The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 488
grow together in times of war. If you admit that, then
I' the war do grow together: grant that, and tell me
why can’t they coexist
In peace what each of them by th' other lose
in peacetime as well?
That they combine not there.
CORIOLANUS.
Tush, tush!
Tush, tush!
MENENIUS.
She makes a good point.
A good demand.
VOLUMNIA.
If it is honorable in wartime to
If it be honour in your wars to seem
lie (which you do
The same you are not,--which for your best ends
in order to win), how is it worse
You adopt your policy,--how is it less or worse
for lies and honor to go together in
That it shall hold companionship in peace
peacetime as they do in war, since they are
With honour as in war; since that to both
equally sought after in both situations?
It stands in like request?
CORIOLANUS.
Why are you urging this?
Why force you this?
VOLUMNIA.
Because you are now obliged to speak
Because that now it lies you on to speak
to the people, not according to your own direction,
To the people; not by your own instruction,
nor on the subject matter that you sincerely believe,
Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you,
but with such words that you can rattle of from memory,
But with such words that are but rooted in
though they are words you do not claim as your own, and which
Your tongue, though but bastards and syllables
win no approval from your true thoughts.
Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth.
Now, that would no more dishonor you
Now, this no more dishonours you at all
than to capture a town with slick words,
Than to take in a town with gentle words,
which otherwise you would have had to take by force
Which else would put you to your fortune and
and risk your life and a lot of bloodshed.
The hazard of much blood.
I would lie when
I would dissemble with my nature where
my fortune and my friends at risk required me to
My fortunes and my friends at stake requir'd
me to do so with honor. I’m speaking here on behalf of
I should do so in honour: I am in this
your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles—
Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles;
and you would rather show the common fools
And you will rather show our general louts
how you can scowl than show them a little flattering courtesy
How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon 'em
to win the possession of their love and to protect
For the inheritance of their loves and safeguard
what the lack of their loves might ruin.
Of what that want might ruin.
MENENIUS.
Noble lady!--
Noble lady!--
Come with us to the market place and speak courteously. You may heal
Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve so,
not only what is dangerous now but also the loss of love
Not what is dangerous present, but the loss
we just experienced.
Of what is past.
VOLUMNIA.
Please son,
I pr'ythee now, my son,
go to them with your hat in hand,
Go to them with this bonnet in thy hand;
and having stretched it like this (here do what they want),
And thus far having stretch'd it,--here be with them,--
on bended knee (because in these situations
Thy knee bussing the stones,--for in such busines
actions speak louder than words, and ignorant people
Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant
believe what they see), nodding at each poor man,
More learned than the ears,--waving thy head,
and so correct your proud heart,
Which often, thus correcting thy stout heart,
which will by this point be as humble as a soft fruit
Now humble as the ripest mulberry
that cannot endure being handled. Or say to them
That will not hold the handling: or say to them
that you are a soldier, and being trained for chaos and war,
Thou art their soldier, and, being bred in broils,
you don’t have the soft touch, which, you do confess,
Hast not the soft way which, thou dost confess,
would have been appropriate for you to use, as they claim,
Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim,
when asking for their love and votes. But you will make
In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame
yourself theirs from now on, honestly, as much
Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far
as you can.
As thou hast power and person.
MENENIUS.
If you did
This but done
exactly what she says, why, their hearts would be yours:
Even as she speaks, why, their hearts were yours:
they grant requested pardons as generously as they use
For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free
useless words.
As words to little purpose.
VOLUMNIA.
Please now,
Pr'ythee now,
go, and be humbled. Although I know you would rather
Go, and be rul'd; although I know thou had'st rather
follow your enemy into a fiery abyss
Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf
than flatter him in a boudoir.
Than flatter him in a bower.
[Enter COMINIUS.]
Here is Cominius.
Here is Cominius.
COMINIUS.
I have been to the market place, and you should either
I have been i' the market-place; and, sir, 'tis fit
go with a strong party of supporters,
You make strong party, or defend yourself
or else apologize or don’t go. They are very angry.
By calmness or by absence: all's in anger.
MENENIUS.
Remember: be nice.
Only fair speech.
COMINIUS.
I think it will work, if he
I think 'twill serve, if he
can adjust his spirit properly.
Can thereto frame his spirit.
VOLUMNIA.
He must, and he will.
He must, and will.—
Please, now, say you will, and go do it.
Pr'ythee now, say you will, and go about it.
CORIOLANUS.
Must I show them my bare head? Must I
Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce? must I
use my lowly tongue to make my noble heart
With my base tongue, give to my noble heart
a liar? Well, I will do it.
A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do't:
But, if it was only a case of losing my own life,
Yet, were there but this single plot to lose,
I would let them kill me
This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it,
and scatter my body to the wind. Let’s go to the market place.
And throw't against the wind.--To the market-place:--
You have forced me to do play a part which I will
You have put me now to such a
part which never
never play convincingly.
I shall discharge to the life.
COMINIUS.
Come, come, we’ll tell you what to say.
Come, come, we'll prompt you.
VOLUMNIA.
Now, please, my son. You have said
I pr'ythee now, sweet son,--as thou hast said
my praise made you a soldier. If you want to earn
My praises made thee first a soldier, so,
my praise for this, do something
To have my praise for this, perform a part
you’ve never done before.
Thou hast not done before.
CORIOLANUS.
Well, I must do it.
