The Queen is Cymbeline’s second wife, a beautiful widow, and a rather classic evil stepmother.
She marries Cymbeline for the sake of having him adopt her son Cloten as heir, after which she intends to poison him. She also hopes to do away with her stepdaughter Imogen, and makes a start by ruining her marriage by moving Cymbeline to oppose it. A great dissembler, she convinces almost everybody of her sweetness, but both Imogen and Dr. Cornelius see through her, the latter choosing not to let her get her hands on any deadly poisons, but giving her innocuous sleeping potions instead. She attempts to corrupt everyone who crosses her path in her quest to have Cloten marry Imogen. She also meddles in politics and encourages Cymbeline to defy the Romans, thereby precipitating a war. She falls ill when Cloten vanishes, and as she lies dying begins to be remorseful for all her evils, and confesses them.
