ACT 1
Scene 1
...Our musty superfluity.
Enter Sicinius Velutus, Junius Brutus, (two Tribunes); Cominius, Titus Lartius, with other Senators.
...well forth.—Pray follow.
Was ever man so proud as is this Martius?
...has no equal.
When we were chosen tribunes for the people—
...lip and eyes?
Nay, but his taunts.
...gird the gods—
Bemock the modest moon.
...be so valiant.
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.
...borne the business!”
Besides, if things go well,
Opinion that so sticks on Martius shall
Of his demerits rob Cominius.
...he merit not.
Let’s hence and hear
How the dispatch is made, and in what fashion,
More than his singularity, he goes
Upon this present action.
... Let’s along.
They exit.
ACT 2
Scene 1
...I shall, sir.
Enter Menenius with the two Tribunes of the people, Sicinius and Brutus.
...love not Martius.
Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.
...the wolf love?
The lamb.
...shall ask you.
Well, sir.
...stored with all.
Especially in pride.
...file, do you?
Why, how are we censured?
...not be angry?
Well, well, sir, well?
...that you could!
What then, sir?
...any in Rome.
Menenius, you are known well enough, too.
...leave of you.
He begins to exit. Brutus and Sicinius stand aside.
...to the Capitol.
Brutus and Sicinius come forward.
...him graceful posture.
On the sudden
I warrant him consul.
...power, go sleep.
He cannot temp’rately transport his honors
From where he should begin and end, but will
Lose those he hath won.
...that there’s comfort.
Doubt not
The commoners, for whom we stand, but they
Upon their ancient malice will forget
With the least cause these his new honors—which
That he will give them make I as little question
As he is proud to do ’t.
...their stinking breaths.
’Tis right.
...of the nobles.
I wish no better
Than have him hold that purpose and to put it
In execution.
...like he will.
It shall be to him then as our good wills,
A sure destruction.
...sinking under them.
This, as you say, suggested
At some time when his soaring insolence
Shall touch the people—which time shall not want
If he be put upon ’t, and that’s as easy
As to set dogs on sheep—will be his fire
To kindle their dry stubble, and their blaze
Shall darken him forever.
...for the event.
Have with you.
They exit.
Scene 2
...They are coming.
A sennet. Enter the Patricians and the Tribunes of the people, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the consul. The Patricians sit. Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themselves. Coriolanus stands.
...what passes here.
We are convented
Upon a pleasing treaty and have hearts
Inclinable to honor and advance
The theme of our assembly.
...pass this doing.
Sir, the people
Must have their voices; neither will they bate
One jot of ceremony.
...use the people.
May they perceive ’s intent! He will require them
As if he did contemn what he requested
Should be in them to give.
...do attend us.
They exit.
Scene 3
... Worthy voices!
Enter Menenius, with Brutus and Sicinius.
...Is this done?
The custom of request you have discharged.
The people do admit you, and are summoned
To meet anon upon your approbation.
...the Senate House?
There, Coriolanus.
...change these garments?
You may, sir.
...for the people.
Fare you well.
He has it now; and by his looks, methinks,
’Tis warm at ’s heart.
...Enter the Plebeians.
How now, my masters, have you chose this man?
...for ’s country.
Why, so he did, I am sure.
...not this mockery?
Why either were you ignorant to see ’t
Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
To yield your voices?
...your friendly lord.
Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advised, had touched his spirit
And tried his inclination; from him plucked
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had called you up, have held him to;
Or else it would have galled his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article
Tying him to aught. So putting him to rage,
You should have ta’en th’ advantage of his choler
And passed him unelected.
...rectorship of judgment?
Have you ere now denied the asker? And now
Again, of him that did not ask but mock,
Bestow your sued-for tongues?
...to do so.
Let them assemble
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke
Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride
And his old hate unto you. Besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed,
How in his suit he scorned you; but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
Th’ apprehension of his present portance,
Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.
...election on him.
Say you chose him
More after our commandment than as guided
By your own true affections, and that your minds,
Preoccupied with what you rather must do
Than what you should, made you against the grain
To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.
...his great ancestor.
One thus descended,
That hath besides well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his present bearing with his past,
That he’s your fixèd enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.
...of his anger.
To th’ Capitol, come.
We will be there before the stream o’ th’ people,
And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.
They exit.
ACT 3
Scene 1
...fully. Welcome home.
Enter Sicinius and Brutus.
...all noble sufferance.
Pass no further.
...incensed against him.
Stop,
Or all will fall in broil.
...Your fellow tribune.
You show too much of that
For which the people stir. If you will pass
To where you are bound, you must inquire your way,
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit,
Or never be so noble as a consul,
Nor yoke with him for tribune.
...of their infirmity.
’Twere well
We let the people know ’t.
...be my mind.
It is a mind
That shall remain a poison where it is,
Not poison any further.
...’Has said enough.
’Has spoken like a traitor and shall answer
As traitors do.
...dust. Manifest treason.
This a consul? No.
...Enter an Aedile.
Go, call the people; in whose name myself
Attach thee as a traitorous innovator,
A foe to th’ public weal. Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.
...of thy garments.
Help, you citizens!
...sides more respect!
Here’s he that would take from you all your power.
...Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!
Peace, peace, peace! Stay, hold, peace!
...Speak, good Sicinius.
Hear me, people! Peace!
...Speak, speak, speak.
You are at point to lose your liberties.
Martius would have all from you, Martius,
Whom late you have named for consul.
...lay all flat.
What is the city but the people?
...piles of ruin.
This deserves death.
...Of present death.
Therefore lay hold of him,
Bear him to th’ rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.
...down with him!
In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Aediles, and the People are beat in.
...speak ’em fair?
Enter Brutus and Sicinius with the rabble again.