Well, I must do't:
Leave me, my usual character, and give me the
Away, my disposition, and possess me
spirit of a whore! My warlike voice,
Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd,
which used to sing with my war drum, is being turned into a
Which quired with my drum, into a pipe
high little voice like a castrated man’s or a virgin,
Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice
that might lull a baby to sleep! Let me smile
That babies lulls asleep! the smiles of knaves
like a jerk, and cry like a
Tent in my cheeks; and school-boys' tears take up
school boy! Let me speak like a beggar,
The glasses of my sight! a beggar's tongue
and let my armored knees,
Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees,
which used to bend only on horseback,
Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his
bend like a beggar kneeling in the street! I will not do it.
That hath receiv'd an alms!--I will not do't;
If I do, I’d stop honoring my own truth,
Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,
and my body’s dishonesty would teach my mind
And by my body's action teach my mind
to be permanently no good.
A most inherent baseness.
VOLUMNIA.
It’s your choice.
At thy choice, then:
It would be more dishonorable for them to beg you,
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour
than for you to beg them. Everything will be ruined.
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin: let
But your mother will share your pride, rather than fearing
Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear
its dangerous consequences, for I am as little afraid of death
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
as you are. Do as you please.
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.
You got your bravery from me, you sucked it from my breast,
Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me;
but your pride is your own.
But owe thy pride thyself.
CORIOLANUS.
Never mind, be happy.
Pray, be content:
Mother, I am going to the market place.
Mother, I am going to the market-place;
Stop scolding me. I’ll win back their love with wicked tricks,
Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves,
obtain their hearts by flattery, and come home beloved
Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd
by everyone in Rome. Look, I am going.
Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going.
Remember me to my wife. I’ll return as consul,
Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul;
and if I don’t, never trust me to
Or never trust to what my tongue can do
flatter anyone again.
I' the way of flattery further.
VOLUMNIA.
Do what you want.
Do your will.
[Exit.]
COMINIUS.
Go! The tribunes are waiting for you. Get ready
Away! The tribunes do attend you: arm yourself
to answer them politely, for they are prepared
To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd
with accusations, which I hear are stronger
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
than any we’ve seen yet.
Than are upon you yet.
CORIOLANUS.
The password is, “Politely.” Please, let’s go:
The word is, mildly.--Pray you let us go:
let them make up charges against me, I
Let them accuse me by invention, I
will answer honorably.
Will answer in mine honour.
MENENIUS.
Yes, but politely.
Ay, but mildly.
CORIOLANUS.
Well, politely it will be, then. Politely.
Well, mildly be it then; mildly.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]
BRUTUS.
Hit him hard with the charge that he aspires to be
In this point charge him home, that he affects
a dictator. If he gets out of that one,
Tyrannical power: if he evade us there,
urge against him with his malice towards the people,
Enforce him with his envy to the people;
and that the booty captured from Antiates
And that the spoil got on the Antiates
was never distributed to the troops.
Was ne'er distributed.
[Enter an AEDILE.]
Well, is he coming?
What, will he come?
AEDILE.
He’s coming.
He's coming.
BRUTUS.
Who with?
How accompanied?
AEDILE.
With old Menenius, and those senators
With old Menenius, and those senators
who always liked him.
That always favour'd him.
SICINIUS.
Do you have a list
Have you a catalogue
of all the votes we have gathered,
Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
based on a simple head count?
Set down by the poll?
AEDILE.
I have it, it’s ready.
I have; 'tis ready.
SICINIUS.
Have you organized them by social group?
Have you collected them by tribes?
AEDILE.
I have.
I have.
SICINIUS.
Tell the people to gather here now.
Assemble presently the people hither:
And when they hear me say, “His penalty will be
And when they hear me say 'It shall be so
determined by the power of the people.” And whether they choose a sentence
I' the right and strength o' the commons,' be it either
of death, or a fine, or banishment, then tell them,
For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them,
when I say fine, yell “Fine!” If death, yell “Death!”
If I say fine, cry 'Fine!'- if death, cry 'Death;'
We’ll stand by the ancient rights and powers of the people,
Insisting on the old prerogative
for the truth of the cause.
And power i' the truth o' the cause.
AEDILE.
I will tell them.
I shall inform them.
BRUTUS.
And when they have begun to yell,
And when such time they have begun to cry,
tell them not to stop yelling, and with a loud, confused noise,
Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd
urge the immediate enforcement
Enforce the present exe
cution
of whatever sentence we decide on.
Of what we chance to sentence.
AEDILE.
Very well.
Very well.
SICINIUS.
Make them be strong, and ready to go along with this plan
Make them be strong, and ready for this hint,
when we start the trial.
When we shall hap to give't them.
BRUTUS.
Get to it.
Go about it.
[Exit AEDILE.]
Make him angry right away. He is used
Put him to choler straight: he hath been us'd
to conquering, and to being famous
Ever to conquer, and to have his worth
for fighting back. Once he is irritated he cannot
Of contradiction; being once chaf'd, he cannot
control his temper, and then says
Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks
what he really thinks, and that is what promises
What's in his heart; and that is there which looks
to help us have him executed.
With us to break his neck.
SICINIUS.
Well, here he comes.
Well, here he comes.
[Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, and Patricians.]
MENENIUS.
Please, try to stay calm.
Calmly, I do beseech you.
CORIOLANUS.
Yeah, like a stable boy who for a penny
Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece
will endure being called book’s worth of nasty name. May God
Will bear the knave by the volume.--The honoured gods
protect Rome, and make Roman judges
Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
good! Spread love among us!
Supplied with worthy men! plant love among's!
Fill our temples with the spectacles of peace,
Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
and don’t fill our streets with war!
And not our streets with war!
FIRST SENATOR.
Amen, amen!
Amen, amen!
MENENIUS.
A noble wish.
A noble wish.
[Re-enter the AEDILE, with Citizens.]