The Tragedy of Coriolanus: ACT I , SCENE I. Rome. A street.

The Tragedy of Coriolanus: ACT I


	Introduction

	ACT I

		SCENE I. Rome. A street.

		SCENE II. Corioli. The Senate-house.

		SCENE III. Rome. A room in Marcius' house.

		SCENE IV. Before Corioli.

		SCENE V. Corioli. A street.

		SCENE VI. Near the camp of Cominius.

		SCENE VII. The gates of Corioli.

		SCENE VIII. A field of battle.

		SCENE IX. The Roman camp.

		SCENE X. The camp of the Volsces.

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

	About the Play

	Feedback



	Search:
	for:

SCENE I. Rome. A street.

Enter a company of mutinous Citizens, with staves, clubs, and other weapons

First Citizen

Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.

All

Speak, speak.

First Citizen

You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?

All

Resolved. resolved.

First Citizen

5 First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

All

We know't, we know't.

First Citizen

Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price.
Is't a verdict?

All

No more talking on't; let it be done: away, away!

Second Citizen

10 One word, good citizens.

First Citizen

      We are accounted poor citizens, the patricians good.
      What authority surfeits on would relieve us: if they
      would yield us but the superfluity, while it were
      wholesome, we might guess they relieved us humanely;
15    but they think we are too dear: the leanness that
      afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an
      inventory to particularise their abundance; our
      sufferance is a gain to them Let us revenge this with
      our pikes, ere we become rakes: for the gods know I
20    speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge.

Second Citizen

Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

All

Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty.

Second Citizen

Consider you what services he has done for his country?

First Citizen

Very well; and could be content to give him good
25 report fort, but that he pays himself with being proud.

Second Citizen

Nay, but speak not maliciously.

First Citizen

      I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did
      it to that end: though soft-conscienced men can be
      content to say it was for his country he did it to
30    please his mother and to be partly proud; which he
      is, even till the altitude of his virtue.

Second Citizen

What he cannot help in his nature, you account a
vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous.

First Citizen

If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations;
35 he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition.

Shouts within

What shouts are these? The other side o' the city
is risen: why stay we prating here? to the Capitol!

All

Come, come.

First Citizen

Soft! who comes here?

Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA

Second Citizen

40 Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved
the people.

First Citizen

He's one honest enough: would all the rest were so!

MENENIUS

What work's, my countrymen, in hand? where go you
With bats and clubs? The matter? speak, I pray you.

First Citizen

45    Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have
      had inkling this fortnight what we intend to do,
      which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say poor
      suitors have strong breaths: they shall know we
      have strong arms too.

MENENIUS

50 Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,
Will you undo yourselves?

First Citizen

We cannot, sir, we are undone already.

MENENIUS

      I tell you, friends, most charitable care
      Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
55    Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
      Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them
      Against the Roman state, whose course will on
      The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
      Of more strong link asunder than can ever
60    Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
      The gods, not the patricians, make it, and
      Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
      You are transported by calamity
      Thither where more attends you, and you slander
65    The helms o' the state, who care for you like fathers,
      When you curse them as enemies.

First Citizen

      Care for us! True, indeed! They ne'er cared for us
      yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
      crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
70    support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
      established against the rich, and provide more
      piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
      the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
      there's all the love they bear us.

MENENIUS

75    Either you must
      Confess yourselves wondrous malicious,
      Or be accused of folly. I shall tell you
      A pretty tale: it may be you have heard it;
      But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture
80    To stale 't a little more.

First Citizen

      Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to
      fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an 't please
      you, deliver.

MENENIUS

      There was a time when all the body's members
85    Rebell'd against the belly, thus accused it:
      That only like a gulf it did remain
      I' the midst o' the body, idle and unactive,
      Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing
      Like labour with the rest, where the other instruments
90    Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,
      And, mutually participate, did minister
      Unto the appetite and affection common
      Of the whole body. The belly answer'd--

First Citizen

Well, sir, what answer made the belly?

