Coriolanus

Week 1

1.1

I distributed and discussed the background notes ‘By way of introduction…’;

The opening exchanges establish the citizens’ (plebeians’) complaint – poor harvest -> famine -> patricians (aristocratic class) hoarding grain to sell at inflated prices – reflecting Midland Uprisings of 1607, particularly in Warwickshire & Northamptonshire (see additional material on ‘Coriolanus’ web page0);

Caius Martius (later called ‘Coriolanus’) established as “chief enemy of the people” – his contempt for the plebeian class and his personal pride which detracts from his undoubted military prowess;

We noted that Shakespeare distinguishes between the First and Second Citizens – 1st is more militant; 2nd less impulsive, more reasonable;

Menenius is of the patrician class but more tolerated by the citizens as “honest enough”; Men.’s language suggests he ingratiates himself with the citizens – speaks in prose – “my countrymen…my good friends … mine honest neighbours” – moves into verse (51->) as he tries to convince the citizens that they are misguided in blaming the patricians who “care for you like fathers” – tries to deflects responsibility for the famine away from the upper class to the gods – citizens should pray rather than rebel;

The Fable of the Belly illustrates his position that the patricians are unjustly blamed – that everything that the citizens receive is from the good graces of their social superiors just as the stomach distributes all of the goodness in its food through the veins and arteries of the body and is left only with the husk or worthless parts;

Citizens not very convinced – they are clearly very familiar with this little parable (see 98-102) but the arrival of Caius Martius quells them – they say virtually nothing once he arrives;

Instantly we see his undisguised contempt for the plebeians – “dissentious rogues … curs …” – their unreliability and cowardice; their lack of judgement and fickleness in giving their allegiance to those who “Deserve your hate” while hating those who “deserves greatness”;

His contempt of their gossiping about their superiors – “presume to know” – and of their so-called ‘wisdom’ which is expressed in tired proverbial clichés – “shreds” of wisdom;

There have been several of these uprisings simultaneously throughout the city and Caius is disgusted that the senate has made a concession to the citizens: “Five tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms /Of their own choice” – he clearly thinks this a dangerous concession since it will inevitably lead to demands for more: “Win upon power and throw forth greater themes”.

The arrival of a messenger introduces a more pressing matter – a rival tribe (the Volsces) are “in arms” against Rome – Martius is glad that a war will give the opportunity for Rome to “vent/ Our musty superfluity”;

The arrival of the two named tribunes (see lines 199-200) and several patricians indicates the serious nature of the expected war;

Martius reveals his unqualified admiration for the enemy’s leading soldier, TullusAufidius – he sees him as a worthy opponent and expresses the extremity of his lust for honour when he says that if one half of the world were at war with the other half and Tullus on Martius’ side then Martius would “revolt” against his own side and go to the enemy’s side so that he could pit himself against Tullus – this is a prophetic remark since Martius will, in due course, “revolt” against Rome;

Martius is content to be second-in-command to Cominius who is appointed commander-in-chief;

Martius taunts the citizens by pointing out that the Volsces have plenty of grain – since the citizens are “rats” they can join the army and feed on the enemy’s granaries;

The citizens – now more mild – “steal away” together with the patricians, leaving the two tribunes to discuss the extent of Martius’ pride and “insolence” – Sicinius’ surprise that Martius is prepared to accept a subordinate rank under Cominius is explained by Brutus as a clever device to protect – and advance – his own reputation since anything that goes wrong in the war will be blamed on the commander even if he, personally, “perform/ To th’utmost of a man” while any successes will inevitably be shared with Martius, his subordinate;

They exit to discover how the imminent war is to be managed.