Were he to stand for consul, never would he
campaign in the market-place, and nor would he
Appear i' the market-place, nor on him put
ever pretend to be humble.
The napless vesture of humility;
Nor would he show his battle scars
Nor, showing, as the manner is, his wounds
to the people, as a way to beg for their support.
To the people, beg their stinking breaths.
SICINIUS.
That’s right.
'Tis right.
BRUTUS.
That’s what he promised. He would rather lose the consulship
It was his word: O, he would miss it rather
than win it by any means but by the support of the rich
Than carry it but by the suit of the gentry to him,
and aristocratic.
And the desire of the nobles.
SICINIUS.
I hope
I wish no better
he does exactly what he says, and puts that
Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it
plan into effect.
In execution.
BRUTUS.
He most likely will.
'Tis most like he will.
SICINIUS.
It will lead him, as we strongly desire,
It shall be to him then, as our good wills,
to political destruction.
A sure destruction.
BRUTUS.
Either he loses
So it must fall out
or we do. To force the issue,
To him or our authorities. For an end,
we must remind the people of how much
We must suggest the people in what hatred
he’s always hated them, and that he would
He still hath held them; that to's power he would
like to make them his mules, and silence their representatives,
Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and
and take away their freedoms.; and that he regards them,
Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them,
in terms of their human abilities,
In human action and capacity,
no more worthwhile
Of no more soul nor fitness for the world
than camels for his wars, who are only fed so that
Than camels in their war; who have their provand
they can carry heavy loads, and be beaten
Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
for failing to carry those burdens.
For sinking under them.
SICINIUS.
Yes, as you say, if we remind the people of all that,
This, as you say, suggested
at a time when he is particularly haughty and cruel
At some time when his soaring insolence
to the common people (and that time will come soon enough,
Shall touch the people,--which time shall not want,
if he is provoked, and that’s as easy
If it be put upon't; and that's as easy
as provoking a dog to attack sheep), then they will
As to set dogs on sheep,--will be his fire
rise up against him,
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
and destroy him forever.
Shall darken him for ever.
[Enter A MESSENGER.]
BRUTUS.
What’s the matter?
What's the matter?
MESSENGER.
You are needed at the Capitol. It is thought
You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought
that Marcius will be consul:
That Marcius shall be consul:
I have seen mute men crowd around to see him, and
I have seen the dumb men throng to see him, and
blind men to hear him speak. Older women throw their gloves,
The blind to hear him speak: matrons flung gloves,
and young ladies throw their scarves and handkerchiefs (as tokens of their affection)
Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers,
at him as he passed. The noblemen bowed to him as they
Upon him as he pass'd; the nobles bended
would to the statue of God, and the common people
As to Jove's statue; and the commons made
threw up their hats and cheered him.
A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:
I never saw anything like it,
I never saw the like.
BRUTUS.
Let’s go to the Capitol
Let's to the Capitol;
to see and hear what’s going on,
And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,
but secretly thinking about the outcome.
But hearts for the event.
SICINIUS.
I’m coming with you.
Have with you.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter two OFFICERS, to lay cushions.]
FIRST OFFICER.
Come, come, they are almost here. How many people are running for consulships?
Come, come; they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?
SECOND OFFICER.
Three, they say. But everyone thinks that Coriolanus will
Three, they say; but 'tis thought of every one Coriolanus will
win it.
carry it.
FIRST OFFICER.
He’s a brave fellow. But he’s very proud, and he doesn’t love the
That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud and loves not the
common people.
common people.
SECOND OFFICER.
Well, there have been many great men who have tried to win the support of the
Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the
people, but who never really loved them; and there are many that the common people
people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have
have loved, without knowing why. So, if they love without knowing
loved, they know not wherefore; so that, if they love they know
why. they hate with no better reason. Therefore, for
not why, they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for
Coriolanus to not care about whether they love or hate him
Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him
shows how well he knows the true nature of the common people; and, because
manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and,
he doesn’t care about their opinion, he lets them know how little he cares about them.
out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't.
FIRST OFFICER.
If he didn’t care whether they loved him or not, he would waver
If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved
indecisively between doing them good and harm. But in fact he
indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm; but he
wants them to hate him even more than they actually do,
seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it
and does everything he can to show them that he is their
him; and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their
enemy. And to try to make the people hate you
opposite. Now to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the
is as bad the opposite, which he dislikes: to flatter them and try to make
people is as bad as that which he dislikes,--to flatter them for
them love you.
their love.
SECOND OFFICER.
He has served his country well, and his rise to fame was not done
He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his ascent is not
by the methods
of those who, having been compliant and
by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and
polite to the people, took off their hats to flatter the people, without doing anything else
courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to
to win their respect and esteem. But Coriolanus has
have them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath
made his honors so clear to them, and won them over with his
so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their
actions, that for them to be silent, and not say how much
hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess
they really love him would be ungrateful, and to say they didn’t love him
so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise
would be an act of ill will so bad that it would make anyone who
were a malice that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof
heard it scold the speaker for lying.
and rebuke from every ear that heard it.
FIRST OFFICER.
That’s enough about him. He is a fine man. Get out of the way, they are coming.
No more of him; he is a worthy man.: make way, they are coming.
[A sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul,
MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators
take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.]
MENENIUS.
