The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 492
yet my mind gave me his clothes made a false report of him.
FIRST SERVANT.
He is very strong! He spun me around with just his finger and his
What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his
thumb, like he was spinning a top.
thumb, as one would set up a top.
SECOND SERVANT.
No, I could tell from his face that there was more than met the eye. He had
Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him; he had,
a kind of face, I thought… I don’t know how to describe it.
sir, a kind of face, methought,--I cannot tell how to term it.
FIRST SERVANT.
He did, you’re right. Strike me dead, but I
He had so, looking as it were,--would I were hanged, but I
thought there was more to him than I thought.
thought there was more in him than I could think.
SECOND SERVANT.
So did I, I swear. He is just the strangest man in the
So did I, I'll be sworn: he is simply the rarest man i' the
world.
world.
FIRST SERVANT.
I think he is, but he’s also a better soldier than you-know-who.
I think he is; but a greater soldier than he you wot on.
SECOND SERVANT.
Who, the master [Aufidius]?
Who, my master?
FIRST SERVANT.
No, it’s not like that.
Nay, it's no matter for that.
SECOND SERVANT.
Aufidius is worth six of him.
Worth six on him.
FIRST SERVANT.
No, that not true. I think Coriolanus is a better soldier.
Nay, not so neither: but I take him to be the greater soldier.
SECOND SERVANT.
Look, you can’t measure these things: for the defense
Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the defence
of a town Aufidius is excellent.
of a town our general is excellent.
FIRST SERVANT.
Yes, and for offense, too.
Ay, and for an assault too.
[Re-enter third SERVANT.]
THIRD SERVANT.
Slaves, I have news!
O slaves, I can tell you news,--news, you rascals!
FIRST and SECOND SERVANT.
What? Tell us!
What, what, what? let's partake.
THIRD SERVANT.
I’m gald I’m not a Roman. I would rather be a
I would not be a Roman, of all nations; I had as lief be a
condemned man,
condemned man.
FIRST and SECOND SERVANT.
Why?
Wherefore? wherefore?
THIRD SERVANT.
Well, a man is here who used to thwack [beat] our general: Caius
Why, here's he that was wont to thwack our general,--Caius
Marcius.
Marcius.
FIRST SERVANT.
What do you mean, thwack our general?
Why do you say, thwack our general?
THIRD SERVANT.
I’m not saying he could beat our general. But he was a good match
I do not say thwack our general; but he was always good enough
for him.
for him.
SECOND SERVANT.
Come on, we’re co-workers and friends. Marcius was always better than Aufidius.
Come, we are fellows and friends: he was ever too hard for him; I
I’ve heard him say so himself.
have heard him say so himself.
FIRST SERVANT.
Marcius was much too good for him, to be honest. Before
He was too hard for him directly, to say the troth on't; before
the battle of Corioles he cut Aufidius like grilled meat.
Corioli he scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.
SECOND SERVANT.
If he had been inclined towards cannibalism, he might have cooked and eaten
An he had been cannibally given, he might have broiled and eaten
him too.
him too.
FIRST SERVANT.
But what’s the rest of the news?
But more of thy news?
THIRD SERVANT.
Well, they are fussing over him so much in there you’d think he was the son and heir
Why, he is so made on here within as if he were son and heir to
of the god of war. They put him the seat of honor. The senators take off their hats
Mars; set at upper end o' the table: no question asked him by any
in respect before they ask him anything. Aufidius
of the senators but they stand bald before him: our general
is making himself Marcius’ bitch, treats him like a god,
himself makes a mistress of him, sanctifies himself with's hand,
and follows the conversation with exaggerated attention. But the
and turns up the white o' the eye to his discourse. But the
essence of the news is, Aufidius is cut in half like a piece of meat, and
bottom of the news is, our general is cut i' the middle, and but
is half the man he was yesterday, because Marcius has the other half [of the army],
one half of what he was yesterday; for the other has half, by the
which was given to him by the whole table. He’ll go, he says, and
entreaty and grant of the whole table. He'll go, he says, and
seize the guards of Rome by the ears. He will knock down everything
sowl the porter of Rome gates by the ears; he will mow all down
in front him, and leave a trail of devastation.
before him, and leave his passage polled.
