godde
how? of adultery? wherefore write you not what mon
How now, Pisanio?
How now, Pisanio?
how now, pisanio?
how now, pisanio?...
Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
madam, here is a letter from my lord.
madam, here is a letter from my lord....
Who? thy lord? That is my lord, Leonatus?
O, learn’d indeed were that astronomer
That knew the stars as I his characters;
He’d lay the future open. You good gods,
Let what is here contain’d relish of love,
Of my lord’s health, of his content; yet not
That we two are asunder; let that grieve him!
Some griefs are med’cinable; that is one of them,
For it doth physic love: of his content,
All but in that. Good wax, thy leave. Blest be
You bees that make these locks of counsel! Lovers
And men in dangerous bonds pray not alike;
Though forfeiters you cast in prison, yet
You clasp young Cupid’s tables. Good news, gods!
Who? your lord? That is my lord, Leonatus? O, learn’d indeed were that astronomer That knew the stars as I his characters; He’d lay the future open. You good gods, Let what is here contain’d relish of love, Of my lord’s health, of his content; yet not That we two are asunder; let that grieve him! So
who? your lord? that is my lord, leonatus? o, learn’d indeed were that astronomer that knew the stars as i his characters; he’d lay the future open. you good gods, let what is here contain’d relish of love, of my lord’s health, of his content; yet not that we two are asunder; let that grieve him! so
who? your lord? that is my lord, leonatus? o, lear
This scene is structurally clever: Posthumus's letter contains two commands written for different audiences. The explicit command to Pisanio is murder. The implicit command to Imogen (in the fabricated letter within the letter) is trust and obedience — come to Milford Haven. The scene performs what happens when these two documents intersect. Pisanio is horrified by what he reads. Imogen is overjoyed by what she reads. They are reading the same letter with opposite comprehensions. This is the play's central mechanism: information, for different characters, means opposite things.
Pisanio does not refuse Posthumus outright. Instead, he agrees to help Imogen reach Milford Haven — where Posthumus supposedly waits. Pisanio is choosing a form of obedience that saves Imogen's life. He will take her to the location Posthumus named, but with the plan that once there, in safety, the truth will come out. This is not heroic defiance; it's a servant finding a way to obey orders while undermining their intent. The play suggests that moral action often looks like compliance. Pisanio is not loud or brave; he is quiet and clever.
One score ’twixt sun and sun,
Madam, ’s enough for you, and too much too.
One score ’twixt sun and sun, Madam, ’s enough for you, and too much too.
one score ’twixt sun and sun, madam, ’s enough for you, and too much too.
one score ’twixt sun and sun, madam, ’s enough for...
Why, one that rode to’s execution, man,
Could never go so slow. I have heard of riding wagers
Where horses have been nimbler than the sands
That run i’ th’ clock’s behalf. But this is fool’ry.
Go bid my woman feign a sickness; say
She’ll home to her father; and provide me presently
A riding suit, no costlier than would fit
A franklin’s huswife.
Why, one that rode to’s execution, man, Could never go so slow. I have heard of riding wagers Where horses have been nimbler than the sands That run i’ th’ clock’s behalf. But this is fool’ry. Go bid my woman feign a sickness; say She’ll home to her father; and provide me presently A riding suit, no
why, one that rode to’s execution, man, could never go so slow. i have heard of riding wagers where horses have been nimbler than the sands that run i’ th’ clock’s behalf. but this is fool’ry. go bid my woman feign a sickness; say she’ll home to her father; and provide me presently a riding suit, no
why, one that rode to’s execution, man, could neve
Madam, you’re best consider.
Madam, you’re best consider.
madam, you’re best consider.
madam, you’re best consider....
I see before me, man. Nor here, nor here,
Nor what ensues, but have a fog in them
That I cannot look through. Away, I prithee;
Do as I bid thee. There’s no more to say.
Accessible is none but Milford way.
I see before me, man. Nor here, nor here, Nor what ensues, but have a fog in them That I cannot look through. Away, I please; Do as I bid you. There’s no more to say. Accessible is none but Milford way.
i see before me, man. nor here, nor here, nor what ensues, but have a fog in them that i cannot look through. away, i please; do as i bid you. there’s no more to say. accessible is none but milford way.
i see before me, man. nor here, nor here, nor what
The Reckoning
This is the mechanism of the plot. Posthumus has written two letters — one ordering Imogen's death, one (fabricated) professing love and summoning her to Wales. Pisanio receives the murder order and cannot bear it. He will play the role of accomplice to the second letter while secretly planning to save her life. The scene is structurally brilliant: Imogen's joy and urgency push against Pisanio's horror. She cannot read the true content of the situation (that her husband wants her dead); she can only read the lie that summons her to him. The scene establishes that Pisanio's loyalty to Imogen will override his loyalty to Posthumus.
If this happened today…
A man receives a text from his friend ordering him to kill the friend's wife. The same text contains instructions to his wife that the friend is in California and wants to see her. The wife is overjoyed to hear from her husband and wants to go immediately. The man receiving the orders cannot kill the wife, so he lies — he tells the wife he'll help her reach California while secretly planning to keep her safe.