Hark, how they joy!

[Music] sound still with the shouts

SICINIUS    First, the gods bless you for your tidings: next,

To the Messenger

Accept my thankfulness.

SECOND MESSENGER    Sir, we have all great cause to give great

thanks.

SICINIUS    They are near the city?

SECOND MESSENGER    Almost at point64 to enter.

SICINIUS    We’ll meet them, and help the joy.

Exeunt

[Act 5 Scene 5]

running scene 20 continues

Enter two Senators with Ladies [Volumnia, Virgilia and Valeria]

passing over the stage, with other Lords

A SENATOR    Behold our patroness, the life of Rome!

Call all your tribes together, praise the gods,

And make triumphant fires: strew flowers before them:

Unshout the noise that banished Martius:

Repeal him with the welcome of his mother:

Cry ‘Welcome, ladies, welcome!’

ALL    Welcome, ladies, welcome!

A flourish with Drums and Trumpets

[Exeunt]

[Act 5 Scene 6]

running scene 21

Enter Tullus Aufidius with Attendants

AUFIDIUS    Go tell the lords o’th’city I am here:

Deliver them this paper: having read it,

Bid them repair3 to th’market-place, where I,

Even in theirs and in the commons’ ears,

Will vouch the truth of it. Him5 I accuse

The city ports by this6 hath entered, and

Intends t’appear before the people, hoping

To purge himself with words. Dispatch.

[Exeunt Attendants]

Enter three or four Conspirators of Aufidius’ faction

Most welcome.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR    How is it with our general?

AUFIDIUS    Even so as with a man by his own

Alms impoisoned, and with his12 charity slain.

SECOND CONSPIRATOR    Most noble sir, if you do hold the same intent

Wherein you wished us parties14, we’ll deliver you

Of15 your great danger.

AUFIDIUS    Sir, I cannot tell:

We must proceed as we do find the people.

THIRD CONSPIRATOR    The people will remain uncertain whilst

’Twixt you there’s difference19: but the fall of either

Makes the survivor heir of all.

AUFIDIUS    I know it,

And my pretext to strike at him admits22

A good construction. I raised him, and I pawned23

Mine honour for his truth: who being so heightened24,

He watered his new plants25 with dews of flattery,

Seducing so my friends: and to this end

He bowed his nature, never known before

But to be rough, unswayable, and free28.

THIRD CONSPIRATOR    Sir, his stoutness29

When he did stand for consul, which he lost

By lack of stooping—

AUFIDIUS    That I would have spoke of32:

Being banished for’t, he came unto my hearth,

Presented to my knife his throat: I took him,

Made him joint-servant with me, gave him way35

In all his own desires, nay, let him choose

Out of my files37, his projects to accomplish,

My best and freshest men: served his designments38

In mine own person: holp39 to reap the fame

Which he did end40 all his, and took some pride

To do myself this wrong: till at the last

I seemed his follower, not partner, and

He waged me with his countenance43, as if

I had been mercenary44.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR    So he did, my lord:

The army marvelled at it, and in46 the last,

When he had carried47 Rome and that we looked

For no less spoil than glory—

AUFIDIUS    There was it49,

For which my sinews shall be stretched50 upon him.

At a few drops of women’s rheum51, which are

As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour

Of our great action: therefore shall he die,

And I’ll renew me in his fall.

Drums and Trumpets sound, with great shouts of the people

But hark.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR    Your native town you entered like a post55,

And had no welcomes home: but he returns

Splitting the air with noise.

SECOND CONSPIRATOR    And patient fools,

Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear

With giving him glory.

THIRD CONSPIRATOR    Therefore, at your vantage61,

Ere he express himself, or move the people

With what he would say, let him feel your sword,

Which we will second. When he lies along64,

After your way his tale pronounced65 shall bury

His reasons66 with his body.

Enter the Lords of the city

AUFIDIUS    Say no more: here come the lords.

ALL THE LORDS    You are most welcome home.

AUFIDIUS    I have not deserved it.

But, worthy lords, have you with heed70 perused

What I have written to you?

ALL THE LORDS    We have.

FIRST LORD    And grieve to hear’t.

What faults he made before the last, I think

Might have found easy fines75: but there to end

Where he was to begin, and give away

The benefit of our levies, answering77 us

With our own charge78, making a treaty where

There was a yielding79 — this admits no excuse.

AUFIDIUS    He approaches: you shall hear him.

