Berliner Ensemble Adaptations

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Berliner Ensemble Adaptations Page 14

by Bertolt Brecht


  Volumnia

  Because your duty now is to address

  The people, to speak to them with words

  That bubble from the surface of your tongue

  Bastards, mere sounds and syllables

  That bear no kinship to your heart.

  It will dishonor you no more

  Than with soft words to take a city

  Against which you would otherwise be forced

  To tempt your luck and risk great loss of blood.

  Be reasonable. Your friends and family are

  In danger. That’s the honorable course.

  But you would rather show this stinking rabble

  How splendidly you frown than smiling cheat

  Them of their votes, and save what otherwise

  Will go to ruin.

  Menenius

  Come, go with us.

  Just a few friendly words. That’s all.

  Volumnia

  Son,

  I beg you, go to them. Just stand bare-headed

  Holding your hands out so (see, here you are)

  Your knees nearly touching the pavement (for in such cases

  Posture counts more than words) and wag your head.

  Just tell them you’re a soldier, reared in the noise

  Of battle, unaccustomed to the gentle

  Manners which they, as you must now admit

  Have every reason to expect. Then tell them

  From this day on they will not find you wanting.

  Menenius

  If you’d do that, speak as your mother has spoken

  By the gods, you’d win all hearts.

  Volumnia

  I beg you, go. I know you’d sooner follow

  Your enemy into a fiery pit than gently

  Into a tavern.

  Menenius

  Cominius!

  (Enter Cominius)

  Cominius

  I’ve come from the Forum, Marcius, and advise you

  To place a strong guard round your house. Or else

  Take flight.

  Menenius

  A gentle word would do it.

  Menenius

  Of course it would, if he could squeeze one out.

  Volumnia

  Son,

  I beg you, just say yes, and go.

  Coriolanus

  Shouldn’t

  I have my face shaved first? All right, I’ll do it.

  Why fret about this bag of dust named Marcius?

  Scatter it to the wind! Come, to the Forum!

  Good-bye, my spirit, let some harlot’s spirit

  Possess me, let my warlike voice

  Pipe like a eunuch’s, let my eyes be filled

  With schoolboy tears, and let my armored knees

  That never bent except in stirrups, bow

  Like a beggar’s stooped for coins. I will not do it.

  I will not cut the truth within me down

  Or let base gestures vitiate my mind.

  Volumnia

  You will decide. I’d call it more dishonor

  For me to beg of you, than you of them.

  Let ruin fall upon us. Do as you please.

  You sucked your courage from my breast, but not

  Your pride.

  Coriolanus

  Calm down. I’m going to the marketplace. Stop scolding.

  I’ll cheat them of their hearts. When I come back

  I’ll be the idol of every shopkeeper in Rome

  And consul too. Commend me to my wife.

  Volumnia

  Do as you like. (Goes out)

  Cominius

  Come, now the tribunes are waiting.

  And arm yourself with mildness. They have heaped up

  Still stronger accusations than before.

  Coriolanus

  “Mild” is the word. Come, let’s be going.

  Inventive as may be their accusations

  My repentance will be more so.

  Menenius

  Yes, but put it mildly.

  Coriolanus

  Right. Mildly does it. Mildly, mildly.

  (All go out)

  2

  Rome. The Forum.

  Sicinius, Brutus, Citizens, an Aedile.

  Brutus Are these the chairmen of the electoral districts?

  Aedile Yes.

  Brutus Have you a list of all the voters they represent?

  Aedile Yes, here it is.

  Sicinius And here he comes.

  (Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, and Senators)

  Menenius

  Speak calmly now, I beg you.

  Coriolanus

  Yes, like a stable boy, who for a tip

  Puts up with any insult. May the gods

  Keep Rome in safety and its seats of justice

  Supplied with worthy men. Let love be our

  Rallying cry. Peace to the city!

  First Senator

  Hear, hear!

  Menenius

  A noble greeting.

  Sicinius

  Chairmen, be seated.

  Aedile

  Hear

  Your tribunes!

  Coriolanus

  Hear me speak first!

  Citizens

  Him first! The same old story! Him first!

  Sicinius

  Very well, speak.

  Citizens

  First me and then the law!—

  The forms be damned.

  Aedile

  Silence, please.

  Coriolanus

  Shall I be further prosecuted elsewhere?

  Will everything be settled here?

  Sicinius

  I must

  First ask you this: Do you submit

  To the people’s voice? Do you recognize

  Their representatives? Do you consent

  To suffer punishment for such offense

  As may be proved against you?

  Coriolanus

  I do.

  Menenius

  Hear that? He does. Consider his services

  In war. He speaks here not as a citizen

  But as a soldier.

  Cominius

  That’s enough now, friend.

  Coriolanus

  How comes it that no sooner voted consul

  I am dishonored and expelled from office?

  Sicinius

  You are on trial, not we.

  Coriolanus

  Well, try me then.

  Sicinius

  You are accused of trying to overthrow

  The tribunes of the people and to seize

  A tyrant’s power. Hence of treason

  Against the people.

  Coriolanus

  Treason!

  Menenius

  Easy, now!

  Cominius

  You promised!

  Coriolanus

  Let the fires of bottommost hell

  Swallow up the people.

  Sicinius

  Did you hear that?

  Coriolanus

  Call me a traitor! Why, you dog

  Of a tribune, you tribune of dogs. You lump

  Of filth! You scoundrel hungry for my death!

  You throat clogged fast with lies!

  Citizens

  Enough!

