The old courtier turned mountaineer speaks in moralizing, sententious verse: 'weariness / Can snore upon the flint, when resty sloth / Finds the down pillow hard.' Finding Imogen, he shifts to wonder, 'By Jupiter, an angel!', then to courtly hospitality: 'Think us no churls, nor measure our good minds / By this rude place we live in.'
You, Polydore, have prov’d best woodman and
Are master of the feast. Cadwal and I
Will play the cook and servant; ’tis our match.
The sweat of industry would dry and die
But for the end it works to. Come, our stomachs
Will make what’s homely savoury; weariness
Can snore upon the flint, when resty sloth
Finds the down pillow hard. Now, peace be here,
Poor house, that keep’st thyself!
Polydore, you've proven to be the best hunter and you're in charge of the feast. Cadwal and I will be the cooks and servants—that's our arrangement. Hard work only makes sense because of what it accomplishes. Come on, our hunger will make simple food taste delicious; exhaustion can sleep soundly on hard stone, while lazy comfort finds even soft pillows uncomfortable. Now let there be peace here, poor house that sustains yourself!
Polydore, you're clearly the best hunter here, so you're running the feast. Cadwal and I will cook and clean up—that's the deal. Work's only worth it because you get something out of it. Come on, we're so hungry that basic food is going to taste amazing. You know how it is—when you're really tired, you can sleep on anything hard, but if you're lazy and comfortable, even a soft pillow bothers you. Anyway, peace to this little place that keeps us alive.
polydores the best hunter so youre in charge of dinner. me and cadwal cook. work pays off when youre this hungry. yeah everything tastes good when youre starving. tired people sleep anywhere. peace to this spot
The elder brother is blunt and practical, speaking in short lines: 'I am thoroughly weary,' 'Money, youth?' His welcome is frank and a little rough-edged, framed as a bargain, 'I should woo hard but be your groom,' showing a directness that suits the plain-spoken prince raised in the wild.
I am thoroughly weary.
I'm completely exhausted.
I'm totally worn out.
im beat
The younger brother is more lyrical and warm. He scorns money as belonging to 'those / Who worship dirty gods,' offers love 'as my brother,' and closes with a pretty image of welcome: 'The night to th' owl and morn to th' lark less welcome.' His poetry shows the royal feeling that the rough cave cannot hide.
I am weak with toil, yet strong in appetite.
I'm tired from work, but I have a big appetite.
I'm beat from working, but man, I'm hungry.
exhausted but starving
There is cold meat i’ th’ cave; we’ll browse on that
Whilst what we have kill’d be cook’d.
There's cold meat in the cave; we'll eat that while we cook what we've killed.
We've got leftover meat in the cave—we can snack on that while we cook fresh stuff.
cold meat in the cave. well eat that while we cook the fresh kill
[_Looking into the cave._] Stay, come not in.
But that it eats our victuals, I should think
Here were a fairy.
Don't come in. If I didn't see it eating our food, I'd think this was a supernatural being.
Wait, don't go in there. I'm telling you, if I wasn't watching it eat our stuff, I'd swear that's a fairy.
wait don't go in if it wasn't eating our food i'd think it was a fairy
What’s the matter, sir?
What's wrong, sir?
What's going on?
whats up?
By Jupiter, an angel! or, if not,
An earthly paragon! Behold divineness
No elder than a boy!
By Jupiter, an angel! Or, if not, a perfect human being! Look at divinity no older than a boy!
Good grief, an angel! Or if not that, then someone perfect! This is divine beauty in a young person!
oh my god an angel. or a perfect human. so beautiful and young
Imogen speaks anxiously and apologetically, rushing to explain herself: 'Good masters, harm me not... I have stol'n nought.' In her asides the princess comes back, admiring 'these twain' as truly noble and wishing aloud they 'had been my father's sons,' her grief over 'Leonatus false' never far from the surface.
Good masters, harm me not.
Before I enter’d here I call’d, and thought
To have begg’d or bought what I have took. Good troth,
I have stol’n nought; nor would not though I had found
Gold strew’d i’ th’ floor. Here’s money for my meat.
I would have left it on the board, so soon
As I had made my meal, and parted
With pray’rs for the provider.
Good sirs, don't hurt me. Before I came in here, I called out and intended to have begged or paid for what I've taken. I promise you, I've stolen nothing; I wouldn't have even if I'd found gold scattered on the floor. Here's money for my food. I would have left it on the table as soon as I finished eating, and left with prayers for whoever provides here.
