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A Study Guide |
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.Plot Summary By Michael J. Cummings...© 2003 . .......However, his attention quickly shifts to new villains when he learns an Italian tribe known as the Volscians plans to attack Rome. It is  wonderful
news to Martius. As a soldier, he likes nothing better than a good war
to test his talents. It is good news, too, to his mother, Volumnia. She
reared her son to be a stalwart soldier who brings glory to Rome, himself,
and his family–in particular, to Volumnia herself. Now that an opportunity
for glory has presented itself, she wants her son to take advantage of
it. Marcius’s wife, Virgilia, is not at all like her husband or his mother;
she is a gentle creature who hates bloodshed.
.......After Marcius marches off to attack the Volscian city of Corioli (south of Rome, within one to three days of foot travel) Virgilia cannot go about business as usual like other Roman women. Instead, she can only sit at home and fret for her husband’s safety. .......At Corioli, the Volscians charge out of the city gates, prompting Marcius to shout that They fear us not, but issue forth their city.But the Volscians drive the Romans back to trenches, causing Marcius to rebuke his men: All the contagion of the south light on you,.......After the fighting resumes, the Volscians withdraw to their walled city. Marcius follows them through the gates, but his compatriots remain behind, thinking it foolhardy to enter the enemy’s den. But Marcius holds his own. When he emerges from the gates bloodied but still standing, with the enemy pursuing him, his soldiers find courage and take the city.Marcius, bleeding, then rides off to lead an attack against Volscians outside the city, and he again wins the day. The Volscians are defeated. For his stunning feats on the battlefield, his fellow soldiers give him a title, “Coriolanus,” meaning conqueror of Corioli. .......When he returns to Rome in triumph, his mother greets him, proud that he has suffered wounds proving his mettle. His wife is also there, weeping for joy that he has survived the battle. To his mother’s delight, the Senate nominates him to be a consul (in ancient Rome, one of two chief magistrates who exercised supreme executive power). .......However, if he is to win the office, he must follow custom and go to the Forum to ask the common people directly for their backing. With the greatest reluctance, the proud warrior agrees to humble himself before the rabble he despises to beg for votes. Out of gratitude for his service to Rome, the people approve him as consul-elect. .......Meanwhile, two of the tribunes elected to represent the people, Sicinius and Brutus, persuade the people that they have made a bad choice. The august Coriolanus, the tribunes say, does not have the people’s interests at heart; he will only rob them of their liberties. The people then decide to recant; Coriolanus shall not be consul after all. Enraged, Coriolanus condemns the fickle mob, suspecting they seek to undermine authority and destroy the state. In return, the tribunes accuse Coriolanus of treason. When Coriolanus draws a sword, his friends escort him away to prevent further upheaval. Menenius Agrippa, an old friend of Coriolanus, then intervenes on the great soldier’s behalf, proposing a peace-making meeting at the Forum. The tribunes agree to attend the meeting. The contentious Coriolanus, however, refuses to participate. His mother, Volumnia, then speaks in favor of the meeting, advising Coriolanus that everyone must compromise from time to time. What motivates her is not conciliation; it is ambition. She wants her son to rise to the consulship. The friends of Coriolanus also importune him to attend the meeting, for the sake of Rome. After being much plied with silver tongues, Coriolanus agrees to the meeting. All is well. But not for long. .......The tribunes renew their accusations and fan the flames of the feud into a conflagration. When Coriolanus loses his temper, he is banished from Rome. Outside the city gates, he bids farewell to his wife, mother, and friends, then bends his mind toward one goal: revenge not only against the tribunes, but all of Rome. .......After Coriolanus finds his way to the camp of the defeated Volscians, who are planning a new attack on Rome, the Volscian leader, Aufidius, sympathizes with Coriolanus. Coriolanus, after all, is a soldier like Aufidius; and brave soldiers should not be treated with ingratitude and ridicule. But when the Volscian regulars receive Coriolanus as a great warrior–a man deserving of trust, admiration, and love–Aufidius has second thoughts about his guest. Aufidius and Coriolanus then march on Rome as co-commanders. Fear grips all of Rome, and the citizens regret their harsh judgment of Coriolanus. When his old Roman friends go to his camp to plead for mercy, he refuses to listen to their entreaties. Then his mother, wife, and little boy go out to his camp to soften his heart. His domineering mother even kneels before him as she presents her case. .......Torn between his love for his family and his sworn duty to the Volscian army, Coriolanus decides to make peace with the city, and he and the Volscians withdraw to Corioli. The Roman citizens rejoice, and they hail Volumnia as the savior of the city. At Corioli, Aufidius cannot brook the popularity that Coriolanus enjoys with his troops, so he decides to assassinate him with the help of three henchmen. First, Aufidius brands Coriolanus a traitor who has robbed the Volscians of a victory over Rome. Then he and the henchmen surround and kill Coriolanus. But in his death, Coriolanus wins another victory: Aufidius, realizing that he has taken the life a noble and worthy friend and adversary, vows to honor the memory of Coriolanus. He says, “My rage is gone; and I am struck with sorrow” (5. 5. 185). Coriolanus is to be given a dignified burial, and he is to be remembered as a man of greatness whose legend will live on in Rome. 