MENENIUS

95    Sir, I shall tell you. With a kind of smile,
      Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus--
      For, look you, I may make the belly smile
      As well as speak--it tauntingly replied
      To the discontented members, the mutinous parts
100   That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
      As you malign our senators for that
      They are not such as you.

First Citizen

      Your belly's answer? What!
      The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye,
105   The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier,
      Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter.
      With other muniments and petty helps
      In this our fabric, if that they--

MENENIUS

What then?
110 'Fore me, this fellow speaks! What then? what then?

First Citizen

Should by the cormorant belly be restrain'd,
Who is the sink o' the body,--

MENENIUS

Well, what then?

First Citizen

The former agents, if they did complain,
115 What could the belly answer?

MENENIUS

      I will tell you
      If you'll bestow a small--of what you have little--
      Patience awhile, you'll hear the belly's answer.

First Citizen

Ye're long about it.

MENENIUS

120   Note me this, good friend;
      Your most grave belly was deliberate,
      Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer'd:
      'True is it, my incorporate friends,' quoth he,
      'That I receive the general food at first,
125   Which you do live upon; and fit it is,
      Because I am the store-house and the shop
      Of the whole body: but, if you do remember,
      I send it through the rivers of your blood,
      Even to the court, the heart, to the seat o' the brain;
130   And, through the cranks and offices of man,
      The strongest nerves and small inferior veins
      From me receive that natural competency
      Whereby they live: and though that all at once,
      You, my good friends,'--this says the belly, mark me,--

First Citizen

135 Ay, sir; well, well.

MENENIUS

      'Though all at once cannot
      See what I do deliver out to each,
      Yet I can make my audit up, that all
      From me do back receive the flour of all,
140   And leave me but the bran.' What say you to't?

First Citizen

It was an answer: how apply you this?

MENENIUS

      The senators of Rome are this good belly,
      And you the mutinous members; for examine
      Their counsels and their cares, digest things rightly
145   Touching the weal o' the common, you shall find
      No public benefit which you receive
      But it proceeds or comes from them to you
      And no way from yourselves. What do you think,
      You, the great toe of this assembly?

First Citizen

150 I the great toe! why the great toe?

MENENIUS

      For that, being one o' the lowest, basest, poorest,
      Of this most wise rebellion, thou go'st foremost:
      Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
      Lead'st first to win some vantage.
155   But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs:
      Rome and her rats are at the point of battle;
      The one side must have bale.

Enter CAIUS MARCIUS

Hail, noble Marcius!

MARCIUS

      Thanks. What's the matter, you dissentious rogues,
160   That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
      Make yourselves scabs?

First Citizen

We have ever your good word.

MARCIUS

      He that will give good words to thee will flatter
      Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs,
165   That like nor peace nor war? the one affrights you,
      The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you,
      Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;
      Where foxes, geese: you are no surer, no,
      Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,
170   Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is
      To make him worthy whose offence subdues him
      And curse that justice did it.
      Who deserves greatness
      Deserves your hate; and your affections are
175   A sick man's appetite, who desires most that
      Which would increase his evil. He that depends
      Upon your favours swims with fins of lead
      And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust Ye?
      With every minute you do change a mind,
180   And call him noble that was now your hate,
      Him vile that was your garland. What's the matter,
      That in these several places of the city
      You cry against the noble senate, who,
      Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else
185   Would feed on one another? What's their seeking?

MENENIUS

For corn at their own rates; whereof, they say,
The city is well stored.

MARCIUS

      Hang 'em! They say!
      They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know
190   What's done i' the Capitol; who's like to rise,
      Who thrives and who declines; side factions
      and give out
      Conjectural marriages; making parties strong
      And feebling such as stand not in their liking
195   Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's
      grain enough!
      Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,
      And let me use my sword, I'll make a quarry
      With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high
200   As I could pick my lance.

MENENIUS

      Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;
      For though abundantly they lack discretion,
      Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
      What says the other troop?