Please don't hurt me. Before I came inside, I called out because I wanted to beg or buy whatever I took. I haven't stolen anything, honestly—I wouldn't have even if there was gold all over the floor. Here's money for the food. I was planning to leave it on the table right after I ate, and thank whoever owns this place.
dont hurt me. i called out before coming in. i didnt steal anything. heres money for food. was gonna leave it after eating and say thanks
Belarius sees 'Fidele' and names her an angel. Arviragus instantly devalues gold compared to her. They respond not with reason but with an instinctive recognition of worth. The remarkable thing is that they are both right and ignorant: they are right to recognize her nobility and beauty, and ignorant of why they recognize it — because she is their sister, even though she appears as a boy. The scene suggests that kinship works through the body and through something like magnetic attraction before it works through conscious knowledge. The brothers cannot help but honor 'Fidele' because honor is their nature and 'Fidele' calls forth honor. The play is testing the idea that family is something you feel before you know it.
Money, youth?
Money, youth?
money, youth?
money, youth?...
All gold and silver rather turn to dirt,
As ’tis no better reckon’d but of those
Who worship dirty gods.
I'd rather gold and silver turn to dirt, since it's valued the same only by those who worship corrupted gods.
Gold and silver can turn to dirt as far as I care—it's only valued by people who worship false gods anyway.
gold and silver are worthless. only people who worship fake gods care about it
I see you’re angry.
Know, if you kill me for my fault, I should
Have died had I not made it.
I see you're angry. Understand, if you kill me for my offense, I would have died anyway if I hadn't committed it.
I can see you're mad. Look, if you kill me for what I did, I would have died anyway from starvation if I hadn't stolen the food.
i know youre mad. but if you kill me i wouldve died anyway if i didnt steal
Whither bound?
Where are you headed?
Where are you going?
where you headed?
To Milford Haven.
To Milford Haven.
to milford haven.
to milford haven....
What’s your name?
What’s your name?
what’s your name?
what’s your name?...
Fidele, sir. I have a kinsman who
Is bound for Italy; he embark’d at Milford;
To whom being going, almost spent with hunger,
I am fall’n in this offence.
Fidele, sir. I have a relative who is traveling to Italy; he departed from Milford; I was going to meet him there, and almost dying of hunger, I committed this offense.
I'm Fidele, sir. I have a cousin traveling to Italy—he left from Milford—and I was heading there to meet him. I was starving, so I ended up doing this.
im fidele. my cousins going to italy from milford. i was heading there but starving so i took your food
Prithee, fair youth,
Think us no churls, nor measure our good minds
By this rude place we live in. Well encounter’d!
’Tis almost night; you shall have better cheer
Ere you depart, and thanks to stay and eat it.
Boys, bid him welcome.
Please, fair youth, don't think we're rude people, and don't judge our goodness by this crude place we live in. Well met! It's almost night; you'll have better food before you leave, and we ask you to stay and eat it. Boys, welcome him.
Hey, fair youth, don't think we're rude just because we live out here. This place is rough, but we're good people. Lucky meeting! It's getting dark anyway, so you should stay and have a proper meal with us—that's what we want. Come on, guys, make him welcome.
dont think were rude. were good people even tho we live in the cave. its dark soon anyway. stay and eat with us
Were you a woman, youth,
I should woo hard but be your groom. In honesty
I bid for you as I’d buy.
If you were a woman, youth, I would court you earnestly and be your husband. Honestly, I'm offering for you as if I were purchasing you.
If you were a woman, I'd be all in trying to win you and marry you. Seriously, I'm making an offer like I was buying you.
if you were a girl id totally court you and marry you. im serious about that
I’ll make’t my comfort
He is a man. I’ll love him as my brother;
And such a welcome as I’d give to him
After long absence, such is yours. Most welcome!
Be sprightly, for you fall ’mongst friends.
I'll be glad he's a man. I'll love him as a brother; and such a welcome as I'd give to a brother after a long separation, such is yours. Most welcome! Be cheerful, because you've come among friends.
I'm actually glad you're a man. I'm going to love you like a brother—the same way I'd welcome a brother after being apart for years. You're most welcome! Cheer up, you're with friends now.
glad youre a guy. ill love you like a brother. huge welcome. youre safe with us
Imogen creates a false identity as 'Fidele,' claiming to be searching for a kinsman sailing from Milford. This is a lie, but it is structurally true: Imogen is lost, and Fidele is searching. The brothers welcome Fidele into their household and will come to love 'him.' By the play's end, Fidele will be revealed as Imogen, and the love they gave to Fidele will transfer to their true sister. The scene performs a peculiar inversion: the disguise is false, yet the identity it creates becomes real. Fidele is not Imogen, but Fidele is the self that Imogen becomes in exile — honest, humble, searching for what was lost. By the end of the play, Imogen will have become both: Imogen restored to her throne, and Fidele integrated into her true family.