Where is this viper
That would depopulate the city and
Be every man himself?
...You worthy tribunes—
He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock
With rigorous hands. He hath resisted law,
And therefore law shall scorn him further trial
Than the severity of the public power
Which he so sets at naught.
...’t. Sir, sir—
Peace!
...With modest warrant.
Sir, how comes ’t that you
Have holp to make this rescue?
...name his faults.
Consul? What consul?
...loss of time.
Speak briefly then,
For we are peremptory to dispatch
This viperous traitor. To eject him hence
Were but one danger, and to keep him here
Our certain death. Therefore it is decreed
He dies tonight.
...up her own.
He’s a disease that must be cut away.
...o’ th’ world.
This is clean cam.
...It honored him.
The service of the foot,
Being once gangrened, is not then respected
For what before it was.
...it were so—
What do you talk?
Have we not had a taste of his obedience?
Our aediles smote! Ourselves resisted! Come.
...to the beginning.
Noble Menenius,
Be you then as the people’s officer.—
Masters, lay down your weapons.
...Go not home.
Meet on the marketplace. To Menenius.
We’ll attend you there,
Where if you bring not Martius, we’ll proceed
In our first way.
...let’s to him.
All exit.
Scene 3
...it, then. Mildly.
Enter Sicinius and Brutus.
...always favored him.
Have you a catalogue
Of all the voices that we have procured,
Set down by th’ poll?
...have. ’Tis ready.
Have you collected them by tribes?
... I have.
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.
... Very well.
Make them be strong and ready for this hint
When we shall hap to give ’t them.
...with others (Senators).
Well, here he comes.
...with the Plebeians.
Draw near, you people.
...hear me speak.
Well, say.—Peace, ho!
...all determine here?
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 proved upon you.
...it off again?
Answer to us.
...I ought so.
We charge you that you have contrived to take
From Rome all seasoned office and to wind
Yourself into a power tyrannical,
For which you are a traitor to the people.
...pray the gods.
Mark you this, people?
...rock with him!
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.
...saying “Good morrow.”
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 doth distribute it, in the name o’ th’ people
And in the power of us the Tribunes, we,
Even 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.
...my common friends—
He’s sentenced. No more hearing.
...would Speak that—
We know your drift. Speak what?
...up their caps.
Go see him out at gates, and follow him,
As he hath followed you, with all despite.
Give him deserved vexation. Let a guard
Attend us through the city.
...noble tribunes! Come!
They exit.
ACT 4
Scene 2
...thy hand. Come.
Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius, and Brutus, with the Aedile.
Bid them all home. He’s gone, and we’ll no further.
The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided
In his behalf.
...it was a-doing.
Bid them home.
Say their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength.
...Virgilia, and Menenius.
Let’s not meet her.
... Why?
They say she’s mad.
...to my husband.
to Volumnia
Are you mankind?
...hast spoken words?
O blessèd heavens!
...in his hand.
What then?
...Come, come, peace.
I would he had continued to his country
As he began, and not unknit himself
The noble knot he made.
...we’ll leave you.
Why stay we to be baited
With one that wants her wits?
Tribunes exit.
Scene 6
...in, in, in!
Enter the two Tribunes. Sicinius and Brutus.
We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.
His remedies are tame—the present peace,
And quietness of the people, which before
Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,
Though they themselves did suffer by ’t, behold
Dissentious numbers pest’ring streets than see
Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going
About their functions friendly.
...Is this Menenius?
’Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kind
Of late.—Hail, sir.
...to you both.
Your Coriolanus is not much missed
But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,
And so would do were he more angry at it.
...could have temporized.
Where is he, hear you?
... you both!
Good e’en, our neighbors.
...for you both.
Live, and thrive!
...gods keep you!
Farewell, farewell.
This is a happier and more comely time
Than when these fellows ran about the streets
Crying confusion.
...all thinking Self-loving.
And affecting one sole throne, without assistance.
...think not so.
We should by this, to all our lamentation,
If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
...once peep out.
Come, what talk you of Martius?
...to be dreaded.
Tell not me.
I know this cannot be.
...turns their countenances.
’Tis this slave—
Go whip him ’fore the people’s eyes—his raising,
Nothing but his report.
...fearful, is delivered.
What more fearful?
...and oldest thing.
This is most likely!
...Martius home again.
The very trick on ’t.
...incapable of help.
Say not we brought it.
...ay, what else?
Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.
These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.
...like this news.
Nor I.
...for a lie.
Pray, let’s go.
Tribunes exit.
ACT 5
Scene 1
...art thou mine.
Enter Menenius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus (the two Tribunes), with others.
...burnt for you.
Nay, pray, be patient. If you refuse your aid
In this so-never-needed help, yet do not
Upbraid ’s with our distress. But sure, if you
Would be your country’s pleader, your good tongue,
More than the instant army we can make,
Might stop our countryman.
...I’ll not meddle.
Pray you, go to him.
...’t be so?
Yet your good will
Must have that thanks from Rome after the measure
As you intended well.
...never hear him.
Not?
...haste them on.
They exit.
Scene 4
...made this peace.
Enter Menenius and Sicinius.
...Capitol, yond cornerstone?
Why, what of that?
...stay upon execution.
Is ’t possible that so short a time can alter the
condition of a man?
...a creeping thing.
He loved his mother dearly.
...to throne in.
Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
...long of you.
The gods be good unto us.
...Enter another Messenger.
What’s the news?
...of the Tarquins.
Friend,
Art thou certain this is true? Is ’t most certain?
...with the shouts.
to Second Messenger
First, the gods bless
you for your tidings; next, accept my thankfulness.
...give great thanks.
They are near the city?
...point to enter.
We’ll meet them, and help the joy.
They exit.