The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 494
To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
depend on the timeframe we consider them in,
Lie in the interpretation of the time:
and power, which is itself a good thing,
And power, unto itself most commendable,
has no platform but a speaker’s podium
Hath not a tomb so evident as a cheer
to praise itself and its accomplishments.
To extol what it hath done.
A strong man
One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
can be beaten by a stronger man
Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.
Come, let’s go. Marcius, when you’ve captured Rome,
Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine,
you will be in a bad position, and shortly thereafter I will capture you.
Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS and BRUTUS, and others.]
MENENIUS.
No, I won’t go. You heard what Cominius said,
No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath said
and he was once his commanding officer, he loved him
Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him
in a special way. Coriolanus loved me like a father,
In a most dear particular. He call'd me father:
but what of it? You go. You banished him.
But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him;
Crawl the last mile to his tent on your knees,
A mile before his tent fall down, and knee
like a penitent begging for mercy. No, if condescended unwillingly
The way into his mercy: nay, if he coy'd
to hear Cominius speak, I’ll stay home.
To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
COMINIUS.
He pretended no to know me.
He would not seem to know me.
MENENIUS.
You hear that?
Do you hear?
COMINIUS.
But once he called me by name.
Yet one time he did call me by my name:
I urged him to remember our friendship, and the blood
I urged our old acquaintance, and the drops
we’ve lost fighting together. He wouldn’t
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
answer to the name Coriolanus. He wouldn’t let me use any name,
He would not answer to: forbad all names;
he was like a nameless nothing,
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,
until he could win a new name out of the fire
Till he had forg'd himself a name i' the fire
of burning Rome.
Of burning Rome.
MENENIUS.
Well, then, you did good work!
Why, so!--you have made good work!
You pair of tribunes that have destroyed Rome,
A pair of tribunes that have rack'd for Rome,
in order to turn it into a heap of charcoal, a splendid memorial to what it once was.
To make coals cheap,--a noble memory!
COMINIUS.
I reminded him how noble it would be to forgive
I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon
when no one expected it. He replied
When it was less expected: he replied,
that asking for forgiveness was pitiful request from a country
It was a bare petition of a state
to someone whom they had punished.
To one whom they had punish'd.
MENENIUS.
Very well.
Very well:
Could he have been less forthcoming?
Could he say less?
COMINIUS.
I tried to reawaken his love
I offer'd to awaken his regard
for his personal friends. His answer to me was
For's private friends: his answer to me was,
that he would not be able to pick them out of a pile
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
of smelly, moldy straw. He said it would be foolish
Of noisome musty chaff: he said 'twas folly,
for him to leave one or two good people alive
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt
and then still have to smell the nasty straw.
And still to nose the offence.
MENENIUS.
One or two poor fools?
For one poor grain
I am one of those, and his mother, his wife,
Or two! I am one of those; his mother, wife,
his child, and Cominius, too. We are the good eggs.
His child, and this brave fellow too- we are the grains:
You are the moldy straw, and you are so smelly that
You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt
you stink in outerspace, and we have to die for your mistakes.
Above the moon: we must be burnt for you.
SICINIUS.
No, please be patient. You won’t help us
Nay, pray be patient: if you refuse your aid
when we need you most, but don’t
In this so never-needed help, yet do not
scold us when we are distressed. But surely, if you
Upbraid's with our distress. But, sure, if you
would argue our case and defend us from Coriolanus, your voice
Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
would stop him better
More than the instant army we can make,
than any army we could raise.
Might stop our countryman.
MENENIUS.
No, I won’t get involved.
No; I'll not meddle.
SICINIUS.
Please, go to him.
Pray you, go to him.
MENENIUS.
What would I do there?
What should I do?
BRUTUS.
Defend Rome from Marcius with as much love
Only make trial what your love can do
as you feel towards Rome.
For Rome, towards Marcius.
MENENIUS.
And what if Marcius
Well, and say that Marcius
sends me back, like Cominius,
Return me, as Cominius is return'd,
without listening to me. What then?
Unheard; what then?
What if he send me back as just a discontented friend, grief-stricken
But as a discontented friend, grief-shot
by his unkindness? What if that happens?
With his unkindness? Say't be so?
SICINIUS.
But your good will
Yet your good-will
must be thanked by Rome to the full extent of the
Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure
goodness of your intentions.
As you intended well.
MENENIUS.
I’ll try it.
I'll undertake't;
I think he’ll hear me. But if he
I think he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip
makes a sound of disapproval at me it will dishearten me.
And hum at good Cominius much unhearts me.
Perhaps it won’t be the right time, maybe he won’t have had dinner.
He was not taken well: he had not din'd;
When we’re hungry, and our blood is cold,
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
we will be in a bad mood, and be unlikely
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
to give or to forgive. But when we have stuffed
To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
ourselves, and our veins
These pipes and these conveyances of our blood
are full of
wine and food, we are more compliant
With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
than when we’re hungry. So I’ll watch him
Than in our priest-like fasts. Therefore I'll watch him
and make sure he eats
Till he be dieted to my request,
before I ask him.
And then I'll set upon him.
BRUTUS.
You know how to butter him up,
You know the very road into his kindness
and you can’t fail.
And cannot lose your way.
MENENIUS.
I’ll try,
Good faith, I'll prove him,
no matter what happens. I will tell you soon
Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge
if I succeed.
Of my success.
[Exit.]
COMINIUS.
Coriolanus will never listen to him.
He'll never hear him.
SICINIUS.
No?
Not?
COMINIUS.
