Back, I say, go:

lest I let forth your half-pint of blood. Back: that’s the utmost58

of your having: back.

MENENIUS    Nay, but fellow, fellow—

Enter Coriolanus with Aufidius

CORIOLANUS    What’s the matter?

MENENIUS    Now, you companion, I’ll say an errand for62 To First

you: you shall know now that I am in estimation:

Watchman

you shall perceive that a jack guardant cannot office64 me

from my son Coriolanus: guess but my entertainment65 with

him: if thou stand’st not i’th’state of66 hanging, or of

some death more long in spectatorship67, and crueller in

suffering, behold now presently, and swoon for what’s to

come upon thee.—The glorious gods sit in hourly

To Coriolanus

synod70 about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no

worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son, my

son! Thou art preparing fire for us: look thee, here’s

He weeps

water to quench it. I was hardly moved73 to come to thee, but

being assured none but myself could move thee, I have been

blown out of our gates with sighs, and conjure75 thee to

pardon Rome, and thy petitionary76 countrymen. The good

gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this

varlet here: this, who like a block78 hath denied my access

to thee.

CORIOLANUS    Away!

MENENIUS    How? Away?

CORIOLANUS    Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs

Are servanted to others: though I owe83

My revenge properly, my remission84 lies

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar85,

Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

Than pity note how much. Therefore, be gone.

Mine ears against your suits are stronger than

Your gates against my force. Yet, for89 I loved thee,

Take this along: I writ it for thy sake,

He gives him a letter

And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,

I will not hear thee speak. This man, Aufidius,

Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold’st.

AUFIDIUS    You keep a constant temper94.

Exeunt [Coriolanus and Aufidius]

The Guard and Menenius [remain]

FIRST WATCHMAN    Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

SECOND WATCHMAN    ’Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you

know the way home again.

FIRST WATCHMAN    Do you hear how we are shent98 for keeping your

greatness back?

SECOND WATCHMAN    What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

MENENIUS    I neither care for101 th’world nor your general: for such

things as you, I can scarce think there’s any, you’re so slight102.

He that hath a will to die by himself103 fears it not from another:

let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are long104,

and your misery increase with your age. I say to you, as I was

said to, ‘Away!’

Exit

FIRST WATCHMAN    A noble fellow, I warrant him.

SECOND WATCHMAN    The worthy fellow is our general. He’s the

rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken.

Exeunt

[Act 5 Scene 3]

running scene 19 continues

Enter Coriolanus and Aufidius

CORIOLANUS    We will before the walls of Rome tomorrow

Set down our host2. My partner in this action,

You must report to th’Volscian lords, how plainly3

I have borne this business.

AUFIDIUS    Only their ends5 you have respected,

Stopped your ears against the general suit of Rome:

Never admitted a private whisper, no, not with such friends

That thought them sure of you.

CORIOLANUS    This last old man,

Whom with a cracked heart I have sent to Rome,

Loved me above the measure of a father,

Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge12

Was to send him, for whose old love I have,

Though I showed14 sourly to him, once more offered

The first conditions, which they did refuse

And cannot now accept, to grace16 him only

That thought he could do more. A very little

I have yielded to. Fresh embassies and suits,

Nor19 from the state nor private friends, hereafter

Will I lend ear to.— Ha? What shout is this?

Shout within

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow

In the same time ’tis made? I will not.

Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Martius, with Attendants

My wife comes foremost, then the honoured mould23

Wherein this trunk was framed24, and in her hand

The grandchild to her blood. But out, affection25!

All bond and privilege of nature break:

Let it be virtuous to be obstinate27.

Virgilia curtsies

What is that curtsy worth? Or those dove’s eyes28,

Which can make gods forsworn29? I melt, and am not

Of stronger earth than others. My mother bows,

Volumnia bows

As if Olympus31 to a molehill should

In supplication nod: and my young boy

Hath an aspect33 of intercession, which

Great nature cries ‘Deny not’. Let the Volsces

Plough Rome and harrow Italy: I’ll never

Be such a gosling to obey instinct, but stand36,

As if a man were author37 of himself

And knew no other kin.

