Pisanio: The Servant Who Does the Right Thing
First appears: Act 1, Scene 1
Posthumus sends Pisanio a letter ordering him to kill Imogen. Pisanio refuses. Instead, he tells her what has happened and helps her disguise herself as a boy. It is the play's clearest act of moral courage, performed by a minor character.
He is loyal to Posthumus but will not commit murder for him. He is loyal to Imogen and will not abandon her. He handles these competing duties better than any of the play's more prominent figures.
He also receives a drug from the Queen, believing it is medicine. He gives it to Imogen as protection. It turns out to be a sleeping potion rather than poison: one of Cymbeline's many close calls.
Key Scenes
Famous Quotes
“You must forget to be a woman; change Command into obedience.”
Pisanio — Act 3, Scene 4
“Wherein I am false I am honest; not true, to be true.”
Pisanio — Act 4, Scene 3
Themes
Other Characters in Cymbeline
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