The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (796 page)

CITIZENS.

We will do that. Almost all of us

We will so; almost all

regret voting for him.

Repent in their election.

[Exeunt.]

BRUTUS.

Let them go.

Let them go on;

We should risk staging a rebellion now

This mutiny were better put in hazard

rather than waiting for a greater one that would undoubtedly come later.

Than stay, past doubt, for greater:

If, as he tends to do, he falls in a rage

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

when they refuse him, observe his anger and

With their refusal, both observe and answer

take advantage of it.

The vantage of his anger.

SICINIUS.

Let’s go to the Capitol.

To the Capitol,

We will get there before the crowds,

Come: we will be there before the stream o' the people;

and it will look like it was their idea, which is partly true,

And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,  

though we goaded them to it.

Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.]

[Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS,

Senators, and Patricians.]

CORIOLANUS.

So Tullus Aufidius has raised a new army?

Tullus Aufidius, then, had made new head?

LARTIUS.

He has, my lord, and that was why we arrived so

He had, my lord; and that it was which caus'd

quickly at the conditions for the truce.

Our swifter composition.

CORIOLANUS.

So then the Volscians are threat like before,

So then the Volsces stand but as at first;

ready to attack us

Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road

whenever they feel like it.

Upon's again.

COMINIUS.

They are exhausted, Mr. Consul, so

They are worn, lord consul, so

we won’t be a real threat

That we shall hardly in our ages see

for the rest of our lives.

Their banners wave again.

CORIOLANUS.

Did you see Aufidius?

Saw you Aufidius?

LARTIUS.

He came to see me under a guarantee of safe passage, and he cursed

On safeguard he came to me; and did curse

his Volscian soldiers for cowardly

Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely

surrendering the town of Corrioles. He has retreated to Antium [Volscian capitol].

Yielded the town; he is retir'd to Antium.

CORIOLANUS.

Did he mention me?

Spoke he of me?

LARTIUS.

He did.

He did, my lord.

CORIOLANUS.

What did he say?

How? What?  

LARTIUS.

How he often fought you man to man.

How often he had met you, sword to sword;

That he hated you more than anyone on Earth.

That of all things upon the earth he hated

That he would pawn everything he owned

Your person most; that he would pawn his fortunes

without hope of getting it back, for a chance to

To hopeless restitution, so he might

finally defeat you.

Be call'd your vanquisher.

CORIOLANUS.

He lives in Antium?

At Antium lives he?

LARTIUS.

At Antium.

At Antium.

CORIOLANUS.

I wish I had a reason to go find him there,

I wish I had a cause to seek him there,

to fight him again. Welcome home.

To oppose his hatred fully.--Welcome home.

[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]

Look! Here come the representatives of the people,

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people;

the voices of the common man. I hate them,

The tongues o' the common mouth. I do despise them,

because they dress themselves up to look like they have authority,

For they do prank them in authority,

which we nobles cannot tolerate.

Against all noble sufferance.

SICINIUS.

Don’t go any further.

Pass no further.

CORIOLANUS.

Ha! What are you talking about?

Ha! what is that?

BRUTUS.

It would be dangerous for you to keeping walking: don’t go any further.

It will be dangerous to go on: no further.

CORIOLANUS.

What is the reason for this?

What makes this change?  

MENENIUS.

What’s the matter?

The matter?

COMINIUS.

Hasn’t he been approved by the Senate and by the common people?

Hath he not pass'd the noble and the commons?

BRUTUS.

No.

Cominius, no.

CORIOLANUS.

Have I received the votes of children?

Have I had children's voices?

FIRST SENATOR.

Tribunes, get out of the way. Coriolanus will go to the market place.

Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place.

BRUTUS.

The people are furious at him.

The people are incens'd against him.

SICINIUS.

Stop,

Stop,

or things are going to get out of hand.

Or all will fall in broil.

CORIOLANUS.

Do you control this mob?

Are these your herd?—

Do they need to have votes, when they offer them at one moment,

Must these have voices, that can yield them now,

and then immediately change their minds? What is your job?

And straight disclaim their tongues?--What are your offices?

You are their voices, why can’t you control their violence?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?

Haven’t you urged them to attack?

Have you not set them on?

MENENIUS.

Be calm, be calm.

Be calm, be calm.

CORIOLANUS.

It’s a conspiracy, a plot,

It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot,

to limit the power of the noblemen.

To curb the will of the nobility:

If we allow it, we will be ruled by people who cannot rule,

Suffer't, and live with such as cannot rule,

and who can never be controlled.

Nor ever will be rul'd.

BRUTUS.

Don’t call it a plot.

Call't not a plot:

The people complain that you mocked them, and recently,

The people cry you mock'd them; and of late,  

when wheat was given to them for free, you complained,

When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;

and defamed those who pleaded on behalf of the people: you called them

Scandal'd the suppliants for the people,--call'd them

demagogues, flatterers, enemies of the upper-classes.

Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

CORIOLANUS.

Well, everyone already knew that.

Why, this was known before.

BRUTUS.

Not everyone.

Not to them all.

CORIOLANUS.

Have you told them since?

Have you inform'd them sithence?

BRUTUS.

What! You think I told them?

How! I inform them!

COMINIUS.

You are likely to do such a thing.

You are like to do such business.

BRUTUS.

I am not unlikely

Not unlike,

to be better than you in every way.

Each way, to better yours.

CORIOLANUS.

Well, then, why should I be consul? Gosh darn it,

Why, then, should I be consul? By yond clouds,

why don’t you say I’m as bad as you, and make me

Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

another tribue?

Your fellow tribune.

SICINIUS.

You have too much of those qualities

You show too much of that

which make people revolt against you. If you go

For which the people stir: if you will pass

to the market place, you’ll have to ask for directions

To where you are bound, you must inquire your way,

(because you are going the wrong way) in a nicer tone,

Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;

or else you’ll be as noble as consul,

Or never be so noble as a consul,

nor good enough to join Brutus as a tribune.

Nor yoke with him for tribune.

MENENIUS.

Let’s stay calm.

Let's be calm.  

COMINIUS.

The people have been deceived, incited to riot. This equivocating

The people are abus'd; set on. This palt'ring

is beneath us, and Coriolanus doesn’t

Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus

deserve this dishonorable roadblock, treacherously placed

Deserv'd this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely

in his path to honor.

I' the plain way of his merit.