Cymbeline vs The Tempest: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Tragicomedy, English drama, Drama, Fiction

Cymbeline William Shakespeare · 1734 ★★★★☆ 3.6 178 pages · ≈ 3 h 18 m · Demanding

“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.”

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…

1 film adaptation

Language Britons Bibliography Fathers and daughters

Find on Amazon More like this →

The Tempest William Shakespeare · 1611 ★★★★☆ 3.8 518 pages · ≈ 9 h 36 m · Demanding

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the…

1 film adaptation

Teatro English literature: Shakespeare texts Play Performing Arts

Find on Amazon More like this →

Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
Cymbeline is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 9 for The Tempest.
The Tempest has the widest readership — 234109 ratings behind its score.
The Tempest reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 35 times.
The Tempest runs the darker storyline; Cymbeline stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? Cymbeline ≈ 3h vs 9h for The Tempest Want the crowd-tested pick? The Tempest 234109 ratings vs 12298 for Cymbeline In the mood for something dark? The Tempest a darker storyline than Cymbeline Want something lighter? Cymbeline an easier tone than The Tempest Want the literary heavyweight? The Tempest cited 35 times vs 4 for Cymbeline

Scores by source

	Cymbeline	The Tempest
Goodreads	3.6 (12298)	3.8 (234109)
Hardcover	3.6 (19)	3.7 (331)
Apple Books	4.5 (9)	4.0 (32)

Reception

	Cymbeline	The Tempest
Ratings	12298	234109
Editions	844	804
Citations	4	35
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	9853	101027
Reading it now	4	4472
Written reviews	1065	9036
Wikipedia attention	6844	37534
Pages	178	518

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Cymbeline or The Tempest?

The Tempest has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Tempest 3.8/5, Cymbeline 3.6/5).

Which is shorter to read: Cymbeline or The Tempest?

Cymbeline is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Cymbeline (178 pages, ≈ 3 h 18 m); The Tempest (518 pages, ≈ 9 h 36 m).

Which is harder to read: Cymbeline or The Tempest?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Cymbeline: Demanding; The Tempest: Demanding.

Have both books been made into films?

Cymbeline: 1 film adaptation; The Tempest: 5 film adaptations.