Main Characters

Caius Martius — a Roman general who is given the name “Coriolanus” after he defeats the Volscians; he is brave but arrogant

Volumnia — Coriolanus's mother; she dominates her son

Menenius — a friend of Coriolanus

Junius Brutus — a Roman tribune

Sicinius Velutus — Brutus's ally in the plot against Coriolanus

Tullus Aufidius — a Volscian general

Cominius — a friend of Coriolanus Titus Lartius — an old Roman nobleman

Virgilia — Coriolanus's wife

Valeria — a friend of Virgilia and Volumnia

Young Martius — Coriolanus and Virgilia's son

Introduction

Coriolanus was probably written in 1607 or 1608 and first performed in 1609 at the Blackfriars Theatre in London, although these dates are uncertain. It is the penultimate tragedy written by Shakespeare and follows Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra, all of which Shakespeare probably composed between 1604 and 1606.

As was Antony and Cleopatra, it is a Roman play, but Coriolanus takes place early in Rome's history, when it was just one Italian city among many fighting for survival. The play takes place just after the fall of Tarquin, the last Roman king, and highlights the period when Rome moved from being a monarchy to a republic.

Renaissance thinkers were fascinated with Roman history (no doubt in part because of North's rich translation). Poets, playwrights, politicians, and philosophers alike consistently turned to Greece and Rome for inspiration, so Shakespeare's interest in the period makes a lot of sense.

One of the attractions of this play may have been the parallel between the events of the play and politics under the new King, James I. Jacobean London was plagued with radical thought and there was a struggle brewing between King James and Parliament as the middle class demanded more say in the running of their lives. The struggle culminated in 1642 in the English Civil War and the execution of James's son Charles I by Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell. For a brief period, England became a republic before the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

The Play

Caius Martius is a legendary Roman general who considers himself better than other men, though he prefers to be a power behind the throne. He defeats the Volscian defenders of the city of Corioli and nearly beats their general Aufidius in hand-to-hand combat. At the last moment Aufidius flees.

For his accomplishments Marcius is renamed Caius Martius Coriolanus. He returns to Rome, where the patricians want to make him a tribune of the common people (the plebeians). The tribunes Sicinius Velutus and Junius Brutus are afraid that Coriolanus may become too powerful. They convince the plebes to condemn Coriolanus to death, and Coriolanus does nothing to help his cause with his arrogant attitude.

Outraged, Coriolanus flees Rome, abandoning his wife Virgilia and mother Volumnia. Coriolanus heads to the city of Antium to help Aufidius and the Volscians defeat the Roman Empire and seize Rome. With Coriolanus's help, the Volscians plunder the outlying Roman towns and pause at the gates of Rome. Friends and relatives try to dissuade Coriolanus from attacking his own people. Volumnia convinces him to make peace by using Coriolanus's son to play on Coriolanus's emotions.

Aufidius becomes infuriated that Coriolanus failed to sack Rome. He murders Coriolanus in front of the lords of Corioli. Aufidius, though pleased that Coriolanus is dead, orders that he be given a noble memorial.

Commentary

Coriolanus is something of a potboiler, and it has never been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. It lacks depth, and its characters are somewhat two-dimensional. Yet this is perhaps Shakespeare's most overtly political play.

While Coriolanus's skill in battle would seem to make him an ideal hero for the masses, his contempt for the “blue-collar” mob allows him to be set up as an enemy of the people. While Coriolanus was in part responsible for the expulsion of Tarquin, the last Roman king, Coriolanus is a kingly figure born to command and unwilling to con his way to power. He clearly has no place in the republic that is taking command of his city.

Volumnia is not able to achieve power in her own right in the male-dominated Roman society, so her ambition drives her son's. She alone is able to convince Coriolanus to spare Rome, thus unwittingly sealing his doom.

While Coriolanus may be direct, he is surrounded by manipulative characters, such as his friend, Menenius, and the two tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus. Their manipulation of the masses turns the people of Rome against Coriolanus and almost brings about the city's downfall.

Both the political left and right with equal relish have adopted the play. Depending upon a director's philosophical inclinations, the play's ambiguities continue to fuel discussion.

Famous Lines

“Nature teaches beasts to know their friends” (Act II, Scene I).

“His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for 's power to thunder” (Act III, Scene I).