VIRGILIA    My lord and husband.

CORIOLANUS    These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome.

VIRGILIA    The sorrow that delivers41 us thus changed

Makes you think so.

CORIOLANUS    Like a dull43 actor now,

I have forgot my part, and I am out44,

Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh45,

Forgive my tyranny46, but do not say

For that ‘Forgive our Romans’. O, a kiss

Virgilia kisses him

Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge!

Now, by the jealous queen of heaven49, that kiss

I carried from thee, dear, and my true lip

Hath virgined it e’er since. You gods, I prate51,

And the most noble mother of the world

Leave unsaluted: sink, my knee, i’th’earth:

Kneels

Of thy deep duty more impression54 show

Than that of common sons.

VOLUMNIA    O, stand up blest!

Coriolanus rises

Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,

I kneel before thee, and unproperly58

Show59 duty as mistaken all this while

Between the child and parent.

She kneels

CORIOLANUS    What’s this? Your knees to me?

To your corrected62 son?

Then let the pebbles on the hungry63 beach

He raises her

Fillip64 the stars: then let the mutinous winds

Strike the proud cedars gainst the fiery sun,

Murd’ring impossibility66, to make

What cannot be, slight67 work.

VOLUMNIA    Thou art my warrior: I holp68 to frame thee.

Do you know this lady?

CORIOLANUS    The noble sister of Publicola70,

The moon71 of Rome, chaste as the icicle

That’s curdied72 by the frost from purest snow

And hangs on Dian73’s temple: dear Valeria!

VOLUMNIA    This is a poor epitome74 of yours,

Indicating Young Martius

Which by th’interpretation75 of full time

May show like all76 yourself.

CORIOLANUS    The god of soldiers77,

To Young Martius

With the consent of supreme Jove, inform78

Thy thoughts with nobleness, that thou mayst prove

To shame unvulnerable, and stick80 i’th’wars

Like a great sea-mark standing every flaw81,

And saving those that eye82 thee!

VOLUMNIA    Your knee, sirrah.

To Young Martius, who then kneels

CORIOLANUS    That’s my brave boy.

VOLUMNIA    Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself,

Are suitors to you.

CORIOLANUS    I beseech you, peace:

Or if you’d ask, remember this before:

The89 thing I have forsworn to grant may never

Be held by you denials. Do not bid me

Dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate91

Again with Rome’s mechanics92. Tell me not

Wherein I seem unnatural: desire not t’allay93

My rages and revenges with your colder94 reasons.

VOLUMNIA    O, no more, no more!

You have said you will not grant us anything:

For we have nothing else to ask, but that

Which you deny already: yet we will ask

That, if you fail in our request, the blame

May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us.

CORIOLANUS    Aufidius, and you Volsces, mark: for we’ll

Hear nought from Rome in private. Your request?

He sits

VOLUMNIA    Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment103

And state of bodies would bewray104 what life

We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself105

How more unfortunate than all living women

Are we come hither: since that thy sight, which should

Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts,

Constrains them109 weep and shake with fear and sorrow,

Making the mother, wife and child to see

The son, the husband and the father tearing

His country’s bowels out: and to poor we

Thine enmity’s most capital113: thou barr’st us

Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort

That all but we enjoy. For how can we,

Alas, how can we for our country pray?

Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory,

Whereto we are bound? Alack, or118 we must lose

The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person,

Our comfort in the country. We must find

An evident121 calamity, though we had

Our wish, which122 side should win. For either thou

Must as a foreign recreant123 be led

With manacles through our streets, or else

Triumphantly tread on thy country’s ruin,

And bear the palm126 for having bravely shed

Thy wife and children’s blood.