Coriolanus abbreviated

Synopsis


The play opens on a street in fifth century B.C. Rome where a group of plebeians are complaining about the lack of corn provided to them by the patricians. (Humor, Act 1, Scene 1) Caius Martius, “the chief enemy to the people,” so a plebeian says, enters and says “Hang ‘em” when told the group is looking for more corn, Martius being a senator, a general and military hero. (Pride, Act 1, Scene 1) Separately, we soon learn that the Volsces, a Roman enemy state, “are in arms.” Martius and Titus Lartius, another general, are asked by Cominius, their senior, to lead a fight against the Volscians and try to gain control of their city of Corioles. Separately, Volumnia, Martius’ mother, tells Virgilia, his worried wife, that she should “rejoice in his honors” rather than “fear to lose him.” (Mother to Daughter, Act 1, Scene 3) Volumnia is a self proclaimed “valiant” woman, and she is.

Later, Martius and Lartius and their troops rush Corioles. The Volscians seal the city’s gates; Martius gets trapped inside the city’s walls. The Roman soldiers retreat; then promptly regroup and re-rush the city, taking it. Martius, to everyone’s surprise, survives his entrapment. Lartius and his men hold Corioles, while a wounded but proud Martius returns to Rome to confer with Cominius. Aggressive Martius receives permission to attack “Aufidius and his Antiates.” (Chauvinism, Act 1, Scene 6) Aufidius is the Volscian general; the Antiates are the soldiers of Antium, Antium being the principal Volscian city. Martius and Aufidius meet and fight; Martius whips him, having beaten him a number of times in the past, an issue that infuriates Aufidius. Back in Rome, Martius is honored by Cominius as a hero, modestly accepting the honorary title of Coriolanus, to in the future be known as Caius Martius Coriolanus. Separately, Aufidius vows revenge. (Revenge, Act 1, Scene 10)

Brutus and Sicinius, both tribunes and protectors of plebeian rights, let Menenius, an older man and close to Martius, know how much the people “love not Martius,” all the while Martius being defended by Menenius. Separately, Martius talks about Menenius, saying “this old man loved me above the measure of a father.” Menenius learns that Martius is “coming home” and that he has been honored as “renowned Coriolanus.” Separately, Coriolanus notes that he plans to deal with the patricians and plebeians “my way.” Brutus and Sicinius let us know that they view him with disdain and that in regard to the plebeians, “what hatred he still hath held them.” (Deference, Act 2, Scene 1)

Meanwhile, in what might be called a bipartisan way, the Roman senators view Coriolanus with conflicting opinions. Cominius lavishes praise on him and recounts his heroic actions at Corioles. (Pride, Act 2, Scene 2) When Coriolanus is asked by Menenius that it “remains that you do speak to the people,” Coriolanus suggests he would like to “o’erleap that custom.” Meanwhile at the Roman Forum, citizens share their various views of Coriolanus. In the end, the plebeians compromise and say “Let him be consul.” His condescending response is: “Worthy voices!” (Pride, Act 2, Scene 3) When Coriolanus and Menenius leave for the Senate House, Brutus and Sicinius rile the crowd, railing against Coriolanus, but a number of citizens continue to support him. Sicinius says to the plebeians: “you may revoke your sudden approbation.” As the plebeians exit, the two tribunes say that some plebeians have changed their minds about Coriolanus and “almost all repent in their election.”

Meanwhile Coriolanus learns that Aufidius, upset with the Volscians’ loss of Corioles, has retired to Antium; Coriolanus notes that he’d like to visit him there. Sicinius and Brutus confront Coriolanus, telling him the people “are incensed against him” for among other reasons calling them “foes to nobleness.” Menenius and the First Senator call for calm. Coriolanus delivers a set of lectures to the Senate, letting them know why he thinks they dare not let the plebeians get the upper hand. (Anger, Act 3, Scene 1) (Pleading, Act 3, Scene 1) Listening to him, the tribunes vow to further stir up the public against him, saying he “shall answer as traitors do.” Coriolanus is a little roughed-up by the crowd, and draws his sword. Brutus cries “Martius is worthy of present death,” some suggesting he be hurled from the Capitoline cliff, known as the Tarpeian rock. Menenius convinces the tribunes that they should “proceed by process,” suggesting the plebeians meet in the marketplace and that there Coriolanus “shall answer by a lawful form.”

Meanwhile, at home with his mother and wife, Coriolanus wrestles with how to deal with the situation. Volumnia tells her son he must be “milder.” (Mother to Son, Act 3, Scene 2) She offers sound advice, yet is suspect that he can remain calm, considering all the criticism he’s been receiving. He responds, “Well, I will do’t.” Cominius and Menenius do their best to encourage him, both agreeing with Volumnia that he needs to answer the tribunes “mildly.” Sicinius and Brutus assemble the plebeians to hear him. Again Menenius cautions him, saying “calmly, I do beseech you.” Coriolanus asks the audience, “First hear me speak.” He does speak, but when Sicinius calls him a “power tyrannical” and a “traitor,” Coriolanus, not unexpectedly, erupts angrily. The tribunes, having the authority, decide he is to be banished from Rome. Coriolanus responds, “Curs, I banish you! There is a world elsewhere.”

