# Iachimo — Cymbeline character guide

> Iachimo in Cymbeline by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Signior Iachimo

**First appearance:** 0005-act-i-scene-iv

## Snapshot

A Roman wit with a gambler's nerve, he wagers a diamond that no woman's honor can survive his cunning.

## Who they are

Iachimo arrives in Britain as a charming guest, all compliments and easy laughter, but his real business is a wager with Posthumus over Imogen's chastity. He is a performer who enjoys the game as much as the prize, and his smooth talk hides a willingness to lie, spy, and cheat to win. His scheming sets the play's central crisis in motion, turning a private boast into a public catastrophe that no apology can easily undo.

## Relationships

### [Imogen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/imogen)

_rivalry_

Iachimo manipulates and deceives Imogen to win a bet against Posthumus, invading her privacy and slandering her virtue.

### [Belarius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/belarius)

_rivalry_

Belarius opposes Iachimo's schemes indirectly, as Iachimo's deceit threatens the royal family Belarius secretly protects.

### [Posthumus Leonatus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/posthumus_leonatus)

_rivalry_

Iachimo wagers with Posthumus over Imogen's fidelity, then lies to win, creating bitter enmity between them.

### [Philario](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/philario)

_friendship_

Iachimo and Philario are acquaintances in Rome, with Philario hosting the wager that sets Iachimo's plot in motion.

### [Imogen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/imogen)

_rivalry_

Iachimo manipulates and deceives Imogen to win a bet against Posthumus, invading her privacy and slandering her virtue.

### [Posthumus Leonatus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/posthumus_leonatus)

_rivalry_

Iachimo wagers with Posthumus over Imogen's fidelity, then lies to win, creating bitter enmity between them.

### [Philario](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/philario)

_friendship_

Iachimo and Philario are acquaintances in Rome, with Philario hosting the wager that sets Iachimo's plot in motion.

### [Imogen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/imogen)

_rivalry_

Iachimo manipulates and deceives Imogen to win a bet against Posthumus, invading her privacy and slandering her virtue.

### [Belarius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/belarius)

_rivalry_

Belarius opposes Iachimo's schemes indirectly, as Iachimo's deceit threatens the royal family Belarius secretly protects.

### [Posthumus Leonatus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/posthumus_leonatus)

_rivalry_

Iachimo wagers with Posthumus over Imogen's fidelity, then lies to win, creating bitter enmity between them.

## In the story

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iv)

Provokes Posthumus by questioning Imogen's virtue and proposes the wager to seduce her.

### [Scene VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-i-scene-vi)

Iachimo attempts to seduce Imogen with false tales of Posthumus's infidelity, then feigns a test of her loyalty and arranges to hide a trunk in her chamber.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-ii)

Hides in the trunk, emerges to steal Imogen's bracelet and note a mole on her breast, planning to deceive Posthumus.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-iv)

Returns to Rome and presents fabricated evidence of Imogen's infidelity, winning the wager.

### [Scene V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-v)

Mentioned by Posthumus as the agent of his deception, described as a 'yellow' boar who seduced Imogen.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-iv)

Accused by Imogen of falsely accusing Posthumus of incontinency, now seen as a villain.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-v-scene-ii)

Defeated by Posthumus, he feels guilt for slandering Imogen and laments his loss of manhood.

### [Scene V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/chapters/act-v-scene-v)

Confesses his wager with Posthumus, his deceit in Imogen's chamber, and the false proof he brought to Rome.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters/iachimo
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cymbeline_se/characters