Hang there like a fruit, my soul, Till the tree die!
Hang there like a fruit, my soul, Until the tree dies!
Posthumus Leonatus · Act 5, Scene 5
Posthumus embraces Imogen after learning she is alive and that his suspicion of her infidelity was a poisonous lie planted by Iachimo. His declaration—that she is his soul and he will cling to her until death—is his redemption from the jealous rage that nearly destroyed them both. The image of hanging like fruit on a tree suggests organic union and growth, a healing of the fractured bonds of trust.
Pardon's the word to all.
Pardon is the word for everyone.
Cymbeline · Act 5, Scene 5
Cymbeline speaks this line at the moment of final reconciliation, when all the separated parties have been restored and all deceptions revealed. The simplicity of the statement—one word, repeated—makes it the play's ultimate judgment on how justice works in a world where innocent people have been harmed by lies and masculine pride. Forgiveness, not punishment, is the only remedy.
The fingers of the powers above do tune The harmony of this peace. The vision Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant Is full accomplish’d; for the Roman eagle, From south to west on wing soaring aloft, Lessen’d herself, and in the beams o’ the sun So vanish’d: which foreshow’d our princely eagle, The imperial Caesar, should again unite His favour with the radiant Cymbeline, Which shines here in the west.
The powers above are orchestrating The harmony of this peace. The vision I showed to Lucius, before the battle even ended, Is now fully realized; for the Roman eagle, Soaring from the south to the west, rose high, Then shrank and disappeared in the sun’s rays: This foretold that our princely eagle, The imperial Caesar, would reunite His favor with radiant Cymbeline, Who now shines here in the west.
Soothsayer · Act 5, Scene 5
The Soothsayer, at the play's end, interprets the vision he had earlier, explaining that the powers above orchestrated this peace and that his prophecy has now been fulfilled exactly. The line lands because it transforms the chaos of war, betrayal, and suffering into a pattern that was always meant to resolve this way. It tells us that in Cymbeline, fate moves invisibly but surely toward reconciliation and renewal.
