Coriolanus: Act 2, Scene 2 Translation

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions, as it were
in the Capitol.

FIRST OFFICER Come, come. They are almost here. How
many stand for consulships?

SECOND OFFICER Three, they say; but ’tis thought of
everyone Coriolanus will carry it.

FIRST OFFICER That’s a brave fellow, but he’s vengeance 5
proud and loves not the common people.

SECOND OFFICER ’Faith, there hath been many great
men that have flattered the people who ne’er loved
them; and there be many that they have loved they
know not wherefore; so that, if they love they 10
know not why, they hate upon no better a ground.
Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether
they love or hate him manifests the true knowledge
he has in their disposition and, out of his noble
carelessness, lets them plainly see ’t. 15

FIRST OFFICER If he did not care whether he had their
love or no, he waved indifferently ’twixt doing them
neither good nor harm; but he seeks their hate with
greater devotion than they can render it him and
leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him 20
their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice
and displeasure of the people is as bad as that
which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

SECOND OFFICER He hath deserved worthily of his
country, and his ascent is not by such easy degrees 25
as those who, having been supple and courteous to
the people, bonneted, without any further deed to
have them at all into their estimation and report;
but he hath so planted his honors in their eyes and
his actions in their hearts that for their tongues to 30
be silent and not confess so much were a kind of
ingrateful injury. To report otherwise were a malice
that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof
and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

FIRST OFFICER No more of him; he’s a worthy man. 35
Make way. They are coming.

A sennet. Enter the Patricians and the Tribunes of the
people, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius,
Cominius the consul. The Patricians sit. Sicinius
and Brutus take their places by themselves.
Coriolanus stands.

MENENIUS
Having determined of the Volsces and
To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,
As the main point of this our after-meeting,
To gratify his noble service that 40
Hath thus stood for his country. Therefore please
you,
Most reverend and grave elders, to desire
The present consul and last general
In our well-found successes to report 45
A little of that worthy work performed
By Martius Caius Coriolanus, whom
We met here both to thank and to remember
With honors like himself. Coriolanus sits.

FIRST SENATOR Speak, good Cominius. 50
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think
Rather our state’s defective for requital,
Than we to stretch it out. (To the Tribunes.)
Masters o’ th’ people,
We do request your kindest ears and, after, 55
Your loving motion toward the common body
To yield what passes here.

SICINIUS We are convented
Upon a pleasing treaty and have hearts
Inclinable to honor and advance 60
The theme of our assembly.

BRUTUS Which the rather
We shall be blest to do if he remember
A kinder value of the people than
He hath hereto prized them at. 65

MENENIUS That’s off, that’s off!
I would you rather had been silent. Please you
To hear Cominius speak?

BRUTUS Most willingly,
But yet my caution was more pertinent 70
Than the rebuke you give it.

MENENIUS He loves your people,
But tie him not to be their bedfellow.—
Worthy Cominius, speak.
Coriolanus rises and offers to go away.
Nay, keep your place. 75

FIRST SENATOR
Sit, Coriolanus. Never shame to hear
What you have nobly done.

CORIOLANUS Your Honors, pardon.
I had rather have my wounds to heal again
Than hear say how I got them. 80

BRUTUS Sir, I hope
My words disbenched you not?

CORIOLANUS No, sir. Yet oft,
When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
You soothed not, therefore hurt not; but your 85
people,
I love them as they weigh.

MENENIUS Pray now, sit down.

CORIOLANUS
I had rather have one scratch my head i’ th’ sun
When the alarum were struck than idly sit 90
To hear my nothings monstered. Coriolanus exits.

MENENIUS Masters of the people,
Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter—
That’s thousand to one good one—when you now
see 95
He had rather venture all his limbs for honor
Than one on ’s ears to hear it.—Proceed, Cominius.

COMINIUS
I shall lack voice. The deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be uttered feebly. It is held
That valor is the chiefest virtue and 100
Most dignifies the haver; if it be,
The man I speak of cannot in the world
Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others. Our then dictator, 105
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him. He bestrid
An o’erpressed Roman and i’ th’ Consul’s view
Slew three opposers. Tarquin’s self he met 110
And struck him on his knee. In that day’s feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He proved best man i’ th’ field and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-entered thus, he waxèd like a sea, 115
And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
He lurched all swords of the garland. For this last,
Before and in Corioles, let me say,
I cannot speak him home. He stopped the flyers
And by his rare example made the coward 120
Turn terror into sport. As weeds before
A vessel under sail, so men obeyed
And fell below his stem. His sword, Death’s stamp,
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion 125
Was timed with dying cries. Alone he entered
The mortal gate o’ th’ city, which he painted
With shunless destiny; aidless came off
And with a sudden reinforcement struck
Corioles like a planet. Now all’s his, 130
When by and by the din of war gan pierce
His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit
Requickened what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he, where he did
Run reeking o’er the lives of men as if 135
’Twere a perpetual spoil; and till we called
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.

MENENIUS Worthy man!

FIRST SENATOR
He cannot but with measure fit the honors 140
Which we devise him.

COMINIUS Our spoils he kicked at
And looked upon things precious as they were
The common muck of the world. He covets less
Than misery itself would give, rewards 145
His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend the time to end it.

MENENIUS He’s right noble.
Let him be called for.

FIRST SENATOR Call Coriolanus. 150

OFFICER He doth appear.

Enter Coriolanus.

MENENIUS
The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased
To make thee consul.

CORIOLANUS I do owe them still
My life and services. 155

MENENIUS It then remains
That you do speak to the people.

CORIOLANUS I do beseech you,
Let me o’erleap that custom, for I cannot
Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them 160
For my wounds’ sake to give their suffrage. Please
you
That I may pass this doing.

SICINIUS Sir, the people
Must have their voices; neither will they bate 165
One jot of ceremony.

MENENIUS, to Coriolanus Put them not to ’t.
Pray you, go fit you to the custom, and
Take to you, as your predecessors have,
Your honor with your form. 170

CORIOLANUS It is a part
That I shall blush in acting, and might well
Be taken from the people.

BRUTUS, to Sicinius Mark you that?

CORIOLANUS
To brag unto them “Thus I did, and thus!” 175
Show them th’ unaching scars, which I should hide,
As if I had received them for the hire
Of their breath only!

MENENIUS Do not stand upon ’t.—
We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, 180
Our purpose to them, and to our noble consul
Wish we all joy and honor.

SENATORS
To Coriolanus come all joy and honor!

Flourish cornets. Then they exit. Sicinius and
Brutus remain.

BRUTUS
You see how he intends to use the people.

SICINIUS
May they perceive ’s intent! He will require them 185
As if he did contemn what he requested
Should be in them to give.

BRUTUS Come, we’ll inform them
Of our proceedings here. On th’ marketplace
I know they do attend us. 190
They exit.