. Protagonist: Coriolanus
Settings................................................................................................................Shakespeare Books at Discount . The action takes place in ancient Italy in the 490's B.C. Scenes are set in central Italy, in Rome, and in the following coastal locales 30 to 40 miles south of Rome: Corioli, Antium, and fields of battle. Date
Written: About 1608.
Coriolanus
is a tragedy based on a historical character, Caius Martius Coriolanus
(also referred to as Gaius Marcius and Gnaeus Martius).
Scholars also sometimes group it as one of Shakespeare’s “Roman plays,”
along with Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.
The historical Coriolanus
was a patrician (member of the upper class) who fought with great valor
in a battle against the Volscians in 493 B.C. at the city of Corioli. Said
to be a haughty man, he looked down on the plebeians (common people of
Rome). In a move that aroused their wrath, he withheld grain from them
during a famine in order to force the elimination of the office of tribunate,
which had been established to preserve the rights of the plebeians. The
tribunate's magistrates, called tribunes, responded by exiling Coriolanus.
After receiving sanctuary among the Volscians, Coriolanus led them in a
march against Rome. He called off the attack, however, after his mother
and wife begged him to spare the city. He later died among the Volscians.
.
Themes Excessive pride brings
ruin. Coriolanus is so proud that he is unable to reconcile with the
Roman people. He seals his fate by siding with the enemy.
VOLUMNIA He had rather see the swords, and hear a drum, than look upon his school-master.The telling words here occur in Volumnia’s reference to the boy’s preference for swords over school and Valeria’s reference to his destruction of the butterfly. Imagery . Animal imagery–a device Shakespeare relied on in other plays, notably King Lear–abounds in Coriolanus. Not infrequently, such imagery reflects the condescending attitude of Coriolanus toward plebeians, foot soldiers, and other commoners. Addressing disgruntled Roman citizens, he says: He that will give good words to thee will flatterAfter the Volscians repel a Roman attack, Coriolanus rallies his infantrymen by shaming them, referring to them as a "herd" (1. 4. 41) and as "souls of geese" (1. 4. 44). A short while later, Coriolanus praises the performance of gentlemen soldiers (aristocratic volunteers) but ridicules the performance of common recruits by comparing them to mice. He says that but for our gentlemen,In Act III, Coriolanus labels Sicinius Velutus, a tribune representing the common people, as a “Triton [sea god] of the minnows” (3. 1. 117). Moments later, he characterizes commoners as “crows” (3. 1. 172). Not to be outdone, the Roman commoners and their representatives also use animal imagery to refer to Coriolanus. For example, the citizens call Coriolanus “a very dog to the commonality” (1. 1. 15). The leader of the Volscians, Aufidius, also uses animal imagery to refer to Coriolanus. When the two men meet on the field of battle between the Volscian and Roman camps, Aufidius compares Coriolanus to a snake, telling him: “Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor / More than thy fame and envy” (1. 8. 6-7). Near the opening of Act II, the tribune Sicinius and the patrician politician Menenius compare the common people to wolves and Coriolanus (Caius Marcius) to a lamb and a bear: SICINIUS Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.When Coriolanus defects to the Volscians, he takes care to avoid inflammatory language when describing himself as a former foe. However, after the Volscians betray him, he defiantly refers to himself as an eagle and the Volscians as mere doves in a cote (shelter): Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads, The climax of a play or another narrative work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax of Coriolanus occurs, according to the first definition, when Rome banishes Coriolanus, leading to his defection to the Volscians and his murder at their hands. According to the second definition, the climax is the murder itself. It can be argued that there is only one climax: Coriolanus's reluctant agreement to a peace plan that saves Rome. However, this view suggests that the fate of Rome is the central focus of the play. Clearly, this was not Shakespeare's intention. The delicate, soft-spoken wife of Coriolanus plays an important role in the play in that she brings out a soft, loving side of Coriolanus. She demonstrates that the fierce warrior has, deep inside him, what it takes to be a caring man capable of tempering his military and political machismo. Unfortunately, except in relations with his wife, he subdues his gentle side. Study Questions and Essay Topics 1.
Do people today judge the worth of an individual solely on his or her personal
virtues? Or are they more likely to judge a person on his ....or
her social standing, wealth, looks or fame?
Notes 2. Feel mine edge: Experience my anger; feel the edge of my sword. 3. Mammocked: Torn to shreads. |