| ACT II SCENE II. The same. The Capitol. |
| [Enter two Officers, to lay cushions] |
| First Officer | Come, come, they are almost here. How many stand |
| for consulships? |
| Second Officer | Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one |
| Coriolanus will carry it. |
| First Officer | That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and | 5 |
| loves not the common people. |
| Second Officer | Faith, there had been many great men that have |
| flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there |
| be many that they have loved, they know not |
| wherefore: so that, if they love they know not why, | 10 |
| they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for |
| Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate |
| him manifests the true knowledge he has in their |
| disposition; and out of his noble carelessness lets |
| them plainly see't. | 15 |
| First Officer | If he did not care whether he had their love or no, |
| he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither |
| good nor harm: but he seeks their hate with greater |
| devotion than can render it him; and leaves |
| nothing undone that may fully discover him their | 20 |
| opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and |
| displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he |
| dislikes, to flatter them for their love. |
| Second Officer | He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his |
| ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who, | 25 |
| having been supple and courteous to the people, |
| bonneted, without any further deed to have them at |
| an 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 | 30 |
| 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 | 35 |
| are coming. |
| [
A sennet. Enter, with actors before them, COMINIUS
the consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators,
SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their
places; the Tribunes take their Places by
themselves. CORIOLANUS stands
] |
| 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 | 40 |
| 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 | 45 |
| 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: | 50 |
| Leave nothing out for length, and make us think |
| Rather our state's defective for requital |
| Than we to stretch it out. |
[To the Tribunes] |
| Masters o' the people, |
| We do request your kindest ears, and after, | 55 |
| 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 | 60 |
| The theme of our assembly. |
| BRUTUS | Which the rather |
| We shall be blest to do, if he remember |
| A kinder value of the people than |
| He hath hereto prized them at. | 65 |
| 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 | 70 |
| Than the rebuke you give it. |
| MENENIUS | He loves your people |
| But tie him not to be their bedfellow. |
| Worthy Cominius, speak. |
[CORIOLANUS offers to go away] |
| Nay, keep your place. | 75 |
| First Senator | Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear |
| What you have nobly done. |
| CORIOLANUS | Your horror's pardon: |
| I had rather have my wounds to heal again |
| Than hear say how I got them. | 80 |
| 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 soothed not, therefore hurt not: but | 85 |
| 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 | 90 |
| To hear my nothings monster'd. |
| [Exit] |
| MENENIUS | Masters of 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 | 95 |
| 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, | 100 |
| The man I speak of cannot in the world |
| Be singly counterpoised. 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, | 105 |
| When with his Amazonian chin he drove |
| The bristled lips before him: be bestrid |
| An o'er-press'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, | 110 |
| 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 | 115 |
| 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 | 120 |
| 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 | 125 |
| The mortal gate of the city, which he painted |
| With shunless destiny; aidless came off, |
| And with a sudden reinforcement struck |
| Corioli like a planet: now all's his: |
| When, by and by, the din of war gan pierce | 130 |
| His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit |
| Re-quicken'd 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 | 135 |
| 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. | 140 |
| COMINIUS | Our spoils he kick'd at, |
| And look'd 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 | 145 |
| 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. | 150 |
| [Re-enter CORIOLANUS] |
| MENENIUS | The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased |
| To make thee consul. |
| CORIOLANUS | I do owe them still |
| My life and services. |
| MENENIUS | It then remains | 155 |
| 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 | 160 |
| 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: | 165 |
| Pray you, go fit you to the custom and |
| Take to you, as your predecessors have, |
| Your honour with your form. |
| CORIOLANUS | It is apart |
| That I shall blush in acting, and might well | 170 |
| 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 received them for the hire | 175 |
| 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. | 180 |
| Senators | To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! |
| [
Flourish of cornets. 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. | 185 |
| BRUTUS | Come, we'll inform them |
| Of our proceedings here: on the marketplace, |
| I know, they do attend us. |
| [Exeunt] |
Shakespeare's Sources for Coriolanus