A banished Coriolanus is accompanied to the gates of Rome with his wife, his mother, Cominius, Menenius and others. He bids them farewell, leaving them all emotionally wilted. (Honor, Act 4, Scene 1) Back in Rome, Volumnia lays into the tribunes; they take it in stride. Later, Coriolanus surfaces at the house of Aufidius in Antium, enters the house, charms the servingmen, asks to see Aufidius, who, entertaining the Volscian senators with a dinner party, leaves his guests and confronts this uninvited visitor, not recognizing him. (Disclosure, Act 4, Scene 5) Coriolanus identifies himself and Aufidius warmly greets him as if he were a long-lost friend. (Acceptance, Act 4, Scene 5) Aufidius has Martius meet the Volscian senators who just happen to have imminent plans to invade Roman territories. Aufidius immediately offers to split his command of his troops with Coriolanus; Coriolanus agreeing, eager as he is to seek revenge against Rome.

Back in Rome, Brutus, Sicinius, Menenius and Cominius learn that the “Volsces with two separate powers are entering in the Roman territories, and destroy what lies before ‘em.” Blame is passed around with citizens saying, “Though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.” Cominius tells Menenius “You have helped to melt the city upon your heads.” Menenius doesn’t disagree. A messenger reports that for the Volscians, Coriolanus “is their god. He leads them like a thing made by some other deity.” Meanwhile at a camp outside Rome, a lieutenant suggests to Aufidius that Coriolanus, having one-half the Volscian command, “has eclipsed you in this action.” Aufidius responds, “I understand thee well.” Aufidius proceeds to share with his lieutenant his strategy to deal with the situation. (Insight, Act 4, Scene 7)

Meanwhile, with Coriolanus and the Volscians camped on the outskirts of Rome, Sicinius persuades Menenius to meet with Coriolanus and try to convince not to sack and ruin Rome. Menenius does briefly talk with Coriolanus, who summarily rejects him; Menenius returning to Rome. Independently, Volumnia, Virgilia and young Martius, their son, enter the Volscian camp to give their best shot at convincing Coriolanus to drop his plans to destroy Rome. Here Shakespeare has Volumnia offer perhaps the most beautiful and compelling mother-to-son set of arguments found in literature. (Mother to Son, Act 5, Scene 3.1) (Mother to Son, Act 5, Scene 3.2) (Mother to Son, Act 5, Scene 3.3) Coriolanus, the strong and proud Roman, concedes, saying, “I’ll frame convenient peace.” Meanwhile, back in Rome, word spreads that “The ladies have prevailed.” Volumnia and Virgilia are welcomed triumphantly back to Rome. Separately, in Corioles, Aufidius meets with a group of conspirators, one conspirator saying, “The fall of either makes the survivor heir of all.” Aufidius responds, “I know it.” Coriolanus tells the city’s lords, “We have made peace.” Aufidius calls him “Traitor!” Predictably, Coriolanus responds angrily. The conspirators kill him.


Principal Characters


Aufidius
Aufidius is Tullus Aufidius, the Volscian general. By his own assessment he has been beaten by Martius a dozen times. He pledges revenge and retires to Antium after the Volscian defeat at Corioles. Aufidius befriends Coriolanus soon after he is banished from Rome, but turns on him at the end, recognizing that only one can be “heir of all.”

Brutus
Brutus is Junius Brutus. He is a Tribune of the People, defined as “those appointed to protect the interests and rights of plebeians against violations by patricians.” Tribunes are also defined as “champions of the people.”

Cominius
Cominius was the leading Roman general at the time of the defeat of the Volscians at Corioles. He stays active throughout the play, but Coriolanus, with his dominating personality, doesn’t leave much room for others.

Coriolanus
Coriolanus is Caius Martius Coriolanus, known early as Martius. He is a military hero. In an underwhelming way he is selected by the plebeians as consul, a consul being one of Rome’s two chief magistrates. Coriolanus is insensitive to plebeians, modest with his military peers, and motivated by a need to please his mother. He is referred to in the play as Coriolanus once he is bestowed that honorary title; referred to as Martius when addressed with less favor.

Menenius
Menenius Agrippa is a good and loyal friend to Coriolanus, considered by Coriolanus to be like a father. He is a gentle man, most often suggesting to whomever that the rhetoric be toned down.

Sicinius
Sicinius is Sicinius Velutus. He, as Brutus, is a Tribune of the People, a champion of the people, appointed to protect the rights of plebeians. As he does with Brutus, Shakespeare has Sicinius handle himself very well.

Virgilia
Virgilia is Coriolanus’ wife. She doesn’t say much other than gasp now and then.

Volumnia
Volumnia is Coriolanus’ mother. Shakespeare gives her excellent lines. She has a major role both early and then late in the play. Her telling line is “thy valiantness was mine, but owe thy pride thyself,” when speaking of her son, a line that represents a central theme in the play.

 A portrait of William Shakespeare