Enter Coriolanus marching with Drum and Colours, the Commoners being with him

CORIOLANUS    Hail, lords! I am returned your soldier,

No more infected with my country’s love

Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting

Under your great command. You are to know

That prosperously I have attempted85 and

With bloody passage led your wars even to

The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home

Doth more than counterpoise a full third part88

The charges89 of the action. We have made peace

With no less honour to the Antiates90

Than shame to th’Romans. And we here deliver,

Subscribed92 by th’consuls and patricians,

Together with the seal o’th’senate, what

We have compounded94 on.

He gives the Lords a paper

AUFIDIUS    Read it not, noble lords,

But tell the traitor in the highest degree

He hath abused your powers.

CORIOLANUS    Traitor? How now?

AUFIDIUS    Ay, traitor, Martius.

CORIOLANUS    Martius?

AUFIDIUS    Ay, Martius, Caius Martius: dost thou think

I’ll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol’n name,

‘Coriolanus’ in Corioles?

You lords and heads o’th’state, perfidiously104

He has betrayed your business, and given up,

For certain drops of salt106, your city Rome:

I say ‘your city’ to his wife and mother,

Breaking his oath and resolution like

A twist of rotten silk, never admitting109

Counsel o’th’war: but at his nurse’s tears

He whined and roared away your victory,

That pages blushed at him and men of heart112

Looked wond’ring each at others.

CORIOLANUS    Hear’st thou, Mars?

AUFIDIUS    Name not the god, thou boy of tears.

CORIOLANUS    Ha?

AUFIDIUS    No more.

CORIOLANUS    Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart

Too great for what contains it. Boy? O slave!—

Pardon me, lords, ’tis the first time that ever

I was forced to scold121. Your judgements, my grave lords,

Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion122 —

Who wears my stripes123 impressed upon him, that

Must bear my beating to his grave — shall join

To thrust the lie unto him.

FIRST LORD    Peace, both, and hear me speak.

CORIOLANUS    Cut me to pieces, Volsces: men and lads,

Stain all your edges128 on me. ‘Boy’! False hound,

If you have writ your annals true, ’tis there,

That, like an eagle in a dovecote, I

Fluttered131 your Volscians in Corioles.

Alone I did it. ‘Boy’!

AUFIDIUS    Why, noble lords,

Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune134,

Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,

’Fore your own eyes and ears?

ALL CONSPIRATORS    Let him die for’t.

ALL [THE] PEOPLE    Tear him to pieces! Do it presently138!

Shouting individually

He killed my son! My daughter! He killed my cousin

Marcus! He killed my father!

SECOND LORD    Peace, ho! No outrage141: peace!

The man is noble, and his fame folds in142

This orb o’th’earth. His last offences to us

Shall have judicious hearing. Stand144, Aufidius,

And trouble not the peace.

CORIOLANUS    O that I had him, with six Aufidiuses,

Drawing his sword

Or more, his tribe, to use my lawful sword!

AUFIDIUS    Insolent villain!

Drawing his sword

ALL CONSPIRATORS    Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!

Draw both the Conspirators, and kill Martius, who falls: Aufidius stands on him

LORDS    Hold, hold, hold, hold!

AUFIDIUS    My noble masters, hear me speak.

FIRST LORD    O Tullus!

SECOND LORD    Thou hast done a deed whereat153

To Aufidius

Valour will weep.

THIRD LORD    Tread not upon him, masters:

To Aufidius and the Conspirators

All be quiet: put up your swords.

AUFIDIUS    My lords,

When you shall know — as in this rage,

Provoked by him, you cannot — the great danger

Which this man’s life did owe160 you, you’ll rejoice

That he is thus cut off. Please it161 your honours

To call me to your senate, I’ll deliver162

Myself your loyal servant, or endure

Your heaviest censure164.

FIRST LORD    Bear from hence his body,

And mourn you for him. Let him be regarded

As the most noble corpse that ever herald

Did follow to his urn.

SECOND LORD    His own impatience

Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.

Let’s make the best of it.

AUFIDIUS    My rage is gone,

And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up:

Help three o’th’chiefest soldiers: I’ll be one174.

Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully:

Trail176 your steel pikes. Though in this city he

Hath widowed and unchilded many a one,

Which to this hour bewail the injury,

Yet he shall have a noble memory179. Assist.

Exeunt bearing the body of Martius. A dead march sounded

TEXTUAL NOTES

F = First Folio text of 1623, the only authority for the play

F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SD = stage direction

SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

List of parts = Ed

1.1.13 on = Ed. F = one 56 you. For = Ed. F = you for 81 stale’t = Ed. F = scale’t 98 tauntingly = Ed. F = taintingly 166 geese: you are = Ed. F = Geese you are: 195 pick = F. Ed = pitch 210 Shouting = Ed. F = Shooting 215 unroofed = Ed.