The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 483
under a moving boat, men obeyed him
A vessel under sail, so men obey'd,
and he ran them over like a boat. His sword was deadly,
And fell below his stem: his sword,--death's stamp,--
and when it hit people, it killed them. From head to toe
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
he was covered in blood, and every time he moved
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
people died. He entered Corioles alone,
Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd
though he should have died there, and he covered the gates
The mortal gate of the city, which he painted
with the blood of those who couldn’t escape their destiny. He escaped without help,
With shunless destiny; aidless came off,
and with renewed strength he hit
And with a sudden re-enforcement struck
Corioles like a plague. Then he had won everything,
Corioli like a planet. Now all's his:
but eventually, the noise and commotion of war began to
When, by and by, the din of war 'gan pierce
reinvigorate him, and suddenly his renewed spirit
His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit
brought his fatigued body back to life,
Re-quick'ned what in flesh was fatigate,
and he returned to the battle, where he
And to the battle came he; where he did
ran bleeding and killing, as if
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
it was a perpetual slaughter. And until we claimed
'Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call'd
the battle and the city for Rome he never stopped
Both field and city ours he never stood
to breathe.
To ease his breast with panting.
MENENIUS.
What a good man!
Worthy man!
FIRST SENATOR.
He will definitely live up to the honors
He cannot but with measure fit the honours
that we’ll think up for him.
Which we devise him.
COMINIUS.
He didn’t want any of our booty,
Our spoils he kick'd at;
and he look at precious things as if they were
And looked upon things precious as they were
common muck. He wants less
The common muck of the world: he covets less
than he would have if he were poor, the only reward he
Than misery itself would give; rewards
gets are his deeds themselves, and he’s content
His deeds with doing them; and is content
to live it up in action.
To spend the time to end it.
MENENIUS.
He’s great.
He's right noble:
He should be recognized.
Let him be call'd for.
FIRST SENATOR.
Call Coriolanus.
Call Coriolanus.
OFFICER.
Here he is.
He doth appear.
[Re-enter CORIOLANUS.]
MENENIUS.
The Senate, Coriolanus, are happy
The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd
to make you a consul.
To make thee consul.
CORIOLANUS.
I always owe them
I do owe them still
my life and my service.
My life and services.
MENENIUS.
All you have to do now
It then remains
is speak to the people.
That you do speak to the people.
CORIOLANUS.
I beg you,
I do beseech you
let me skip that tradition. I cannot
Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot
wear a shirt that would show off my wounds and beg them
Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them,
to vote for me for the sake of my wounds. Please let me
For my wounds' sake to give their suffrage: please you
skip that step.
That I may pass this doing.
SICINIUS.
Sir, the people
Sir, the people
must be allowed to vote, and they won’t disrespect or detract from
Must have their voices; neither will they bate
the political process.
One jot of ceremony.
MENENIUS.
Do not challenge them:
Put them not to't:--
Please, conform yourself to the custom and
Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and
your honors with all the accompanying ceremonies,
Take to you, as your predecessors have,
like everyone else does.
Your honour with your form.
CORIOLANUS.
I’m embarrassed
It is a part
to do it, and we really should just cut
That I shall blush in acting, and might well
the common people out of the political process.
Be taken from the people.
BRUTUS.
[To Sicinius] Do you hear that?
Mark you that?
CORIOLANUS.
I shudder to think of bragging about my wounds, and saying how I got them,
To brag unto them,--thus I did, and thus;--
and showing the people my healed scars (which I should hide),
Show them the unaching scars which I should hide,
as if I had received them only
As if I had receiv'd them for the hire
on their behalf!
Of their breath only!
MENENIUS.
Don’t make a fuss, Coriolanus.
Do not stand upon't.--
Representatives of the people, we entrust you to
We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,
tell the people about our intention to make Coriolanus Consul. And to Coriolanus,
Our purpose to them;--and to our noble consul
we wish you joy and honor.
Wish we all joy and honour.
SENATORS.
Good luck to Coriolanus!
To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!
[Flourish. Exeunt all but SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]
BRUTUS.
You see how he intends to abuse the people.
You see how he intends to use the people.
SICINIUS.
I hope they notice his bad intentions! He will ask them to elect him
May they perceive's intent! He will require them
as if he were contemptuous that what he requested
As if he did contemn what he requested
should be theirs to give [i.e., they should not be allowed to vote].
Should be in them to give.
BRUTUS.
Come, let’s tell them
Come, we'll inform them
what happened here. I know they’re waiting for us
Of our proceedings here: on the market-place
at the marketplace.
I know they do attend us.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter several citizens.]
FIRST CITIZEN.
First of all, if he asks for our votes, we should give them to him.
Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.
SECOND CITIZEN.
We could, if we wanted to.
We may, sir, if we will.
THIRD CITIZEN.
We have the legal authority to do it, but it is a right that we
We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we
are not allowed to use: if he shows us his wounds and tells us his
have no power to do: for if he show u
s his wounds and tell us his
deeds, we are expected to take his side;
deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds and speak for
if he tells all about his brave actions, we must also tell him
them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him
how much we appreciate them. Ingratitude is bad, and for
our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous: and for
the common people to be ungrateful would make the common people
the multitude to be ingrateful were to make a monster of the
look bad, and since we are our common people ourselves, we would make
multitude; of the which we being members, should bring ourselves
ourselves into monsters [with a sexual pun on “member”].
to be monstrous members.
FIRST CITIZEN.
And he wouldn’t think any better of us for helping him out.
And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve;
Remember when we protested about the price of wheat? He didn’t hesitate to call
for once we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call
us a fickle and divided mob.
us the many-headed multitude.
