Cymbeline vs Macbeth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Kings and rulers, Drama, History, Fiction
Cymbeline
“In the scene which dramatizes the central crisis of her fortunes, the heroine of Cymbeline apparently dies, and her brothers speak over her body perhaps the most exquisite lyric in the language, 'Fear no more the heat o'th' sun', whose serene beauty has brought consolation to many a real-life funeral.”
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Cymbeline, King of Britain is one of the best-known works of William Shakespeare. It is a romantic play interwoven with war and tragedy. It revolves around Cymbeline and his daughter, Imogen. Imogen does not abide by…
Macbeth
“Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.”
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The play concerns a trusted general who secretly lusts for power. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and urged on by his ambitious wife Macbeth commits regicide. Left fearful and superstitious by this…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Macbeth has the widest readership — 18773 ratings behind its score.
- Macbeth reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 66 times.
- Macbeth runs the darker storyline; Cymbeline stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Cymbeline | Macbeth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (12298) | 3.5 (18773) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (19) | 3.9 (1169) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (9) | 3.5 (555) |
Reception
| Cymbeline | Macbeth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 12298 | 18773 |
| Editions | 844 | 1867 |
| Citations | 4 | 66 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 9853 | 8761 |
| Reading it now | 4 | 325 |
| Written reviews | 1065 | 190 |
| Wikipedia attention | 6844 | 485 |
| Pages | 178 | 84 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Cymbeline or Macbeth?
Cymbeline has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Cymbeline 3.6/5, Macbeth 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: Cymbeline or Macbeth?
Macbeth is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Macbeth (84 pages, ≈ 1 h 33 m); Cymbeline (178 pages, ≈ 3 h 18 m).
Which is harder to read: Cymbeline or Macbeth?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Cymbeline: Demanding; Macbeth: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Cymbeline: 1 film adaptation; Macbeth: no film adaptation on record.