Synopsis:
The tribunes’ delight in Coriolanus’s banishment is interrupted by news that an army led by him and Aufidius has invaded Rome’s territories.
CoriolanusCoriolanus
Contents
Characters in the Play
Entire Play
As Coriolanus begins, two Roman patricians, Menenius and Martius, calm a revolt by the city’s famished plebians. Martius, who despises the plebians,…
Act 1, scene 1
Rome’s famished plebeians threaten revolt, and the patrician Menenius attempts to placate them. Martius announces that the plebeians, whom he…
Act 1, scene 2
Aufidius and Volscian senators discuss the Roman preparations for war.
Act 1, scene 3
Volumnia, Martius’s mother, and Virgilia, his wife, are visited by Valeria, who brings news of Martius at Corioles.
Act 1, scene 4
Before the Romans can besiege Corioles, the Volscians emerge to attack them. Martius rallies the troops to beat the Volscians…
Act 1, scene 5
Leaving Lartius to secure Corioles, Martius goes to the aid of the Roman general Cominius on the battlefield near the…
Act 1, scene 6
Martius joins Cominius and inspires the Roman troops to further combat.
Act 1, scene 7
Having secured Corioles, Lartius leaves to join Cominius.
Act 1, scene 8
Martius defeats Aufidius and his Volscian supporters.
Act 1, scene 9
Cominius awards Martius the name Coriolanus for his service at Corioles.
Act 1, scene 10
Aufidius vows to destroy Coriolanus by any means possible.
Act 2, scene 1
Coriolanus is welcomed back to Rome by his family and Menenius, and is expected to be elected consul. (Coriolanus’s entry…
Act 2, scene 2
The Senate meets to hear Cominius praise Coriolanus in a formal oration and then to choose Coriolanus as its nominee…
Act 2, scene 3
According to custom, Coriolanus asks a number of individual plebeians for their votes. Although he mocks them, they consent to…
Act 3, scene 1
Learning that the plebeians have revoked their votes, Coriolanus publicly attacks the decision that had given the people tribunes. Accusing…
Act 3, scene 2
The patricians and Volumnia persuade Coriolanus to pretend to tolerate the plebeians and their tribunes.
Act 3, scene 3
When the tribunes call Coriolanus a traitor, he angrily insults them, and they first impose a death sentence and then…
Act 4, scene 1
Coriolanus says goodbye to his family and closest supporters.
Act 4, scene 2
Meeting the tribunes, Volumnia and Virgilia curse them.
Act 4, scene 3
A Roman informer tells a Volscian spy of Coriolanus’s banishment.
Act 4, scene 4
Coriolanus comes to the Volscian city of Antium in search of Aufidius.
Act 4, scene 5
Coriolanus offers to join Aufidius in making war on Rome.
Act 4, scene 6
The tribunes’ delight in Coriolanus’s banishment is interrupted by news that an army led by him and Aufidius has invaded…
Act 4, scene 7
Aufidius, offended by the Volscian soldiers’ preference for Coriolanus, begins plotting against him.
Act 5, scene 1
After Cominius fails to persuade Coriolanus not to destroy Rome, Menenius agrees to try.
Act 5, scene 2
Menenius fails to shake Coriolanus’s determination to destroy Rome.
Act 5, scene 3
Volumnia, accompanied by Virgilia, Valeria, and young Martius, persuades Coriolanus to spare Rome.
Act 5, scene 4
News arrives in Rome of Volumnia’s success.
Act 5, scene 5
The Romans honor Volumnia as she returns.
Act 5, scene 6
Aufidius and his fellow conspirators, on their return to Corioles, publicly assassinate Coriolanus.
⌜Scene 6⌝
Enter the two Tribunes. Sicinius and Brutus.SICINIUS
We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.
His remedies are tame—the present peace,
And quietness of the people, which before
Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
5 Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,
Though they themselves did suffer by ’t, behold
Dissentious numbers pest’ring streets than see
Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going
About their functions friendly.
BRUTUS
10 We stood to ’t in good time.
Enter Menenius.
Is this Menenius?
SICINIUS
’Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kind
Of late.—Hail, sir.
MENENIUS Hail to you both.
SICINIUS
15 Your Coriolanus is not much missed
But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,
And so would do were he more angry at it.
215
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
All’s well, and might have been much better if
He could have temporized.
SICINIUS 20Where is he, hear you?
MENENIUS Nay, I hear nothing;
His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.
Enter three or four Citizens.
ALL ⌜CITIZENS, to the Tribunes⌝
The gods preserve
you both!
SICINIUS 25 Good e’en, our neighbors.
BRUTUS
Good e’en to you all, good e’en to you all.
FIRST CITIZEN
Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees
Are bound to pray for you both.
SICINIUS Live, and thrive!
BRUTUS
30 Farewell, kind neighbors. We wished Coriolanus
Had loved you as we did.
ALL ⌜CITIZENS⌝ Now the gods keep you!
BOTH TRIBUNES Farewell, farewell.Citizens exit.
SICINIUS
This is a happier and more comely time
35 Than when these fellows ran about the streets
Crying confusion.
BRUTUS Caius Martius was
A worthy officer i’ th’ war, but insolent,
O’ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinking
40 Self-loving.
SICINIUS
And affecting one sole throne, without assistance.
MENENIUS I think not so.
SICINIUS
We should by this, to all our lamentation,
If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
217
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
45 The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
Sits safe and still without him.
Enter an Aedile.