  Sicinius

  No need of adding further evidence

  To our complaint. What you’ve just seen …

  Citizens

  To the Rock!

  Sicinius

  And heard …

  Citizens

  Come. Take him to the Rock!

  Sicinius

  Beating the tribunes, cursing you, the people

  Opposing law with violence, and now

  Arrogantly defying those empowered

  To judge him. Such offences warrant the

  Death penalty.

  Citizens

  Right! Right! Put him to death.

  Brutus

  But since he has served Rome well …


  Coriolanus

  What is this talk

  Of serving well?

  Brutus

  I’m saying what I know.

  Coriolanus

  What you know!

  Menenius

  Is this the promise

  You made your mother?

  Cominius

  Calm yourself. You know …

  Coriolanus

  Don’t tell me what I know. Let them hurl

  Me down from the steep Tarpeian Rock, or send

  Me off to exile, or whatever else they

  Can think of. I’ll not buy their mercy with

  So much as one soft word, not even a

  “Good morning.”

  Sicinius

  That condemns you. In the people’s

  Name, we the tribunes banish you from Rome

  And warn you on pain of being hurled

  From the Tarpeian Rock, never again

  To enter the city gates.

  Citizens

  Well done!

  (All stand up, to go)

  Cominius

  Hear me!

  Sicinius

  He’s sentenced. The session’s closed.

  Cominius

  No, let me speak. I have been consul. Rome

  Can see the marks of her enemies on me. When

  I say …

  Sicinius

  We know what you will say.

  Brutus

  He’s banished. That’s the end of it.

  Cominius

  The end?

  Coriolanus

  You pack of common curs, I hate your breath

  More than the reek of putrid swamps, and value

  Your love no more than the carcasses of unburied

  Enemies. I banish you!

  Stay here in Rome, shaking with fear, shitting

  In your pants whenever a plume of unfamiliar

  Color appears outside the gates. Maintain,

  The power to banish your defenders till

  Your ignorance (which sees no farther than

  Its nose) sends everyone away but you

  Who have always been your cruelest enemies

  And in the end delivers you to some

  Nation that takes the city without striking

  A blow. Despising Rome on your account

  I turn my back on it. There’s a world

  Elsewhere.

  (Coriolanus goes out with Menenius, Cominius, and Senators)

  Citizens

  The enemy of the people’s gone! He’s gone!

  (They fling their hats into the air)

  3

  Rome. Outside the gates.

  Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, Cominius, and Senators.

  Coriolanus

  Come, come. Don’t cry. Good-bye. The many-headed

  Beast has butted me out. No, mother

  Where’s the old pluck? Who was it taught me

  That common fortune and misfortune were

  For common people? That when the sea was calm

  All ships show equal mastery in sailing

  But that to bear the hardest strokes of fate

  And not get hurt requires noble skill?

  Virgilia

  O heavens! O heavens!

  Coriolanus

  Stop, woman, please …

  Volumnia

  A plague on all the guilds of Rome!

  Coriolanus

  What! What! What!

  They’ll love me when they need me. No, mother

  Remember how you used to say

  That if you’d been the wife of Hercules

  You’d have done six of his labors and so saved

  Your husband all that sweat. Cominius

  Chin up. Good-bye. Good-bye, wife. It’s nothing, mother.

  I’ll get along. Take care, Menenius.

  At your age tears are saltier than when

  You’re young; they’re not good for the eyes.

  You, general, I’ve known you to be staunch.

  Heartrending scenes are nothing new to you.

  Tell these sad women that it’s just as foolish

  To cry at blows that cannot be avoided

  As it is to laugh. The dangers I have faced

  Have kept you youthful, mother, you know that.

  Believe me if you can: although he now

  Goes forth like a lone dragon which his cave

  Makes feared and talked of more than seen, your son

  Will either do uncommon deeds or fall

  A victim to the petty treachery of

  The common herd.

  Volumnia

  Dear son, where will you go?

  Take Cominius with you for a while. Discuss

  With him your future course, for fear blind chance

  Should be your guide.

  Coriolanus

  O heavenly gods!

  Cominius

  I’ll stay with you a month. We’ll talk things over

  Decide where you’re to go, so you may hear

  From us and we from you.

  Coriolanus

  Thank you, old man. But

  You’re not as young as you have been. Too old

  To roam the country with a man—forgive me—

  Who still has ample plans. Just bring me to

  The gate. Come, come! And once outside

  We’ll smile and say good-bye. As long as I

  Remain above the ground you’ll hear from me

  But only news recalling the old Marcius.

  (All go out through the gate)

  4

  Rome. A street near the gate.

  Sicinius, Brutus, and an Aedile.

  Sicinius

  Send them all home. He’s gone. The thing is done.

  The nobles who, as we see, have sided with him

  Are thrown into confusion.

  Brutus

  Now we’ve shown

  Our power, we can take a humbler attitude.

  Sicinius

  Make them go home. Their great enemy

  Is gone.

  Brutus

  Yes, send them home. Here comes his mother.

  (Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius)

  Sicinius

  Quick. Let’s be going.

  Brutus

  Why?

  Sicinius

  They say she’s mad.

  Brutus

  They’ve seen us. Quick.

  Volumnia

  Well met. God damn your souls!

  Menenius

  Sh! Gently, gently. Not so loud!

  Volumnia

  If only

  My tears would let me speak, you’d hear

  A thing or two. No, stay. You shall hear. Stay there!

  Virgilia

  And you stay too. I wish I had the power

  To say that to my husband.

 

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