Doctor (Cymbeline)

The Doctor who attended to the Britons' Queen was a character in an early draft of William Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. He was clearly based upon the Eleventh Doctor.

In addition to his service to the Queen, he also referred to a liking of "jumping into dangers unexplored". In one scene of the draft, on the wishes of Iachimo, Imogen took a trunk of valuables into her chamber to look after. However, Iachimo had concealed himself in the trunk and planned to fabricate evidence Imogen had not been loyal in order to win a bet with her husband Posthumus. Following Iachimo's exit from the trunk, the Doctor also emerged despite his apparent absence while Iachimo was inside. He implored Iachimo not to go through with the theft of Imogen's bracelet, telling him he knew of the wager which he said shamed both him and Posthumus but not Imogen. Although Iachimo was certain they would both be "lost" if Imogen awoke, the Doctor was not so sure and asked him who slept before them. He then observed Iachimo had started to take notes about the room and denounced him as "quite the thorough villain". Iachimo began to list several things in the room before coming to a story told on a tapestry which had seemingly disappeared with "woven air where she once stood". In response to this, the Doctor declared this was "not good" or rather "very bad", recalling a similar occurrence happening beneath Trafalgar Square on which day "the world was nearly blown to pieces".

The Doctor suggested to Iachimo that he had better climb back into the trunk and reaffirmed this belief when he did not heed this warning. Instead, Iachimo removed Imogen's bracelet from her hand causing her to wake up, the Doctor informing her the other man in the room was called Iachimo who was from Rome. Imogen and Iachimo spoke for a little while with the latter apologising profusely by claiming he and the Doctor had "left [their] manners at the door" but the Doctor accused Imogen of doing the same. Although Iachimo tried to calm him down, telling him "this lady holds us both within her power", this did not work and the Doctor continued by proclaiming she was "no lady". He explained she was not from Earth but a "torrid world of seas and lakes and swamps wherein which dwelt great milky worms they called the Skarasen". He also said they were all "boiled like eels when stellar blasts screamed through her tract of space". Imogen sadly confirmed the "bitter truth" and, as the bracelet had been robbed from her person, changed into her true form. Terrified, Iachimo asked the Doctor for some draught to relieve the sickness which he believed had overpowered his sight. The Doctor told him he did not possess a herb for this and, when Iachimo asked him to release him from his delusions, the Doctor told him he was not dreaming so there was no spell to break. He then suggested for a third time that Iachimo secrete himself in the trunk, an invitation he eagerly took. "Imogen" then told the Doctor it was best Iachimo did not see the "final act" as the next scene was their own. She threatened that by its conclusion, Britain would be her realm. (PROSE: Cymbeline)