"Most welcome, bondage, for thou art a way, I think, to liberty "--
is all pure Shakespeare. When he determines to give up life, he says:
"O Imogen! I'll speak to thee in silence,"
and Hamlet at his death comes to the self-same word:
The scene with the gaoler is from Hamlet's soul; Posthumus jests with his keeper as Hamlet with the gravedigger:
"So, if I prove a good repast to the spectators, the ship pays the shot;"
"I am merrier to die than them art to live;"
"I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes to direct them the way I am going; but such as wink, and will not use them."
When the messenger comes to bring him to the king, Posthumus cries:
"Thou bringest good news, I am called to be made free,"
Those who wish to see how Shakespeare's mind worked will compare Posthumus' speech to Iachimo, when he has learned the truth, with Othello's words when he is convinced of his own fatal error and of Desdemona's chastity. The two speeches are twins; though the persons uttering them should be of totally different characters. The explanation of this astounding similarity will be given when we come to "Othello."
It is characteristic of Posthumus that he should strike Imogen in her page's dress, not recognizing her; he is ever too quick--a mere creature of impulse. More characteristic still is the way he forgives Iachimo, just as Vincentio forgave Angelo:
"Kneel not to me: The power that I have on you, is to spare you, The malice towards you, to forgive you. Live, And deal with others better."
In judging his fellow-men this is Shakespeare's harshest word. Posthumus, then, is presented to us in the beginning of the play as perfect, a model to young and old, of irreproachable virtue and of all wonderful qualities. In the course of the play, however, he shows himself very nimble-witted, credulous, and impulsive, quick to anger and quicker still to forgive; with thoughts all turned to sadness and to musing; a poet--ever in extremes; now hating his own rash errors to the point of demanding the heaviest punishment for them; now swearing that he will revenge himself on women by writing against them; a philosopher--he jests with his gaoler and consoles himself with despairing speculation in the very presence of the Arch-Fear. All these are manifestly characteristics of Hamlet, and Posthumus possesses no others.