Having made a decision about the Volscians, and
Having determined of the Volsces, and
having sent for Titus Lartius to come, it remains for us,
To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,
as the main point of this meeting after the close of the Senate,
As the main point of this our after-meeting,
to reward Coriolanus for his service
To gratify his noble service that
in defending his country. Therefore,
Hath thus stood for his country: therefore please you,
honored old men, please ask the
Most reverend and grave elders, to desire
the present consul, and former General
The present consul, and last general
in our successful war [Cominius], to tell us
In our well-found successes, to report
a little about the good work performed
A little of that worthy work perform'd
by Caius Marcius Coriolus, who
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom
we are to thank and to distinguish
We met here both to thank and to remember
with honors that are as honorable as he is.
With honours like himself.
FIRST SENATOR.
Tell us, Cominius:
Speak, good Cominius:
Leave nothing out to make the story shorter, and make us think
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think
the Senate is stingy for not rewarding him rather
Rather our state's defective for requital
than that we are crazy for wanting to hear more. Tribunes,
Than we to stretch it out.--Masters o' the people,
we kindly request you to listen up. And, after you’ve heard everything,
We do request your kindest ears; and, after,
that you use your influence on the common people
Your loving motion toward the common body,
to convince them to approve what we say here.
To yield what passes here.
SICINIUS.
We came here
We are convented
to have a pleasant discussion, and we are
Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts
inclined to endorse
Inclinable to honour and advance
the ideas that come out of this meeting.
The theme of our assembly.
BRUTUS.
And we will happily
Which the rather
say so soon, as long as he decides
We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember
that the common people are of more value than
A kinder value of the people than
he has thought until now.
He hath hereto priz'd them at.
MENENIUS.
That’s besides the point.
That's off, that's off;
I wish you had kept your mouths shut. Would you like
I would you rather had been silent. Please you
to hear Cominius speak?
To hear Cominius speak?
BRUTUS.
Yes, willingly.
Most willingly.
But what I said was more relevant
But yet my caution was more pertinent
than you say it is.
Than the rebuke you give it.
MENENIUS.
He loves the people;
He loves your people;
but you can’t force him get into bed with them.
But tie him not to be their bedfellow.--
Cominius, please speak.
Worthy Cominius, speak.
[CORIOLANUS rises, and offers to go away.]
No, stay put.
Nay, keep your place.
FIRST SENATOR.
Sit down, Coriolanus, don’t be ashamed to hear
Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear
about the great things you’ve done.
What you have nobly done.
CORIOLANUS.
I’m sorry.
Your Honours' pardon:
I would rather get wounded all over again
I had rather have my wounds to heal again
than hear about how I got them.
Than hear say how I got them.
BRUTUS.
I hope
Sir, I hope
my words didn’t make you stand up.
My words disbench'd you not.
CORIOLANUS.
No, but often,
No, sir; yet oft,
where I stayed to fight, I ran away to avoid people talking.
When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
You didn’t truy to flatter me, so it didn’t bother me. But as for the people,
You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: but your people,
I love them as much as their worth.
I love them as they weigh.
MENENIUS.
Please, sit down.
Pray now, sit down.
CORIOLANUS.
I would rather sit around and scratch myself in the sun
I had rather have one scratch my head i' the sun
when the call came for war, than sit idly by
When the alarum were struck, than idly sit
and hear my small deeds described as marvels.
To hear my nothings monster'd.
[Exit.]
MENENIUS.
Tribunes,
Masters o' the people,
how can he flatter your expanding horde—
Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,--
there’s one good out of a thousand—when as you can see
That's thousand to one good one,--when you now see
that he would rather risk his life for honor
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour
than one of his ears to hear about it? Go ahead, Cominius.
Than one on's ears to hear it?--Proceed, Cominius.
COMINIUS.
My voice won’t be strong enough: the actions of Coriolanus
I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
should not be told in a weak voice. It is believed
Should not be utter'd feebly.--It is held
that bravery is the most important virtue and
That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
&
nbsp; gives most dignity those who posses it. If that is the case,
Most dignifies the haver: if it be,
Coriolanus has only one equal in
The man I speak of cannot in the world
the history of the world. At the age of 16,
Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen years,
when Tarquin [last king of Rome] raised army against Rome, he fought
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
better than all the others. Our then dictator [military leader],
Beyond the mark of others; our then dictator,
whom I also praise, saw him fight,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
when, with his girlish, beardless chin he scattered
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
all the grown men he fought against. Tarquin stood over
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
a defeated Roman and while the dictator watched
An o'erpress'd Roman and i' the consul's view
he killed three opponents. The dictator fought Tarquin
Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
man to man, and Tarquin brought him to his knees. In that battle,
And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
when he might have fought like a woman,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
he turned out to be the best man on the field,
He proved best man i' the field, and for his meed
and was rewarded with the oak wreath honor.
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
The boy became a man that day, and he grew like the rising tide.
Man-enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea;
And in the 17 other battles he fought in
And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
he was always the best. As for Coriolanus,
He lurch'd all swords of the garland. For this last,
in Corioles and all previous battles, let me say,
Before and in Corioli, let me say,
I cannot find words to express how great he was. He stopped the deserters,
I cannot speak him home: he stopp'd the fliers;
and his brave example made the cowards
And by his rare example made the coward
stop being afraid start having fun. Like seaweed
Turn terror into sport: as weeds before
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 482