CAIUS MARCIUS, afterwards CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS
Generals against the Volscians
TITUS LARTIUS
COMINIUS
MENENIUS AGRIPPA, friend to Coriolanus
Tribunes of the People
SICINIUS VELUTUS
JUNIUS BRUTUS
YOUNG MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus
A ROMAN HERALD
NICANOR, a Roman
TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians
LIEUTENANT, to Aufidius
CONSPIRATORS, With Aufidius
ADRIAN, a Volscian
A CITIZEN of Antium
TWO VOLSCIAN GUARDS
VOLUMNIA, mother to Coriolanus
VIRGILIA, wife to Coriolanus
VALERIA, friend to Virgilia
GENTLEWOMAN attending on Virgilia
Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Aediles, Lictors,
Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants to Aufidius, and
other
Attendants
SCENE: Rome and the neighbourhood; Corioli and the neighbourhood; Antium
ACT I. 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 resolv'd rather to die than to
famish?
ALL. Resolv'd, resolv'd.
FIRST CITIZEN. 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. 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; but they think we are too dear.
The
leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an
inventory to particularize 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 speak this in hunger for bread,
not in
thirst for revenge.
SECOND CITIZEN. Would you proceed especially against Caius
Marcius?
FIRST CITIZEN. 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
report for't 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-conscienc'd men can be content to
say it
was for his country, he did it to please his mother and to be
partly proud, which he is, even to 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;
he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts
within] What shouts are these? The other side o' th' city is
risen. Why stay we prating here? To th' Capitol!
ALL. Come, come.
FIRST CITIZEN. Soft! who comes here?
Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA
SECOND CITIZEN. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always
lov'd
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. Our business is not unknown to th' 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. 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,
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
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
The helms o' th' state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
FIRST CITIZEN. Care for us! True, indeed! They ne'er car'd for
us
yet. Suffer us to famish, and their storehouses cramm'd with
grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal
daily
any