’Mongst friends,
If brothers. [_Aside._] Would it had been so that they
Had been my father’s sons! Then had my prize
Been less, and so more equal ballasting
To thee, Posthumus.
Among friends, if they're brothers. I wish they had been my father's sons! Then my dowry would have been smaller, and so more evenly balanced against you, Posthumus.
Among friends, if they're really brothers. I wish they were my father's sons instead. Then my dowry would have been less, and more equal to what you, Posthumus, could offer.
among friends if theyre brothers. god i wish they were my dads sons. id have less money and be more equal to you posthumus
He wrings at some distress.
He's twisting from some pain.
Something's really bothering him.
somethings wrong with him
Would I could free’t!
I wish I could free him from it!
I wish I could help!
ugh i wanna fix this for him
Or I, whate’er it be,
What pain it cost, what danger! Gods!
Or I, whatever it is, what pain it causes, what danger! Gods!
Yeah, me too—whatever it is, no matter what pain or danger it brings! Oh gods!
me too. whatever it is id help no matter what. gods
[_Whispering._] Hark, boys.
Listen, boys.
Hey, listen up, you two.
yo listen up
[_Aside._] Great men,
That had a court no bigger than this cave,
That did attend themselves, and had the virtue
Which their own conscience seal’d them, laying by
That nothing-gift of differing multitudes,
Could not out-peer these twain. Pardon me, gods!
I’d change my sex to be companion with them,
Since Leonatus false.
Great men who had a court no bigger than this cave and relied on their own integrity rather than the empty approval of crowds couldn't equal these two. Forgive me, gods, but I'd change my sex to be their companion, since Leonatus is false to me.
Honestly, even the greatest kings running their whole court from a cave like this, living on pure integrity instead of needing the approval of masses - they wouldn't be half as noble as these two. Gods forgive me, but I'd literally change my gender to be with them, because Leonatus turned out to be a lying cheat.
even the greatest men couldn't match these two i'd change my gender to be with them siince leonatus is a liar
It shall be so.
Boys, we’ll go dress our hunt. Fair youth, come in.
Discourse is heavy, fasting; when we have supp’d,
We’ll mannerly demand thee of thy story,
So far as thou wilt speak it.
It shall be so. Boys, let's go prepare our hunt. Fair youth, come inside. Conversation is difficult on an empty stomach; when we've eaten, we'll politely ask you about your story, as far as you're willing to share it.
Alright. Come on, boys, let's go cook what we caught. Come on in, young man. It's hard to talk when you're hungry; once we've eaten, we'll ask you about yourself in a civilized way, and you can tell us what you want to.
lets go cook. come inside. cant talk on empty stomach. after we eat well ask you about yourself
Pray draw near.
Please come closer.
Come on over here.
come here
The night to th’ owl and morn to th’ lark less
welcome.
The night is less welcome to the owl and the morning less welcome to the lark than you are welcome here.
You're more welcome here than the night is to owls or the morning is to larks.
youre more welcome than owls like night or larks like morning
Thanks, sir.
Thanks, sir.
thanks, sir.
thanks, sir....
I pray draw near.
I ask you to come closer.
Please come closer.
come closer
The Reckoning
This is the recognition scene that isn't quite a recognition. The two brothers fall instantly in love with Imogen without knowing she is their sister. Imogen remains disguised as Fidele. Belarius is cautious but eventually trusts her. The scene is charged with dramatic irony: Imogen is with her family, unaware. Her brothers are attracted to her (in her male disguise, but attracted nonetheless) without knowing she is their sister. The scene establishes the rhythm of the Welsh world: acceptance, hospitality, and a natural affinity that transcends the information any of them consciously possess. This is how recognition will eventually work in this play — not through deliberate revelation, but through the returning assertion of natural kinship.
If this happened today…
A young man (actually a woman in disguise) appears at a mountain cave. The two brothers living there are struck by his beauty and charm. Their father is cautious but eventually trusts him. The stranger says she's heading to Milford Haven to find a kinsman, and nearly starved getting there. The brothers invite her to stay and become part of their family.