The Tragedy of Coriolanus - ebook

Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I

SCENE I. Rome. A street.

SCENE II. Corioli. The Senate House.

SCENE III. Rome. An apartment in MARCIUS' house.

SCENE IV. Before Corioli.

SCENE V. Within Corioli. A street.

SCENE VI. Near the camp of COMINIUS.

SCENE VII. The gates of Corioli.

SCENE VIII. A field of battle between the Roman and the Volscian camps.

SCENE IX. The Roman camp.

SCENE X. The camp of the Volsces.

ACT II

SCENE I. Rome. A public place

SCENE II. Rome. The Capitol.

SCENE III. Rome. The Forum.

ACT III

SCENE I. Rome. A street

SCENE II. Rome. A room in CORIOLANUS'S house.

SCENE III. Rome. The Forum.

ACT IV

SCENE I. Rome. Before a gate of the city.

SCENE II. Rome. A street near the gate.

SCENE III. A highway between Rome and Antium.

SCENE IV. Antium. Before AUFIDIUS'S house.

SCENE V. Antium. A hall in AUFIDIUS'S house.

SCENE VI. Rome. A public place.

SCENE VII. A camp at a short distance from Rome.

ACT V

SCENE I. Rome. A public place

SCENE II. An Advanced post of the Volscian camp before Rome.

SCENE III. The tent of CORIOLANUS.

SCENE IV. Rome. A public place.

SCENE V. Rome. A street near the gate.

SCENE VI. Antium. A public place.DRAMATIS PERSONAE

CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman

TITUS LARTIUS, General against the Volscians

COMINIUS, General against the Volscians

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus

SICINIUS VELUTUS, Tribune of the People

JUNIUS BRUTUS, Tribune of the People

YOUNG MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus

A ROMAN HERALD

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians

LIEUTENANT, to Aufidius

Conspirators with Aufidius

A CITIZEN of Antium

TWO VOLSCIAN GUARDS

VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus

VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus

VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia

GENTLEWOMAN attending on Virgilia

Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Aediles, Lictors, Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants

SCENE: Partly in Rome, and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates.ACT I

SCENE I. Rome. A street

FIRST CITIZEN.

Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.

ALL.

Speak, speak.

FIRST CITIZEN.

You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?

ALL.

Resolved, resolved.

FIRST CITIZEN.

First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

ALL.

We know’t, we know’t.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Let us kill him, and we’ll have corn at our own price. Is’t a

verdict?

ALL.

No more talking on’t; let it be done: away, away!

SECOND CITIZEN.

One word, good citizens.

FIRST CITIZEN.

We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians good.

What authority surfeits on would relieve us; if they would yield

us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess

they relieved us humanely; but they think we are too dear: the

leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an

inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a

gain to them.–Let us revenge this with our pikes ere we become

rakes: for the gods know I speak this in hunger for bread, not in

thirst for revenge.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

FIRST CITIZEN.

Against him first: he’s a very dog to the commonalty.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Consider you what services he has done for his country?

FIRST CITIZEN.

Very well; and could be content to give him good report for’t,

but that he pays himself with being proud.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Nay, but speak not maliciously.

FIRST CITIZEN.

I say unto you, what he hath done famously he did it to that end:

though soft-conscienced men can be content to say it was for his

country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud;

which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.

SECOND CITIZEN.

What he cannot help in his nature you account a vice in him. You

must in no way say he is covetous.

FIRST CITIZEN.

If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath

faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition.

What shouts are these? The other side o’ the city is risen: why

stay we prating here? to the Capitol!

ALL.

Come, come.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Soft! who comes here?

SECOND CITIZEN.

Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved the people.

FIRST CITIZEN.

He’s one honest enough; would all the rest were so!

MENENIUS.

What work’s, my countrymen, in hand? where go you

With bats and clubs? the matter? speak, I pray you.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling

this fortnight what we intend to do, which now we’ll show ’em in

deeds. They say poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know

we have strong arms too.

MENENIUS.

Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,

Will you undo yourselves?

FIRST CITIZEN.

We cannot, sir; we are undone already.

MENENIUS.

I tell you, friends, most charitable care

Have the patricians of you. For your wants,

Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well

Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them

Against the Roman state; whose course will on

The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs

Of more strong link asunder than can ever

Appear in your impediment: for the dearth,

The gods, not the patricians, make it; and

Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,

You are transported by calamity

Thither where more attends you; and you slander

The helms o’ th’ state, who care for you like fathers,

When you curse them as enemies.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Care for us! True, indeed! They ne’er cared for us yet. Suffer us

to famish, and their storehouses crammed with grain; make edicts

for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act

established against the rich, and provide more piercing statutes

daily to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not

up, they will; and there’s all the love they bear us.

MENENIUS.

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