The Tragedy of Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (scary books to read txt) 📖

and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to have them at all, into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise were a malice that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

FIRST OFFICER. No more of him; he is a worthy man.: make way, they are coming.

[A sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators

take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.]

MENENIUS. Having determined of the Volsces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains, As the main point of this our after-meeting, To gratify his noble service that Hath thus stood for his country: therefore please you, Most reverend and grave elders, to desire The present consul, and last general In our well-found successes, to report A little of that worthy work perform'd By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom We met here both to thank and to remember With honours like himself.

FIRST SENATOR. Speak, good Cominius: Leave nothing out for length, and make us think Rather our state's defective for requital Than we to stretch it out. - Masters o' the people, We do request your kindest ears; and, after, Your loving motion toward the common body, To yield what passes here.

SICINIUS. We are convented Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts Inclinable to honour and advance The theme of our assembly.

BRUTUS. Which the rather We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember A kinder value of the people than He hath hereto priz'd them at.

MENENIUS. That's off, that's off; I would you rather had been silent. Please you To hear Cominius speak?

BRUTUS. Most willingly. But yet my caution was more pertinent Than the rebuke you give it.

MENENIUS. He loves your people; But tie him not to be their bedfellow. - Worthy Cominius, speak.

[CORIOLANUS rises, and offers to go away.]

Nay, keep your place.

FIRST SENATOR. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear What you have nobly done.

CORIOLANUS. Your Honours' pardon: I had rather have my wounds to heal again Than hear say how I got them.

BRUTUS. Sir, I hope My words disbench'd you not.

CORIOLANUS. No, sir; yet oft, When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: but your people, I love them as they weigh.

MENENIUS. Pray now, sit down.

CORIOLANUS. I had rather have one scratch my head i' the sun When the alarum were struck, than idly sit To hear my nothings monster'd.

[Exit.]

MENENIUS. Masters o' the people, Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter, - That's thousand to one good one, - when you now see He had rather venture all his limbs for honour Than one on's ears to hear it? - Proceed, Cominius.

COMINIUS. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Should not be utter'd feebly. - It is held That valour is the chiefest virtue, and Most dignifies the haver: if it be, The man I speak of cannot in the world Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen years, When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought Beyond the mark of others; our then dictator, Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight, When with his Amazonian chin he drove The bristled lips before him: he bestrid An o'erpress'd Roman and i' the consul's view Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met, And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats, When he might act the woman in the scene, He proved best man i' the field, and for his meed Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age Man-enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea; And in the brunt of seventeen battles since He lurch'd all swords of the garland. For this last, Before and in Corioli, let me say, I cannot speak him home: he stopp'd the fliers; And by his rare example made the coward Turn terror into sport: as weeds before A vessel under sail, so men obey'd, And fell below his stem: his sword, - death's stamp, - Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot He was a thing of blood, whose every motion Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd The mortal gate of the city, which he painted With shunless destiny; aidless came off, And with a sudden re-enforcement struck Corioli like a planet. Now all's his: When, by and by, the din of war 'gan pierce His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit Re-quick'ned what in flesh was fatigate, And to the battle came he; where he did Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if 'Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call'd Both field and city ours he never stood To ease his breast with panting.

MENENIUS. Worthy man!

FIRST SENATOR. He cannot but with measure fit the honours Which we devise him.

COMINIUS. Our spoils he kick'd at; And looked upon things precious as they were The common muck of the world: he covets less Than misery itself would give; rewards His deeds with doing them; and is content To spend the time to end it.

MENENIUS. He's right noble: Let him be call'd for.

FIRST SENATOR. Call Coriolanus.

OFFICER. He doth appear.

[Re-enter CORIOLANUS.]

MENENIUS. The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee consul.

CORIOLANUS. I do owe them still My life and services.

MENENIUS. It then remains That you do speak to the people.

CORIOLANUS. I do beseech you Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them, For my wounds' sake to give their suffrage: please you That I may pass this doing.

SICINIUS. Sir, the people Must have their voices; neither will they bate One jot of ceremony.

MENENIUS. Put them not to't: - Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and Take to you, as your predecessors have, Your honour with your form.

CORIOLANUS. It is a part That I shall blush in acting, and might well Be taken from the people.

BRUTUS. Mark you that?

CORIOLANUS. To brag unto them, - thus I did, and thus; - Show them the unaching scars which I should hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire Of their breath only!

MENENIUS. Do not stand upon't. - We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose to them; - and to our noble consul Wish we all joy and honour.

SENATORS. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!

[Flourish. Exeunt all but SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]

BRUTUS. You see how he intends to use the people.

SICINIUS. May they perceive's intent! He will require them As if he did contemn what he requested Should be in them to give.

BRUTUS. Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings here: on the market-place I know they do attend us.

[Exeunt.]


SCENE III. Rome. The Forum.

[Enter several citizens.]

FIRST CITIZEN. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

SECOND CITIZEN. We may, sir, if we will.

THIRD CITIZEN. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he show us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds and speak for them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous: and for the multitude to be ingrateful were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.

FIRST CITIZEN. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

THIRD CITIZEN. We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured; and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o' the compass.

SECOND CITIZEN. Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?

THIRD CITIZEN. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will, - 'tis strongly wedged up in a block-head; but if it were at liberty 'twould, sure, southward.

SECOND CITIZEN. Why that way?

THIRD CITIZEN. To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience' sake, to help to get thee a wife.

SECOND CITIZEN. You are never without your tricks: - you may, you may.

THIRD CITIZEN. Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility. Mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars, wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues; therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him.

ALL. Content, content.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS.]


MENENIUS. O sir, you are not right; have you not known The worthiest men have done't!

CORIOLANUS. What must I say? - 'I pray, sir' - Plague upon't! I cannot bring My tongue to such a pace. - 'Look, sir, - my wounds; - I got them in my country's service, when Some certain of your brethren roar'd, and ran From the noise of our own drums.'

MENENIUS. O me, the gods! You must not speak of that: you must desire them To think upon you.

CORIOLANUS. Think upon me! Hang 'em! I would they would forget me, like the virtues Which our divines lose by 'em.

MENENIUS. You'll mar all: I'll leave you. Pray you speak to 'em, I pray you, In wholesome manner.

CORIOLANUS. Bid them wash their faces And keep their teeth clean.

[Exit MENENIUS.]

So, here comes a brace:

[Re-enter two citizens.]

You know the cause, sirs, of my standing here.

FIRST CITIZEN. We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to't.

CORIOLANUS. Mine own desert.

SECOND CITIZEN. Your own desert?

CORIOLANUS. Ay, not mine own desire.

FIRST CITIZEN. How! not your own desire!

CORIOLANUS. No, sir, 'twas never my desire yet to trouble the poor with begging.

FIRST CITIZEN. You must think, if we give you anything, we hope to gain by you.

CORIOLANUS. Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship?

FIRST CITIZEN. The price is to ask it kindly.

CORIOLANUS. Kindly! sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to show you, which shall be yours in private. - Your good voice, sir; what say you?

SECOND CITIZEN. You shall ha' it, worthy sir.

CORIOLANUS. A match, sir. - There's in all two worthy voices begg'd. - I have