SECOND SERVANT.
And he’s likely to do it.
And he's as like to do't as any man I can imagine.
THIRD SERVANT.
Do it! He’s definitely going to do it. He has as many friends as
Do't! he will do't; for look you, sir, he has as many friends as
enemies, and those friends are not, you see,
enemies; which friends, sir, as it were, durst not, look you,
actually his true friends, while he’s in
sir, show themselves, as we term it, his friends, whilst he's in
directitude [made-up word; THIRD SERVANT is just trying to sound smart.]
directitude.
FIRST SERVANT.
Directitude? What’s that?
Directitude! what's that?
THIRD SERVANT.
But when they see him proud and self-confident, and a man in
But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the man in
full vigor, they will come out of their holes like rabbit after it rains
blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain,
and celebrate with him.
and revel all with him.
FIRST SERVANT.
But when will this happen?
But when goes this forward?
THIRD SERVANT.
Tomorrow. Today. Right now. You will have the drums of war sounded
To-morrow; to-day; presently; you shall have the drum struck up
this afternoon. It’s like a part of their feast, and must be done
this afternoon: 'tis as it were parcel of their feast, and to be
before they finish the meal.
executed ere they wipe their lips.
SECOND SERVANT.
Well, then things will be exciting again. Peacetime is good for
Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is
nothing but to make iron rusty, make profit for tailors (to sell clothes to idle men), and
nothing but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed
create song writers
.
ballad-makers.
FIRST SERVANT.
Let’s have a war! It’s way better than peace.
Let me have war, say I; it exceeds peace as far as day does
It’s like a good dog that’s agile, alert, loud, and good at smelling. Peace is
night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is
like being paralyzed, or asleep, or drunk, or deaf, or unconscious.
a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a
It creates more bastard children than war can kill off.
getter of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men.
SECOND SERVANT.
That’s true. And if war can be said to be a rapist,
'Tis so: and as war in some sort, may be said to be a ravisher,
then peace causes women to cheat on their husbands.
so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.
FIRST SERVANT.
Yes, peace makes men hate one another.
Ay, and it makes men hate one another.
THIRD SERVANT.
That’s because they have less need for one abother. I bet there will
Reason: because they then less need one another. The wars for my
be a war. I hope to see Romans killed like the Volscians were in the last war.
money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. They are
The dinner guests are leaving!
rising, they are rising.
ALL.
Go inside!
In, in, in, in!
[Exeunt.]
[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]
SICINIUS.
We haven’t heard anything about him, but we don’t need to worry.
We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
His violence would be futile given the peace
His remedies are tame i' the present peace
and quiet that currently prevails in Rome,
And quietness of the people, which before
which used to be all disturbed. Let his friends
Were in wild hurry. Here do make his friends
be embarrassed that everything is going so smoothly without him.
Blush that the world goes well; who rather had,
Who would rather see
Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold
people rioting in the street
Dissentious numbers pestering streets than see
than see honest people singing while they work, and going
Our tradesmen singing in their shops, and going
about their business peacefully?
About their functions friendly.
BRUTUS.
We fought well, and just in time. Is that Menenius?
We stood to't in good time.--Is this Menenius?
SICINIUS.
It is. He’s been very nice
'Tis he, 'tis he. O, he is grown most kind
lately
Of late.
[Enter MENENIUS
BRUTUS.
Hello!
Hail, sir!
MENENIUS.
Hello to you both!
Hail to you both!
SICINIUS.
Nobody misses Coriolanus
Your Coriolanus is not much miss'd
except his friends. The country is doing fine,
But with his friends: the commonwealth doth stand;
and would be even if he were more angry at us.
And so would do, were he more angry at it.
MENENIUS.
