Coriolanus Act One – “If any think brave death outweighs bad life… let him alone… wave thus, to express his disposition.”

Coriolanus Act One – “If any think brave death outweighs bad life… let him alone… wave thus, to express his disposition.”

In April of 1607, riots against the enclosure of common land took over much of the Midlands of England. Starting in Haselbech and Pytchley it eventually spread to Shakespeare’s home county of Warwickshire. At the height of the riots, Captain Pouchh (John Reynolds) said to his protestors that he had the authority of the King of England and of God to destroy the enclosures and he said that he would protect them with the contents of his pouch. In Shakespeare’s own county of Warwickshire, almost 5,000 protestors destroyed enclosures. The law came in with an iron hand. Curphews were imposed and eventually the protestors were subdued.

Shakespeare seemed to like order and rule and seemed genuinely frightened of mob rule and the loss of order. He had fought hard to get a coat of arms for his family name. He had bought up considerable property around Stratford upon Avon. For all his adventurous, innovativeness and creativeness as a writer, Shakespeare was in many ways a conservative in his private life. The riots pf 1607 would have scared Shakespeare and his writing of ‘Coriolanus’ can be seen as an exploration of Shakespeare exploring notions of power, mob rule, public discontent and opposition to government and peasant revolt.

We know Shakespeare was familiar with and perhaps even had a copy of the 1579 Thomas North English translation of Plutarch’s ‘The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans’. There are significant references to and even parts of speeches in the text from Camden’s ‘Remains of a Greater Worke Concerning Britaine’ so we know that Shakespeare also used this.

The play starts in the streets of Rome around 350 to 400BC with people rioting in the streets. This scene is reminiscent of the riots of plebeians in the streets half way through ‘Julius Caesar’. The riots are over the price of grain and the people want the price of grain to be set to reasonable price rather than have it set by the Senate. As the mob make for the Capitol, they encounter the patrician Menenius, who tells them that the Senate has their interests at heart. The mob and Menenius argue and then Caius Martius enters and derides the mob calling them dogs. Caius Martius then reveals to Menenius that the Senate will let the plebeians elect five tribunes to represent their interests in the Roman Senate.

We then hear that the Volsces, enemies of Rome, are preparing for war under the guidance of a great general and then Cauis Martius (later to be known as Coriolanus) declares that Rome will go to war. Then some senators arrive and they command Cominius (a chief magistrate and consul) and Titus Lartius (a Roman patrician) to lead Rome into the war. The threat of impending war quietens the crowd and all is prepared in Rome for war.

We jump slightly forward in time to after the plebeians have elected their tribunes who include Sicinius and Brutus. They comment on Cauis Martius’s (later to be known as Coriolanus) pride and question whether he is up to commanding troupes in war but Sicinius thinks that Cauis Martius will avoid blame if Rome looses but get the credit if things go well.

“Such a nature,

Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow

Which he treads on at noon: but I do wonder

His insolence can brook to be commanded

Under Cominius…

Besides, if things go well,

Opinion that so sticks on Marcius shall

Of his demerits rob Cominius.”

We now move onto Corioles (a Volscian city) and see Tullus Aufidius, just before he is about to embark on the attack of Rome. The Senators of Corioles are told that the Romans are prepared for the attack but they don’t think that this is true and tell Aufidius to proceed as planned and tell him that he is only to return if the Romans directly attack the city of Corioles.

We switch back to Rome, where Cauis Martius’s mother and wife, Volumnia and Virgilia, are sewing and Volumnia brags how she has brought her son up to be a great soldier and expects him to easily defeat the Volscians. Valeria, another Roman woman of noble birth arrives and tells them news from the battle including that Titus Lartius and Cauis Martius are leading a direct attack on the city of Corioles.

We cross back to Corioles, where the Volscian Senators tell Martius and Lartius that Aufidius's mighty forces will soon arrive to slaughter the Romans and save the city. The Volscians drive the Romans back but then Cauis Martius curses the cowardice of his men and attempts to lead his men back to the walls of the city cursing his men for their cowardice. However, Cauis Martius ends up alone and then single-handedly battles the Volscians, forces open the gates of the city and then encourages the Roman army to invade the city.

The city is taken over and a bloody and wounded Cauis Martius joins up with Cominius's army and eventually ends up in direct hand to hand combat with the Volscian general Aufidius. Cauis Martius forces Aufidius and other Volscians to retreat. Rome has won but Cauis Martius does not personally want the spoils of war, leaving them to his men. Then Cominius lauds the exploits of Cauis Martius and insists that he should be given a new name for his courage and victories and so Cauis Martius becomes Coriolanus.

“Too modest are you;

More cruel to your good report than grateful

To us that give you truly: by your patience,

If 'gainst yourself you be incensed, we'll put you,

Like one that means his proper harm, in manacles,

Then reason safely with you. Therefore, be it known,

As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius

Wears this war's garland: in token of the which,

My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,

With all his trim belonging; and from this time,

For what he did before Corioli, call him,

With all the applause and clamour of the host,

CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS! Bear

The addition nobly ever!”

Act One of ‘Coriolanus ends with Aufidius resenting that Cauis Martius has defeated him again and decides that he will eventually have to get the better of Cauis Martius but decides to reluctantly negotiate a peace with Rome for the moment:

“Condition!

I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,

Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition!

What good condition can a treaty find

I' the part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius,

I have fought with thee: so often hast thou beat me,

And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter

As often as we eat. By the elements,

If e'er again I meet him beard to beard,

He's mine, or I am his: mine emulation

Hath not that honour in't it had; for where

I thought to crush him in an equal force,

True sword to sword, I'll potch at him some way

Or wrath or craft may get him…

Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour's poison'd

With only suffering stain by him; for him

Shall fly out of itself: nor sleep nor sanctuary,

Being naked, sick, nor fane nor Capitol,

The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice,

Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up

Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst

My hate to Marcius: where I find him, were it

At home, upon my brother's guard, even there,

Against the hospitable canon, would I

Wash my fierce hand in's heart. Go you to the city;

Learn how 'tis held; and what they are that must

Be hostages for Rome.”