I’m telling you, he sits on a golden throne, with an evil
I tell you he does sit in gold, his eye
eye that would burn Rome down, his compassion held prisoner
Red as 'twould burn Rome: and his injury
by his outrage at his mistreatment. I knelt before him,
The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him;
he said softly, “Rise.” Then he waved for me to leave
'Twas very faintly he said 'Rise'; dismissed me
without saying a word. He sent a not with a list of
Thus, with his speechless hand: what he would do,
conditions, of what he would do, and what he would not do,
He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
because he has sworn an oath to the Volscians that we would do what he said.
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions:
So there’s no hope,
So that all hope is vain,
unless his mother and his wife
Unless his noble mother and his wife;
beg him
Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him
to have mercy on his country. So, let’s go to them,
For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
and try to get them to go to him.
And with our fair entreaties haste them on.
[Exeunt.]
Guards at their station.
[Enter to them MENENIUS.]
FIRST GUARD.
Stop! Where are you coming from?
Stay: whence are you?
SECOND GUARD.
Stop and go back.
Stand, and go back.
MENENIUS.
You are good guards, that’s good. Apologies, but
You guard like men; 'tis well: but, by your leave,
I am a government official, and I’ve come
I am an officer of state, and come
to speak with Coriolanus.
To speak with Coriolanus.
FIRST GUARD.
From where?
From whence?
MENENIUS.
From Rome.
From Rome.
FIRST GUARD.
You can’t come in. You have to go back. Our general
You may not pass; you must return: our general
doesn’t want to hear from any more Romans.
Will no more hear from thence.
SECOND GUARD.
You’ll see Rome in flames before
You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire before
you speak with Coriolanus.
You'll speak with Coriolanus.
MENENIUS.
My good friends,
Good my friends,
if you have heard anything about Rome
If you have heard your general talk of Rome
and of his friends there, odds are
And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks
you’ve heard my name: it is Menenius.
My name hath touch'd your ears: it is Menenius.
FIRST GUARD.
That may be. Go away. The power of your name
Be it so; go back: the virtue of your name
is not enough to get you in here.
Is not here passable.
MENENIUS.
I’m telling you,
I tell thee, fellow,
your general is my friends. I have
Thy general is my lover: I have been
told everyone about his accomplishments,
The book of his good acts, whence men have read
and exaggerated them.
His fame unparallel'd, haply amplified;
I have always talked up my friends
For I have ever verified my friends,--
(and he’s my best friend) as much as the truth
Of whom he's chief,--with all the size that verity
will allow. Sometimes,
Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes,
like a bowling ball,
Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,
I have exceeded the truth, and in praising him
I have tumbled past the throw: and in his praise
have given my mark of approval to a lie. That’s why
Have almost stamp'd the leasing: therefore, fellow,
I must be allowed to enter.
I must have leave to pass.
FIRST GUARD.
If you had lied as much for him as you
Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf as you
have for yourself just now, you still wouldn’t be allowed to enter. Not even
have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here: no,
if it were as good to lie as to live without sex.
though it were as virtuous to lie as to live chastely.
So, go back.
Therefore, go back.
MENENIUS.
Remember my name is Menenius, always
Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always
a member of your general’s faction.
factionary on the party of your general.
SECOND GUARD.
Notwithstanding that you have lied for him, as you say you have, I will
Howsoever you have been his liar,--as you say you have, I am one
tell you that you cannot pass. So
that, telling true under him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore
go back
go back.
MENENIUS.
Has he eaten, do you know? I don’t want to speak with him
Has he dined, canst thou tell? For I would not speak with him
until after dinner.
till after dinner.
FIRST GUARD.
You’re a Roman, right?
You are a Roman, are you?
MENENIUS.
Yes, like Coriolanus.
I am as thy general is.
FIRST GUARD.
Then you should hate Rome like he does. After you have
Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have
expelled the one person who could protect you, and in a moment
pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and in a violent
of stupidity, given your enemy your best weapon, how can you confront
popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front
his need for vengeance with the insignificant groans of old women, the virginal
his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the virginal
hands of your daughters or with the weak intervention of such
palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such
a crippled old man as you seem to be? How do you expect to save yout
a decayed dotant as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the
city with such w
eak arguments
intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak
as these? No, you’re wrong, so go back to Rome, and
breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore back to Rome, and
get ready to die. You are condemned. Our general
prepare for your execution: you are condemned; our general has
won’t allow you to live.
sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.
MENENIUS.
Punk, if you captian knew I were here he would treat me with
Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here he would use me with
respect.
estimation.
SECOND GUARD.
My captain doesn’t know you.
Come, my captain knows you not.
MENENIUS.
I mean your general.
I mean thy general.
FIRST GUARD.
My general doesn’t care about you. Go, I say, before
My general cares not for you. Back, I say; go, lest I let forth
I cut you. Back—that’s the best you’re going to
your half pint of blood;--back; that's the utmost of your
get: back.
having:--back.
MENENIUS.
No, but guy, guy—
Nay, but fellow, fellow,--
[Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS.]
CORIOLANUS.
What's the matter?
What's the matter?
MENENIUS.
Now, you little jerk, I’ll show you something. You will see
Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you; you shall know
that I am respected. You will see that a stupid
now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a jack
guard can’t drive me off from my son Coiolanus. Guess if after
guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess but by my
my welcome from him you will hanged,
entertainment with him if thou standest not i' the state of
or if you’ll be executed by some longer and more painful method.
hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship and crueler
Watch now, and faint for fear of what will happen to you.
in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come