Coriolanus Act 4, Scene 2 Summary

Read the full text of Coriolanus Act 4 Scene 2 with a side-by-side translation HERE.


  • Back at the marketplace, Sicinius and Brutus tell the plebeians that the show's over and that they should all stop rioting and go on home now.
  • Sicinius and Brutus both decide that now that they have successfully booted Coriolanus out of Rome, they should pretend to be "humbler" so people won't get mad at them.
  • Speaking of angry people, Volumnia and Virgilia show up.
  • Since Sicinius and Brutus don't want to tangle with Coriolanus' mom, they try to high tail it out of there.
  • Too late. Volumnia spots them and says, basically, "Oh, hey guys. I hope you both die a horrible death!"
  • Sicinius is all "Gee, that's not a very ladylike thing to say."
  • Clever insults are traded.
  • Volumnia proceeds to chew out the tribunes, who blow her off by suggesting that she's crazy.
  • They leave.