All is well, and it might have been even if Coriolanus
All's well, and might have been much better if
could have just gone with the flow.
He could have temporiz'd.
SICINIUS.
Where is he, do you know?
Where is he, hear you?
MENENIUS.
No, I haven’t heard anything. His mother and wife
Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
haven’t heard from him either.
Hear nothing from him.
[Enter three or four Citizens.]
CITIZENS.
God bless you both!
The gods preserve you both!
SICINIUS.
Good even, neighbors.
Good e’en, our neighbours.
BRUTUS.
Good evening to you all.
Good e’den to you all, Good e’en to you all.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Our wives, children and ourselves should
Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,
pray for you both.
Are bound to pray for you both.
SICINIUS.
Live long and prosper!
Live and thrive!
BRUTUS.
Good bye neighbors. We wish Coriolanus
Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd Coriolanus
had loved you like we do.
Had lov'd you as we did.
CITIZENS.
God bless you!
Now the gods keep you!
BOTH TRIBUNES.
Good bye!
Farewell, farewell.
[Exeunt Citizens.]
SICINIUS.
This is a better time
This is a happier and more comely time
than when these men ran around in the streets
Than when these fellows ran about the streets
causing destruction.
Crying confusion.
BRUTUS.
Caius Marcius was
Caius Marcius was
a good officer in the war, but arrogant,
A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
overwhelmed with prude, too ambitious,
O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
in love with himself—
Self-loving,--
SICINIUS.
And trying to rule by himself,
And affecting one sole throne,
without assistance.
Without assistance.
MENENIUS.
I don’t think so.
I think not so.
SICINIUS.
We would have all found that out, to our sadness,
We should by this, to all our lamentation,
if he had become consul.
If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
BRUTUS.
It was good that the gods prevented it, and Rome
The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
is safe and sound without him.
Sits safe and still without him.
[Enter an AEDILE.]
AEDILE.
Tribunes,
Worthy tribunes,
a slave, whom we have put in prison,
There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
says that the Volscians have invaded Roman territory
Reports,--the Volsces with several powers
with seperate armies
Are enter'd in the Roman territories,
and with hatred in their hearts
And with the deepest malice of the war
are destroying everything in their path.
Destroy what lies before 'em.
MENENIUS.
It’s Aufidius,
'Tis Aufidius,
who, hearing of Marcius’ banishment,
Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
sticks his head out of his shell like a snail
Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;
that was afraid to peep out
Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome,
when Marcius defended Rome
And durst not once peep out.
SICINIUS.
Why are talking about Marcius?
Come, what talk you of Marcius?
BRUTUS.
Go whip the man who started this rumor.
Go see this rumourer whipp'd.--It cannot be
The Volscians wouldn’t dare break their peace treaty with us.
The Volsces dare break with us.
MENENIUS.
Are you sure?
Cannot be?
We have experienced that before.
We have record that very well it can;
They’ve broken three previous peace treaties
And three examples of the like hath been
during my lifetime. You should talk to the fellow,
Within my age. But reason with the fellow,
before you punish him, to find out where he heard this,
Before you punish him, where he heard this;
in case you end up whipping a good source of information,
Lest you shall chance to whip your information
and beat the messenger you warns you
And beat the messenger who bids beware
of what you fear.
Of what is to be dreaded.
SICINIUS.
Don’t tell me.
Tell not me:
I know it couldn’t happen.
I know this cannot be.
BRUTUS.
Not possible.
Not possible.
[Enter A MESSENGER.]
MESSENGER.
The noblemen are all going
The nobles in great earnestness are going
to the senate house. Some news has come in
All to the senate-house: some news is come
that changes their expressions.
That turns their countenances.
SICINIUS.
It’s this slave!
'Tis this slave,--
Go whip him publicly. He instigated him,
Go whip him fore the people's eyes:--his raising;
it’s nothing but his story.
Nothing but his report.
MESSENGER.
Yes sir,
Yes, worthy sir,
the slave’s story has been supported, and more news,