Coriolanus

Coriolanus
Name	Coriolanus
Caption	Title page of the First Folio (1623)
Writer	William Shakespeare
Characters	Caius Marcius Coriolanus, Volumnia, Menenius Agrippa, Tullus Aufidius, Cominius, Sicinia & Brutus
Setting	Ancient Rome, early 5th century BC
Subject	Pride, politics, class conflict, family
Genre	Tragedy
Premiere date	c. 1605–1608
Premiere place	London, likely at the Globe Theatre
Published	1623 (First Folio)

Coriolanus is a tragic play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in the early 1600s. The drama is set in the early Roman Republic and follows the life of the brilliant but arrogant general Caius Marcius Coriolanus, whose contempt for the common people leads to his political downfall and ultimate destruction. Drawing from the biographical accounts in Plutarch's Lives, the play is a powerful exploration of pride, political manipulation, and the conflict between personal integrity and public duty.

Plot

Following a victory over the city of Corioli and its Volscian army, the Roman general Caius Marcius Coriolanus is awarded his cognomen for his exceptional bravery. Encouraged by his mother Volumnia and his patrician allies like Menenius Agrippa and Cominius, he seeks the high office of consul. However, his candidacy is vehemently opposed by the tribunes of the plebs, Sicinia and Brutus, who manipulate the common people against him due to his open disdain. After being accused of treason and banished from Rome, he defects in fury to the Volscians, allying with his former rival, Tullus Aufidius. Leading a Volscian army to the gates of Rome to seek revenge, he is ultimately persuaded to spare the city by the desperate pleas of his mother, wife Virgilia, and son. This act of mercy breaks his pact with Tullus Aufidius, who, seizing on the betrayal, orchestrates his assassination in the Volscian city of Antium.

Characters

The central figure is the formidable soldier Caius Marcius Coriolanus, whose martial prowess is matched only by his political inflexibility. His domineering mother, Volumnia, is a driving force behind his ambition, while his wife Virgilia represents a more gentle, domestic influence. His political allies include the patrician senator Menenius Agrippa, who tells the famous parable of the belly, and the general Cominius. His chief adversaries are the cunning plebeian tribunes Sicinia and Brutus, and his great military rival, the Volscian leader Tullus Aufidius. The Roman populace, or plebeians, function as a collective character, easily swayed by both the aristocracy and their tribunes.

Sources and date

Shakespeare's primary source was Plutarch's biography of Coriolanus as translated by Thomas North in his 1579 edition of The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. The play is also informed by classical histories such as those by Livy and reflects contemporary English anxieties about grain shortages and popular unrest. Most scholars date its composition to between 1605 and 1608, placing it among Shakespeare's later tragedies, following works like King Lear and Macbeth. It was first published in the 1623 First Folio.

Themes and interpretation

The play is a intense study of the conflict between the individual and the state, exploring themes of aristocratic pride versus populist demand. Coriolanus's rigid virtus and inability to perform public humility make him a tragic figure unsuited for the compromises of peacetime politics. The drama scrutinizes the fickleness of the mob and the manipulative nature of political rhetoric, as practiced by both the patricians and the tribunes. Central to the tragedy is the powerful psychological relationship between Coriolanus and his mother Volumnia, where familial duty and Roman martial identity clash with and ultimately override personal vengeance.

Performance history

Early performance records are sparse, though it was likely staged at the Globe Theatre. After the English Restoration, it was adapted by Nahum Tate in 1682 as The Ingratitude of a Commonwealth. A more famous adaptation was by the poet James Thomson in 1749, later revised by David Garrick. The role has attracted major actors, including John Philip Kemble, who often performed it with his sister Sarah Siddons as Volumnia. Notable 20th-century productions include those by the RSC and The Old Vic, with actors such as Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen in the title role. It has been frequently staged in times of political upheaval, its themes resonating with revolutions and class struggles.

Adaptations

The play has inspired numerous adaptations across various media. Bertolt Brecht produced a significant Marxist-inflected adaptation, Coriolan, in the 1950s. For film, Ralph Fiennes directed and starred in a 2011 modern-dress adaptation set in a war-torn Balkan state. Other notable cinematic interpretations include a 1984 television film for the BBC Television Shakespeare series. It has also been the basis for operas, such as Gaspare Spontini's La vestale (though loosely), and more directly, Verdi's early opera Il corsaro (unrelated) and Beethoven's Coriolan Overture. The play's structure and themes have influenced modern dramas about flawed political leaders and military figures.

Category:Plays by William Shakespeare Category:1600s plays Category:English Renaissance plays Category:Tragedies by William Shakespeare