From the pen of the English master William Shakespeare came a lot of literary masterpieces. And it is difficult to say that some topics were given to him easier than others, whether these were works about unhappy, happy love, about a broken but not broken fate, about political intrigues. The author is truly brilliant in his heroes, those who, speaking their monologues, touch the reader’s soul, reaching his heart in order to make him feel, change his mind, change his attitude. A summary of Shakespeare's Coriolanus is presented in the article.
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According to many critics, one of Shakespeare’s most complicated plays is Coriolanus. The main plot line is a political struggle, which is unusual, since in any other creation the poet plays other actions against the backdrop of political intrigues. The combination of internal conflict (patricians and plebeians) and external (Romans and Volsk) is the basis of the work. The title of the work is the nickname of the main character, Gnei Marcius, which he received for the victory over the enemies of Rome Volsk.
It is worth noting the realism of the work, based on the works of historians of the ancient Greek Plutarch and the ancient Roman Titus Livius. In many ways, the character traits of the hero Shakespeare changed. Plutarch’s Coriolanus is somewhat uncommunicative and rude, and in Shakespeare’s tragedy Coriolanus, he is quite friendly.
When did it all start?
The time of action is the beginning of the formation of the Roman Republic, 490 BC There is a struggle of the patricians and plebeians. The situation is heating up due to hunger, the people’s stomachs are empty. At this time, aristocrats arrange feasts, the remnants of which cause particular irritation, because they can be distributed to the needy. But no, the patricians too despise everyone but themselves.
Shakespeare masterfully describes the people, he always manages to show the character and mood with a few phrases embedded in the mouth of individual representatives. The people in Coriolanus are a collective character, people are united in their actions. Their requirements are understandable and resonate with the reader. Plebs loudly expresses his dissatisfaction, the atmosphere is heating up. A friend of Marcius, who has appeared, is trying to extinguish the flaming fire, telling a fable about the human body, which accused the stomach of gluttony. In the midst of these discussions, Menius brings a message about the danger to Rome from outside. Here the main character appears. Another feature of the play is that Shakespeare shows the hero not through monologues, but through his actions.
Gnei Marcius
Gnei Marcius belongs to the patrician family. A strong, brave warrior, but a bad politician. It is difficult for him to sympathize because of his harsh statements and arrogant attitude to the difficulties of the plebeians. From the very first minutes of appearing on stage, he is full of contempt and ridicule for the needs of others and does not even try to hide what he thinks about them. In an extremely derogatory form, he announces that from now on their interests will be represented by the five tribunes chosen by them. Yes, Gnei Marcius is a true patrician, for him the main value is Rome. And he is completely devoid of any compassion for other people. As Shakespeare himself speaks of him: "There is as much mercy in him as there is milk in a tiger." Comparison with the tiger is also the key to understanding the character of the hero. First of all, he is a warrior. His goal is to win the battle. With what pleasure he talks about his future adversary - the leader of the Volsk Aufidia!
Wolski, like the Latins, whose center of the earth was Rome, is another Italian tribe. It is not the first time a war breaks out between the Volks and the Latins, and Gnei Marcius with enthusiasm goes to the theater of operations. It was thanks to his courage that the Romans won and took the city of Coriola. Gnei Marcius becomes Coriolanus.
The desire for power
Striving for a political career, Coriolanus stands as a tribune, but his political opponents fear the increased influence of the patrician and persuade the plebeians to withdraw their votes. It is symbolic that the name of one of the stands is Brutus, which already suggests hypocrisy and a thirst for achieving his goals.
As a result of a quarrel with Rome, where almost everyone speaks out against the yesterday’s hero, as if demonstrating the mobility of the crowd, not only plebeians, but patricians, even his mother persuades Coriolanus to obey the requirements that humiliate the proud soul of Gnei Marcius. He goes into exile to his former enemies - Volsk.
Reins of government
In this episode that preceded the exile, you look differently at some characters. Proud patricians urge Coriolanus to go against himself, pretend that he agrees with the demands of the people, and after the result can be avenged. That is, in this case, both hostile forces are not shown from the best side. Neither those who want to establish justice and fight for it, nor those who want to maintain their position, do not demonstrate any persistent moral standards. However, Gnei Marcius Coriolanus is shown in a different way. Not only on the other hand, but until that moment, his arrogance towards the plebs was perceived as a kind of application to the title of patrician. But after all, the demands that were made to him - they are natural for the patrician. No, Marcius is a patrician in spirit, and not just in blood, and this is what disgusts him with providing some other evidence of his love for Rome, except for those known to everyone. He is not looking for a middle ground and does not want to make a deal.
Revenge - a cold dish
Once at his former enemies, Coriolanus, driven by a thirst for revenge, offers his service to Tullus Avphidius. Together they move to Rome. Coriolanus from the exile becomes a traitor. Not the best name for a Roman who was brought up in the spirit of priority of the interests of the republic. He, the heroic son of Rome, becomes an enemy because of resentment. Coriolanus does not go into exile wherever his eyes look - he goes to his closest enemies, blinded by the desire to take revenge. An act that does not paint the hero in any way. But here, not everything is transparent. Coriolanus expects to take revenge on Rome, using the Volks, and Tullus Avfidiy seeks to use the wrath of Marcius to strengthen his power. After all, the Volsk has a similar struggle for power, and war is a means to achieve the goals of one of the warring parties.
What is going on in Rome?
Rome shuddered when he found out what his actions had led to. Having accused the stands that set the people against Coriolanus, nevertheless, the patricians understand that no one will have to wait for mercy. Everyone realizes their guilt before the former hero. But still, the belief that he can be convinced remains. His friend Menenius Agrippa, who defended Coriolanus before the people, goes to meet him with a request to spare at least a few. But Coriolanus is relentless. Resentment and anger completely subjugated him to a thirst for a place. Rome was in direct danger of destruction.
The friends of Coriolanus, whom he refused, were almost desperate, but then the family of Gnei Marzia appeared. His mother, who raised Gnei so adamant, proud of his inflexibility, begs him for mercy for Rome. It’s difficult to convey the full drama of Volumnia’s speech. She does not crush - she begs, appeals to those forces that, it would seem, Coriolanus does not. Here is the little son of Coriolanus and his wife "that the ice is cleaner." It seemed that nothing would force Coriolanus to turn astray, despite the strength of his mother's plea, but no - Marcius retreated. By this he provoked glee in Rome and in the heart of Avfidiy, who accused him of betrayal afterwards. Going against Rome, Coriolanus could not help but realize that he was committing betrayal. Although this was not mentioned anywhere, he did not understand the consequences of the clemency of Rome for himself at the Volsk. He was accused of betrayal and killed. Nowhere was the main character reckoned with society, and society took revenge on him - his own people did not understand him and did not accept him. From Rome he fled to the Volks and there he found his death.
The tragedy of Coriolanus
The tragedy of the protagonist is the tragedy of individualism in society, a person who sees the goal only in satisfying his sense of dignity. Who is to blame for this result? Just Coriolanus himself? It is worth thinking more about the role of society in the fate of each individual person. How did society decide that in order to satisfy his pride, an independent person should humiliate himself? What moves society at times when it wants to humiliate a man, if not an absurd whim? The tragedy of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, the summary of which is set out in the article, becomes clear. After all, it presents not only the tragedy of an individual person, but also a society that is responsible for the fate of everyone, because, in general, a person is the main component unit of the people.
Shakespeare’s Coriolan movie was released in 2011. He starred in Montenegro and Serbia.