AEDILE Worthy tribunes,
There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
Reports the Volsces with two several powers
50 Are entered in the Roman territories,
And with the deepest malice of the war
Destroy what lies before ’em.
MENENIUS ’Tis Aufidius,
Who, hearing of our Martius’ banishment,
55 Thrusts forth his horns again into the world,
Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome,
And durst not once peep out.
SICINIUS Come, what talk you of Martius?
BRUTUS
Go see this rumorer whipped. It cannot be
60 The Volsces dare break with us.
MENENIUS Cannot be?
We have record that very well it can,
And three examples of the like hath been
Within my age. But reason with the fellow
65 Before you punish him, where he heard this,
Lest you shall chance to whip your information
And beat the messenger who bids beware
Of what is to be dreaded.
SICINIUS Tell not me.
70 I know this cannot be.
BRUTUS Not possible.
Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER
The nobles in great earnestness are going
219
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
That turns their countenances.
SICINIUS 75 ’Tis this slave—
Go whip him ’fore the people’s eyes—his raising,
Nothing but his report.
MESSENGER Yes, worthy sir,
The slave’s report is seconded, and more,
80 More fearful, is delivered.
SICINIUS What more fearful?
MESSENGER
It is spoke freely out of many mouths—
How probable I do not know—that Martius,
Joined with Aufidius, leads a power ’gainst Rome
85 And vows revenge as spacious as between
The young’st and oldest thing.
SICINIUS This is most likely!
BRUTUS
Raised only that the weaker sort may wish
Good Martius home again.
SICINIUS 90The very trick on ’t.
MENENIUS This is unlikely;
He and Aufidius can no more atone
Than violent’st contrariety.
Enter ⌜a Second⌝ Messenger.
⌜SECOND⌝ MESSENGER You are sent for to the Senate.
95 A fearful army, led by Caius Martius
Associated with Aufidius, rages
Upon our territories, and have already
O’erborne their way, consumed with fire and took
What lay before them.
Enter Cominius.
COMINIUS, ⌜to the Tribunes⌝ 100 O, you have made good
work!
MENENIUS What news? What news?
221
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
You have holp to ravish your own daughters and
To melt the city leads upon your pates,
105 To see your wives dishonored to your noses—
MENENIUS What’s the news? What’s the news?
COMINIUS, ⌜to the Tribunes⌝
Your temples burnèd in their cement, and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
Into an auger’s bore.
MENENIUS 110 Pray now, your news?—
You have made fair work, I fear me.—Pray, your
news?
If Martius should be joined with Volscians—
COMINIUS If?
115 He is their god; he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than Nature,
That shapes man better; and they follow him
Against us brats with no less confidence
Than boys pursuing summer butterflies
120 Or butchers killing flies.
MENENIUS, ⌜to the Tribunes⌝ You have made good work,
You and your apron-men, you that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation and
The breath of garlic eaters!
COMINIUS
125 He’ll shake your Rome about your ears.
MENENIUS
As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit.
You have made fair work.
BRUTUS But is this true, sir?
COMINIUS Ay, and you’ll look pale
130 Before you find it other. All the regions
Do smilingly revolt, and who resists
Are mocked for valiant ignorance
And perish constant fools. Who is ’t can blame him?
Your enemies and his find something in him.
223
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
The noble man have mercy.
COMINIUS Who shall ask it?
The Tribunes cannot do ’t for shame; the people
Deserve such pity of him as the wolf
140 Does of the shepherds. For his best friends, if they
Should say “Be good to Rome,” they charged him
even
As those should do that had deserved his hate
And therein showed like enemies.
MENENIUS 145 ’Tis true.
If he were putting to my house the brand
That should consume it, I have not the face
To say “Beseech you, cease.”—You have made fair
hands,
150 You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!
COMINIUS You have
brought
A trembling upon Rome such as was never
S’ incapable of help.
TRIBUNES 155 Say not we brought it.
MENENIUS
How? Was ’t we? We loved him, but like beasts
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o’ th’ city.
COMINIUS But I fear
160 They’ll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer. Desperation
Is all the policy, strength, and defense
That Rome can make against them.
Enter a troop of Citizens.
MENENIUS 165 Here come the
clusters.—
And is Aufidius with him? You are they
225
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 6
Your stinking, greasy caps in hooting at
170 Coriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming,
And not a hair upon a soldier’s head
Which will not prove a whip. As many coxcombs
As you threw caps up will he tumble down
And pay you for your voices. ’Tis no matter.
175 If he could burn us all into one coal,
We have deserved it.
ALL ⌜CITIZENS⌝ Faith, we hear fearful news.
FIRST CITIZEN For mine own part,
When I said banish him, I said ’twas pity.
SECOND CITIZEN 180And so did I.
THIRD CITIZEN And so did I. And, to say the truth, so
did very many of us. That we did we did for the
best; and though we willingly consented to his
banishment, yet it was against our will.
COMINIUS 185You’re goodly things, you voices!
MENENIUS
You have made good work, you and your cry!—
Shall ’s to the Capitol?
COMINIUS O, ay, what else?Both exit.
SICINIUS
Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.
190 These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.
FIRST CITIZEN The gods be good to us! Come, masters,
let’s home. I ever said we were i’ th’ wrong when
195 we banished him.
SECOND CITIZEN So did we all. But, come, let’s home.
Citizens exit.
BRUTUS I do not like this news.
SICINIUS Nor I.
227
Coriolanus
ACT 4. SC. 7
Let’s to the Capitol. Would half my wealth
200 Would buy this for a lie.
SICINIUS Pray, let’s go.
Tribunes exit.
