Coriolanus: Act 4, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 2 of Coriolanus from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius, and Brutus, with the Aedile. SICINIUS Bid them all home. He’s gone, and we’ll no further. The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided In his behalf.	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.
BRUTUS Now we have shown our power, Let us seem humbler after it is done 5 Than when it was a-doing. SICINIUS Bid them home. Say their great enemy is gone, and they Stand in their ancient strength. BRUTUS Dismiss them home. 10 Aedile exits. Here comes his mother.	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.
Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius. SICINIUS Let’s not meet her. BRUTUS Why? SICINIUS They say she’s mad. BRUTUS They have ta’en note of us. Keep on your way. 15	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.
VOLUMNIA O, you’re well met. The hoarded plague o’ th’ gods Requite your love! MENENIUS Peace, peace! Be not so loud. VOLUMNIA, to the Tribunes If that I could for weeping, you should hear— Nay, and you shall hear some. (To Sicinius.) Will 20 you be gone? VIRGILIA, to Brutus You shall stay too. I would I had the power To say so to my husband. SICINIUS, to Volumnia Are you mankind?	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."
VOLUMNIA Ay, fool, is that a shame? Note but this, fool. 25 Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship To banish him that struck more blows for Rome Than thou hast spoken words? SICINIUS O blessèd heavens! VOLUMNIA More noble blows than ever thou wise words, 30 And for Rome’s good. I’ll tell thee what—yet go. Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son Were in Arabia and thy tribe before him, His good sword in his hand. SICINIUS What then? 35 VIRGILIA What then? He’d make an end of thy posterity. VOLUMNIA Bastards and all. Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome! MENENIUS Come, come, peace. 40 SICINIUS I would he had continued to his country As he began, and not unknit himself The noble knot he made. BRUTUS I would he had. VOLUMNIA “I would he had”? ’Twas you incensed the rabble. 45 Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth As I can of those mysteries which heaven Will not have Earth to know. BRUTUS, to Sicinius Pray, let’s go. VOLUMNIA Now, pray, sir, get you gone. 50 You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this: As far as doth the Capitol exceed The meanest house in Rome, so far my son— This lady’s husband here, this, do you see?— Whom you have banished, does exceed you all. 55 BRUTUS Well, well, we’ll leave you. SICINIUS Why stay we to be baited With one that wants her wits? Tribunes exit. VOLUMNIA Take my prayers with you. 60 I would the gods had nothing else to do But to confirm my curses. Could I meet ’em But once a day, it would unclog my heart Of what lies heavy to ’t. MENENIUS You have told them home, 65 And, by my troth, you have cause. You’ll sup with me? VOLUMNIA Anger’s my meat. I sup upon myself And so shall starve with feeding. (To Virgilia.) Come, let’s go. 70 Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do, In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come. They exit. MENENIUS Fie, fie, fie! He exits.	Clever insults are traded. Volumnia proceeds to chew out the tribunes, who blow her off by suggesting that she's crazy. And...they leave.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius, and Brutus,
with the Aedile.

SICINIUS
Bid them all home. He’s gone, and we’ll no further.
The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided
In his behalf.

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.

BRUTUS Now we have shown our power,
Let us seem humbler after it is done 5
Than when it was a-doing.

SICINIUS Bid them home.
Say their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength.

BRUTUS Dismiss them home. 10

Aedile exits.

Here comes his mother.

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.

Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.

SICINIUS Let’s not meet her.

BRUTUS Why?

SICINIUS They say she’s mad.

BRUTUS

They have ta’en note of us. Keep on your way. 15

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.

VOLUMNIA
O, you’re well met. The hoarded plague o’ th’ gods
Requite your love!

MENENIUS Peace, peace! Be not so loud.

VOLUMNIA, to the Tribunes
If that I could for weeping, you should hear—
Nay, and you shall hear some. (To Sicinius.) Will 20
you be gone?

VIRGILIA, to Brutus
You shall stay too. I would I had the power
To say so to my husband.

SICINIUS, to Volumnia Are you mankind?

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."

VOLUMNIA
Ay, fool, is that a shame? Note but this, fool. 25
Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome
Than thou hast spoken words?

SICINIUS O blessèd heavens!

VOLUMNIA
More noble blows than ever thou wise words, 30
And for Rome’s good. I’ll tell thee what—yet go.
Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son
Were in Arabia and thy tribe before him,
His good sword in his hand.

SICINIUS What then? 35

VIRGILIA What then?
He’d make an end of thy posterity.

VOLUMNIA Bastards and all.
Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

MENENIUS Come, come, peace. 40

SICINIUS
I would he had continued to his country
As he began, and not unknit himself
The noble knot he made.

BRUTUS I would he had.

VOLUMNIA
“I would he had”? ’Twas you incensed the rabble. 45
Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth
As I can of those mysteries which heaven
Will not have Earth to know.

BRUTUS, to Sicinius Pray, let’s go.

VOLUMNIA Now, pray, sir, get you gone. 50
You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this:
As far as doth the Capitol exceed
The meanest house in Rome, so far my son—
This lady’s husband here, this, do you see?—
Whom you have banished, does exceed you all. 55

BRUTUS
Well, well, we’ll leave you.

SICINIUS Why stay we to be baited
With one that wants her wits? Tribunes exit.

VOLUMNIA Take my prayers with
you. 60
I would the gods had nothing else to do
But to confirm my curses. Could I meet ’em
But once a day, it would unclog my heart
Of what lies heavy to ’t.

MENENIUS You have told them home, 65
And, by my troth, you have cause. You’ll sup with
me?

VOLUMNIA
Anger’s my meat. I sup upon myself
And so shall starve with feeding.
(To Virgilia.) Come, let’s go. 70
Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,
In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come. They exit.

MENENIUS Fie, fie, fie!

He exits.

Clever insults are traded.

Volumnia proceeds to chew out the tribunes, who blow her off by suggesting that she's crazy.

And...they leave.

Coriolanus: Act 4, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 2 of Coriolanus from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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