MARCIUS

205   They are dissolved: hang 'em!
      They said they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs,
      That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,
      That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent not
      Corn for the rich men only: with these shreds
210   They vented their complainings; which being answer'd,
      And a petition granted them, a strange one--
      To break the heart of generosity,
      And make bold power look pale--they threw their caps
      As they would hang them on the horns o' the moon,
215   Shouting their emulation.

MENENIUS

What is granted them?

MARCIUS

      Five tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms,
      Of their own choice: one's Junius Brutus,
      Sicinius Velutus, and I know not--'Sdeath!
220   The rabble should have first unroof'd the city,
      Ere so prevail'd with me: it will in time
      Win upon power and throw forth greater themes
      For insurrection's arguing.

MENENIUS

This is strange.

MARCIUS

225 Go, get you home, you fragments!

Enter a Messenger, hastily

Messenger

Where's Caius Marcius?

MARCIUS

Here: what's the matter?

Messenger

The news is, sir, the Volsces are in arms.

MARCIUS

I am glad on 't: then we shall ha' means to vent
230 Our musty superfluity. See, our best elders.

Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS and SICINIUS VELUTUS

First Senator

Marcius, 'tis true that you have lately told us;
The Volsces are in arms.

MARCIUS

      They have a leader,
      Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't.
235   I sin in envying his nobility,
      And were I any thing but what I am,
      I would wish me only he.

COMINIUS

You have fought together.

MARCIUS

      Were half to half the world by the ears and he.
240   Upon my party, I'ld revolt to make
      Only my wars with him: he is a lion
      That I am proud to hunt.

First Senator

Then, worthy Marcius,
Attend upon Cominius to these wars.

COMINIUS

245 It is your former promise.

MARCIUS

      Sir, it is;
      And I am constant. Titus Lartius, thou
      Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face.
      What, art thou stiff? stand'st out?

TITUS

250   No, Caius Marcius;
      I'll lean upon one crutch and fight with t'other,
      Ere stay behind this business.

MENENIUS

O, true-bred!

First Senator

Your company to the Capitol; where, I know,
255 Our greatest friends attend us.

TITUS

      (To COMINIUS) Lead you on.
      (To MARCIUS) Follow Cominius; we must follow you;
      Right worthy you priority.

COMINIUS

Noble Marcius!

First Senator

260 (To the Citizens) Hence to your homes; be gone!

MARCIUS

      Nay, let them follow:
      The Volsces have much corn; take these rats thither
      To gnaw their garners. Worshipful mutiners,
      Your valour puts well forth: pray, follow.

Citizens steal away. Exeunt all but SICINIUS and BRUTUS

SICINIUS

265 Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius?

BRUTUS

He has no equal.

SICINIUS

When we were chosen tribunes for the people,--

BRUTUS

Mark'd you his lip and eyes?

SICINIUS

Nay. but his taunts.

BRUTUS

270 Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods.

SICINIUS

Be-mock the modest moon.

BRUTUS

The present wars devour him: he is grown
Too proud to be so valiant.

SICINIUS

      Such a nature,
275   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.

BRUTUS

      Fame, at the which he aims,
280   In whom already he's well graced, can not
      Better be held nor more attain'd than by
      A place below the first: for what miscarries
      Shall be the general's fault, though he perform
      To the utmost of a man, and giddy censure
285   Will then cry out of Marcius 'O if he
      Had borne the business!'

SICINIUS

      Besides, if things go well,
      Opinion that so sticks on Marcius shall
      Of his demerits rob Cominius.

BRUTUS

290   Come:
      Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius.
      Though Marcius earned them not, and all his faults
      To Marcius shall be honours, though indeed
      In aught he merit not.

SICINIUS

295   Let's hence, and hear
      How the dispatch is made, and in what fashion,
      More than his singularity, he goes
      Upon this present action.

BRUTUS

Lets along.

Exeunt

Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene