The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Chapter 81

SCENE II. Rome. The house of CORIOLANUSEnter CORIOLANUS with NOBLES

CORIOLANUS. Let them pull all about mine ears, present me

Death on the wheel or at wild horses' heels;

Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock,

That the precipitation might down stretch

Below the beam of sight; yet will I still

Be thus to them.

FIRST PATRICIAN. You do the nobler.

CORIOLANUS. I muse my mother

Does not approve me further, who was wont

To call them woollen vassals, things created

To buy and sell with groats; to show bare heads

In congregations, to yawn, be still, and wonder,

When one but of my ordinance stood up

To speak of peace or war.

Enter VOLUMNIA

I talk of you:

Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me

False to my nature? Rather say I play

The man I am.

VOLUMNIA. O, sir, sir, sir,

I would have had you put your power well on

Before you had worn it out.

CORIOLANUS. Let go.

VOLUMNIA. You might have been enough the man you are

With striving less to be so; lesser had been

The thwartings of your dispositions, if

You had not show'd them how ye were dispos'd,

Ere they lack'd power to cross you.

CORIOLANUS. Let them hang.

VOLUMNIA. Ay, and burn too.

Enter MENENIUS with the SENATORS

MENENIUS. Come, come, you have been too rough, something too rough;

You must return and mend it.

FIRST SENATOR. There's no remedy,

Unless, by not so doing, our good city

Cleave in the midst and perish.

VOLUMNIA. Pray be counsell'd;

I have a heart as little apt as yours,

But yet a brain that leads my use of anger

To better vantage.

MENENIUS. Well said, noble woman!

Before he should thus stoop to th' herd, but that

The violent fit o' th' time craves it as physic

For the whole state, I would put mine armour on,

Which I can scarcely bear.

CORIOLANUS. What must I do?

MENENIUS. Return to th' tribunes.

CORIOLANUS. Well, what then, what then?

MENENIUS. Repent what you have spoke.

CORIOLANUS. For them! I cannot do it to the gods;

Must I then do't to them?

VOLUMNIA. You are too absolute;

Though therein you can never be too noble

But when extremities speak. I have heard you say

Honour and policy, like unsever'd friends,

I' th' war do grow together; grant that, and tell me

In peace what each of them by th' other lose

That they combine not there.

CORIOLANUS. Tush, tush!

MENENIUS. A good demand.

VOLUMNIA. If it be honour in your wars to seem

The same you are not, which for your best ends

You adopt your policy, how is it less or worse

That it shall hold companionship in peace

With honour as in war; since that to both

It stands in like request?

CORIOLANUS. Why force you this?

VOLUMNIA. Because that now it lies you on to speak

To th' people, not by your own instruction,

Nor by th' matter which your heart prompts you,

But with such words that are but roted in

Your tongue, though but bastards and syllables

Of no allowance to your bosom's truth.

Now, this no more dishonours you at all

Than to take in a town with gentle words,

Which else would put you to your fortune and

The hazard of much blood.

I would dissemble with my nature where

My fortunes and my friends at stake requir'd

I should do so in honour. I am in this

Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles;

And you will rather show our general louts

How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon 'em

For the inheritance of their loves and safeguard

Of what that want might ruin.

MENENIUS. Noble lady!

Come, go with us, speak fair; you may salve so,

Not what is dangerous present, but the los

Of what is past.

VOLUMNIA. I prithee now, My son,

Go to them with this bonnet in thy hand;

And thus far having stretch'd it- here be with them-

Thy knee bussing the stones- for in such busines

Action is eloquence, and the eyes of th' ignorant

More learned than the ears- waving thy head,

Which often thus correcting thy-stout heart,

Now humble as the ripest mulberry

That will not hold the handling. Or say to them

Thou art their soldier and, being bred in broils,

Hast not the soft way which, thou dost confess,

Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim,

In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame

Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far

As thou hast power and person.

MENENIUS. This but done

Even as she speaks, why, their hearts were yours;

For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free

As words to little purpose.

VOLUMNIA. Prithee now,

Go, and be rul'd; although I know thou hadst rather

Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf

Than flatter him in a bower.

Enter COMINIUS

Here is Cominius.

COMINIUS. I have been i' th' market-place; and, sir, 'tis fit

You make strong party, or defend yourself

By calmness or by absence; all's in anger.

MENENIUS. Only fair speech.

COMINIUS. I think 'twill serve, if he

Can thereto frame his spirit.

VOLUMNIA. He must and will.

Prithee now, say you will, and go about it.

CORIOLANUS. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce? Must I

With my base tongue give to my noble heart

A lie that it must bear? Well, I will do't;

Yet, were there but this single plot to lose,

This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it,

And throw't against the wind. To th' market-place!

You have put me now to such a part which never

I shall discharge to th' life.

COMINIUS. Come, come, we'll prompt you.

VOLUMNIA. I prithee now, sweet son, as thou hast said

My praises made thee first a soldier, so,

To have my praise for this, perform a part

Thou hast not done before.

CORIOLANUS. Well, I must do't.

Away, my disposition, and possess me

Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd,

Which quier'd with my drum, into a pipe

Small as an eunuch or the virgin voice

That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves

Tent in my cheeks, and schoolboys' tears take up

The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue

Make motion through my lips, and my arm'd knees,

Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his

That hath receiv'd an alms! I will not do't,

Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,

And by my body's action teach my mind

A most inherent baseness.

VOLUMNIA. At thy choice, then.

To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour

Than thou of them. Come all to ruin. Let

Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear

Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death

With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.

Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me;

But owe thy pride thyself.

CORIOLANUS. Pray be content.

Mother, I am going to the market-place;

Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves,

Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd

Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going.

Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul,

Or never trust to what my tongue can do

I' th' way of flattery further.

VOLUMNIA. Do your will. Exit

COMINIUS. Away! The tribunes do attend you. Arm yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd

With accusations, as I hear, more strong

Than are upon you yet.

CORIOLANUS. The word is 'mildly.' Pray you let us go.

Let them accuse me by invention; I

Will answer in mine honour.

MENENIUS. Ay, but mildly.

CORIOLANUS. Well, mildly be it then- mildly. Exeunt

SCENE III. Rome. The ForumEnter SICINIUS and BRUTUS

BRUTUS. In this point charge him home, that he affects

Tyrannical power. If he evade us there,

Enforce him with his envy to the people,

And that the spoil got on the Antiates

Was ne'er distributed.

Enter an AEDILE

What, will he come?

AEDILE. He's coming.

BRUTUS. How accompanied?

AEDILE. With old Menenius, and those senators

That always favour'd him.

SICINIUS. Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,

Set down by th' poll?

AEDILE. I have; 'tis ready.

SICINIUS. Have you corrected them by tribes?

AEDILE. I have.

SICINIUS. Assemble presently the people hither;

And when they hear me say 'It shall be so

I' th' right and strength o' th' commons' be it either

For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them,

If I say fine, cry 'Fine!'- if death, cry 'Death!'

Insisting on the old prerogative

And power i' th' truth o' th' cause.

AEDILE. I shall inform them.

BRUTUS. And when such time they have begun to cry,

Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd

Enforce the present execution

Of what we chance to sentence.

AEDILE. Very well.

SICINIUS. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint,

When we shall hap to give't them.

BRUTUS. Go about it. Exit AEDILE

Put him to choler straight. He hath been us'd

Ever to conquer, and to have his worth

Of contradiction; being once chaf'd, he cannot

Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks

What's in his heart, and that is there which looks

With us to break his neck.

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS and COMINIUS, with others

SICINIUS. Well, here he comes.

MENENIUS. Calmly, I do beseech you.

CORIOLANUS. Ay, as an ostler, that for th' poorest piece

Will bear the knave by th' volume. Th' honour'd gods

Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice

Supplied with worthy men! plant love among's!

Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,

And not our streets with war!

FIRST SENATOR. Amen, amen!

MENENIUS. A noble wish.

Re-enter the.AEDILE,with the plebeians

SICINIUS. Draw near, ye people.

AEDILE. List to your tribunes. Audience! peace, I say!

CORIOLANUS. First, hear me speak.

BOTH TRIBUNES. Well, say. Peace, ho!

CORIOLANUS. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present?

Must all determine here?

SICINIUS. I do demand,

If you submit you to the people's voices,

Allow their officers, and are content

To suffer lawful censure for such faults

As shall be prov'd upon you.

CORIOLANUS. I am content.

MENENIUS. Lo, citizens, he says he is content.

The warlike service he has done, consider; think

Upon the wounds his body bears, which show

Like graves i' th' holy churchyard.

CORIOLANUS. Scratches with briers,

Scars to move laughter only.

MENENIUS. Consider further,

That when he speaks not like a citizen,

You find him like a soldier; do not take

His rougher accents for malicious sounds,

But, as I say, such as become a soldier

Rather than envy you.

COMINIUS. Well, well! No more.

CORIOLANUS. What is the matter,

That being pass'd for consul with full voice,

I am so dishonour'd that the very hour

You take it off again?

SICINIUS. Answer to us.

CORIOLANUS. Say then; 'tis true, I ought so.

SICINIUS. We charge you that you have contriv'd to take

From Rome all season'd office, and to wind

Yourself into a power tyrannical;

For which you are a traitor to the people.

CORIOLANUS. How- traitor?

MENENIUS. Nay, temperately! Your promise.

CORIOLANUS. The fires i' th' lowest hell fold in the people!

Call me their traitor! Thou injurious tribune!

Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,

In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in

Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say

'Thou liest' unto thee with a voice as free

As I do pray the gods.

SICINIUS. Mark you this, people?

PLEBEIANS. To th' rock, to th' rock, with him!

SICINIUS. Peace!

We need not put new matter to his charge.

What you have seen him do and heard him speak,

Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,

Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying

Those whose great power must try him- even this,

So criminal and in such capital kind,

Deserves th' extremest death.

BRUTUS. But since he hath

Serv'd well for Rome-

CORIOLANUS. What do you prate of service?

BRUTUS. I talk of that that know it.

CORIOLANUS. You!

MENENIUS. Is this the promise that you made your mother?

COMINIUS. Know, I pray you-

CORIOLANUS. I'll know no further.

Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,

Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger

But with a grain a day, I would not buy

Their mercy at the price of one fair word,

Nor check my courage for what they can give,

To have't with saying 'Good morrow.'

SICINIUS. For that he has-

As much as in him lies- from time to time

Envied against the people, seeking means

To pluck away their power; as now at last

Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence

Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers

That do distribute it- in the name o' th' people,

And in the power of us the tribunes, we,

Ev'n from this instant, banish him our city,

In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more

To enter our Rome gates. I' th' people's name,

I say it shall be so.

PLEBEIANS. It shall be so, it shall be so! Let him away!

He's banish'd, and it shall be so.

COMINIUS. Hear me, my masters and my common friends-

SICINIUS. He's sentenc'd; no more hearing.

COMINIUS. Let me speak.

I have been consul, and can show for Rome

Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love

My country's good with a respect more tender,

More holy and profound, than mine own life,

My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase

And treasure of my loins. Then if I would

Speak that-

SICINIUS. We know your drift. Speak what?

BRUTUS. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd,

As enemy to the people and his country.

It shall be so.

PLEBEIANS. It shall be so, it shall be so.

CORIOLANUS. YOU common cry of curs, whose breath I hate

As reek o' th' rotten fens, whose loves I prize

As the dead carcasses of unburied men

That do corrupt my air- I banish you.

And here remain with your uncertainty!

Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts;

Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,

Fan you into despair! Have the power still

To banish your defenders, till at length

Your ignorance- which finds not till it feels,

Making but reservation of yourselves

Still your own foes- deliver you

As most abated captives to some nation

That won you without blows! Despising

For you the city, thus I turn my back;

There is a world elsewhere.

Exeunt CORIOLANUS,

COMINIUS, MENENIUS, with the other PATRICIANS

AEDILE. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

[They all shout and throw up their caps]

PLEBEIANS. Our enemy is banish'd, he is gone! Hoo-oo!

SICINIUS. Go see him out at gates, and follow him,

As he hath follow'd you, with all despite;

Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard

Attend us through the city.

PLEBEIANS. Come, come, let's see him out at gates; come!

The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come. Exeunt