Coriolanus, Act III, scene ii

Previously on Coriolanus…

– The plebes are mad at Coriolanus because he hates them and refuses to disguise this fact.
– There was a riot.
– Coriolanus and his allies barely escaped back to his house.

…and now, the thrilling continuation!

—

CORIOLANUS

ACT III
scene ii

If there were any justice in the world, this would be the point where the play turned to wacky siege-movie shenanigans a la Home Alone. Unfortunately the mob stays at the marketplace rather than surrounding Coriolanus’ house.

Inside Coriolanus’ house, we find Coriolanus with some loyal nobles. Coriolanus is talking about how the plebes can do all the wacky tortures they want to him––trample him with wild horses, break him on the wheel, stuff lobsters in his ears, whatever––but he is not going to yield. The nobles applaud him.

A NOBLE
You do the nobler.

I feel like the word “noble” has too many meanings in this context, and none of them are the meaning I would typically attach to it.

Coriolanus goes on to say his mom probably wouldn’t approve of his actions, and frankly he doesn’t care about that neither. According to him, Volumnia thinks of the common people as sheep. Sheeple, if you will.

Volumnia herself enters in the middle of this speech, which leads into yet another Tumblr quotation:

CORIOLANUS
[…] Would you have me
False to my nature? Rather say I play
The man that I am.

It’s a little less inspirational in the context of a grown man talking back to his mother.

(Also, given that Coriolanus’ nature is to be a gigantic douchenozzle… yeah, I would have him false to it.)

Volumnia gives the same advice literally everyone with two braincells to rub together has given Coriolanus up to this point: chill the hell out. Coriolanus tells her to “Let go“; whether or not she is literally grabbing him or he just wants her to shut up is left to the discretion of the reader. Regardless, Volumnia does not let up.

VOLUMNIA
You might have been enough the man you are,
With striving less to be so; lesser had been
The thwartings of your dispositions, if
You had not show’d them how ye were disposed
Ere they lack’d power to cross you.

trans.: You’d be enough like yourself if you were trying half as hard to be yourself as you are. And you wouldn’t be in nearly as much trouble now if you’d manage to keep your mouth shut before the people you hate were in a position to hurt you.

Pretty sound advice from a woman who likes her son best when he’s broken and covered in blood.

Coriolanus is not convinced. Menenius comes in with yet more Senators. Both Menenius and the Senators encourage Coriolanus to go back to the mob and make amends. Before Coriolanus can respond, Volumnia jumps in.

VOLUMNIA
Pray, be counsell’d:
I have a heart as little apt as yours,
But yet a brain that leads my use of anger
To better vantage.

trans.: Listen to your friends. I’m just as fierce as you. The only difference is I’m smart enough to use my ferocity to further my interests rather than let it dictate my every move like some people I could name, cough CORIOLANUS cough.

(Volumnia is quickly becoming my favorite character, if only by virtue of having a dollop of common sense. I’m wary of this because she is disdained by the title character, a trait which usually indicates a character the audience is not supposed to like/sympathize with/support. Then again, Coriolanus hates literally everyone, so maybe it’s safe to like her after all.)

Menenius agrees with her. Whether it’s because of Volumnia’s words or Menenius’ support of the same, Coriolanus finally starts to listen.

CORIOLANUS
What must I do?

MENENIUS
Return to the tribunes.

CORIOLANUS
Well, what then? what then?

MENENIUS
Repent what you have spoke.

CORIOLANUS
For them! I cannot do it to the gods;
Must I then do’t to them?

1) I’m really curious how different productions play these lines, because they are such a 180 from Coriolanus’ previous stance. Does he have a sudden, horrified realization and hurriedly ask his friends’ advice? Does he roll his eyes and sneer before going through the motions of finding out what Menenius and co. want him to do? Does he go sarcastically over-the-top in his questioning, mocking the very idea of needing to ask someone else for help? Inquiring minds must know!

2) That last bit: “I cannot do it to the gods; Must I then do’t to them?” HUBRIS, CORIOLANUS, YOU HAS IT.

Volumnia, continuing to be the smart one, says this black-and-white thinking is not helping Coriolanus out at all. She points out that if this were a matter of warfare, Coriolanus would have no problem pretending to like someone he didn’t, or be something he wasn’t, so long as it helped him achieve martial victory. Coriolanus’ response?

CORIOLANUS
Tush, tush!

MENENIUS
A good demand.

Both of you shut up, Volumnia is talking.

Volumnia advises Coriolanus to go to the plebes on his knees and say he’s sorry, and at least try to act like he means it. She makes the same point (“You’d do this in battle, so why not in peacetime?”) again and again, because only repetition will drill it into Coriolanus’ thick skull. Menenius sings backup.

Before Coriolanus can respond, Cominius shows up to say that the riot is still a thing that is happening and Coriolanus should probably go apologize. Menenius suggests a speech might do the trick; Cominius and Volumnia think that’s a great idea. Coriolanus reluctantly agrees in a way that could be read as either 1) he hates the people and he hates having to do this, or 2) he’s genuinely anxious about public speaking. The latter interpretation makes him more bearable, imho, but it has less of a literary leg to stand on.

Anyway, Cominius offers to help Coriolanus with his speech and Volumnia tells Coriolanus to go apologize already. Coriolanus is like, “UGH, FINE MOM, I’M GOING, GET OFF MY BACK.” Volumnia’s like, “Good,” and peaces out.

Cominius also tells Coriolanus to get going and advises him to “answer mildly“. Coriolanus takes umbrage.

CORIOLANUS
The word is ‘mildly.’ Pray you, let us go:
Let them accuse me by invention, I
Will answer in mine honour.

MENENIUS
Ay, but mildly.

CORIOLANUS
Well, mildly be it then. Mildly!

Thus ends the scene. How this play is not a comedy, I will never understand.