THIRD CITIZEN.
A lot of people have called us that. Not that we are
We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some
physically different from each other, but that we all have
brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are
different opinions. And I agree that if we put all of our minds into one skull,
so diversely coloured; and truly I think if all our wits were to
they would all fly in different directions,
issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south;
and they wouldn’t be able to agree about which
and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the
way to go.
points o' the compass.
SECOND CITIZEN.
You think so? Which way do you think my mind would fly?
Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?
THIRD CITIZEN.
No, your mind won’t fly off as quickly as some people’s,
Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will,--'tis
because you’re stupid. But if it could fly,
strongly wedged up in a block-head; but if it were at liberty
it would go south.
'twould, sure, southward.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Why that way?
Why that way?
THIRD CITIZEN.
To get lost and get sick in the unhealthy southern air, but after ¾ of it had died,
To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with
the last quarter would come back to your blockhead out of pity
rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience' sake, to
and help you find a wife.
help to get thee a wife.
SECOND CITIZEN.
You are always witty. You win, you win.
You are never without your tricks:--you may, you may.
THIRD CITIZEN.
Are you all determined to vote? That doesn’t matter,
Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter,
the majority wins. I say, if only he would take our side,
the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the
there never was be a better man. Here he comes, and in a revealing robe
people, there was never a worthier man. Here he comes, and in the
so we can see his scars. Look what he wants us to do. We are to stay all
gown of humility. Mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all
together, and come up to him in groups of one, two
together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos,
and three. He’s going to ask for out vote to each of us personally,
and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars, wherein
so that each of us has the individual honor of voting for him.
every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices
Follow me, and I’ll show you
with our own tongues; therefore follow me, and I'll direct you
how to go up to him.
how you shall go by him.
ALL.
Ok, ok.
Content, content.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS.]
MENENIUS.
You were wrong. Did you know
O sir, you are not right; have you not known
that the best men are going to vote for you?
The worthiest men have done't?
CORIOLANUS.
What am I supposed to say?
What must I say?—
“Please, sir?”— Damn it! I can’t bring
'I pray, sir'--Plague upon't! I cannot bring
myself to say it. “Look at my wounds;
My tongue to such a pace.--'Look, sir,--my wounds;--
I got them in the service of my country, when
I got them in my country's service, when
some of your friends screamed and ran away
Some certain of your brethren roar'd, and ran
before the battle even started.”
From the noise of our own drums.'
MENENIUS.
Oh my God!
O me, the gods!
Don’t talk about that. Ask them to
You must not speak of that: you must desire them
consider you.
To think upon you.
CORIOLANUS.
Consider me? Damn them!
Think upon me? Hang 'em!
I wish they would forget me, like the morality lessons
I would they would forget me, like the virtues
that the priests waste on them.
Which our divines lose by 'em.
MENENIUS.
You’ll ruin everything.
You'll mar all:
I’ll leave you. Please speak to them,
I'll leave you. Pray you speak to 'em, I pray you,
in a nice way.
In wholesome manner.
CORIOLANUS.
It would be nice to tell them to take a bath
Bid them wash their faces
and brush their teeth.
And keep their teeth clean.
[Exit MENENIUS.]
So, here comes a couple.
So, here comes a brace:
[Re-enter two citizens.]
You know why I’m here.
You know the cause, sirs, of my standing here.
FIRST CITIZEN.
We do, sir. Tell us how you managed it.
We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to't.
CORIOLANUS.
On my own merit.
Mine own desert.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Your own merit?
Your own desert?
CORIOLANUS.
Yes, not because I want to be.
Ay, not mine own desire.
FIRST CITIZEN.
What! You don’t want to be here?
How! not your own desire!
CORIOLANUS.
No. I never wanted to bother the poor by
No, sir, 'twas never my desire yet to trouble the poor with
begging for their vote.
begging.
FIRST CITIZEN.
You must realize that if we vote for you we’ll expect to get something in return.
You must think, if we give you anything, we hope to gain by you.
CORIOLANUS.
Well then, what is your price for the consulship?
Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship?
F
IRST CITIZEN.
The price is for you to ask for it nicely.
The price is to ask it kindly.
CORIOLANUS.
Well then, kindly let me have it. I have wounds to show you,
Kindly! sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to show you,
which you can enjoy in private. Your vote, sire, what
which shall be yours in private.--Your good voice, sir; what
do you say?
say you?
SECOND CITIZEN.
You will have it, sir.
You shall ha' it, worthy sir.
CORIOLANUS.
Agreed! That’s two good votes I’ve got. I have your
A match, sir.--There's in all two worthy voices begg'd.--I have
charitable promise. Good bye.
your alms: adieu.
FIRST CITIZEN.
But this is strange.
But this is something odd.
SECOND CITIZEN.
And stanger still if he gives something back. But it doesn’t matter.
An 'twere to give again,-- but 'tis no matter.
[Exeunt two citizens.]
[Re-enter other two citizens.]
CORIOLANUS.
If it is agreeable to you that I
Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices that I
should be consul, I have here the customary gown [that shows his scars].
may be consul, I have here the customary gown.
THIRD CITIZEN.
You have served your country well, but you do not
You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not
deserve reward.
deserved nobly.
CORIOLANUS.
What’s the answer to your riddle?
Your enigma?
THIRD CITIZEN.
You have been a scourge to Rome’s enemies, you have been a help to
You have been a scourge to her enemies; you have been a rod to
her friends, but you have not loved the common people.
her friends: you have not indeed loved the common people.