Helen (Cymbeline)

Helen was a character in William Shakespeare's play Cymbeline.

She attended to Imogen and was referred to in the transcript as "Lady". She entered Imogen's bedchamber at almost midnight, with Helen telling her the time when she asked. Imogen then informed her she had been reading for three hours and asked Helen to fold down the leaf where she had stopped for the night. She did not do so immediately and, when prompted again, asked Imogen to "excuse the fancy". Imogen inquired further and Helen replied "'twas but a shadow dancing on the wall", brushing it off as "the light". Imogen accepted this response and prepared to go to bed. She told Helen to leave the candle burning but asked that she wake her up if she was still asleep by four o'clock. (PROSE: Cymbeline)