The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (798 page)

to risk fixing the system with a dangerous medicine

To jump a body with a dangerous physic

that it will certainly die without—to make the mob

That's sure of death without it,--at once pluck out

shut up, and don’t let them have a taste

The multitudinous tongue; let them not lick

of the sweetness of power, which will corrupt the. Your disgrace

The sweet which is their poison: your dishonour

(in letting them have power) ruins good judgment and robs the government

Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state

of the wholeness which it should have.

Of that integrity which should become't;

It won’t have the have the power to do good like it should,

Not having the power to do the good it would,  

because of the evil influence that will be controlling it.

For the ill which doth control't.

BRUTUS.

He has said enough.

Has said enough.

SICINIUS.

He has spoken like a traitor, and will suffer the consequences

Has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer

of treason.

As traitors do.

CORIOLANUS.

You bastard, my scorn for you in overwhelms me!

Thou wretch, despite o'erwhelm thee!—

Why should the people have to put up with these old representatives?

What should the people do with these bald tribunes?

They cause the people to fail to be obedient

On whom depending, their obedience fails

to the senate. The tribunes were chosen during a rebellion,

To the greater bench? In a rebellion,

when the law was based on necessity,

When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,

not propriety. In the future,

Then were they chosen. In a better hour

lets do what is appropriate,

Let what is meet be said it must be meet,

and destroy the powers of the tribunes.

And throw their power i' the dust.

BRUTUS.

That’s clearly treason!

Manifest treason!

SICINIUS.

Make this guy a consul? No way.

This a consul? no.

BRUTUS.

The police, hey! Arrest him.

The aediles, ho!--Let him be apprehended.

SICINIUS.

Go call the people. [Exit BRUTUS] In the name of the people,

Go call the people [Exit BRUTUS.];  in whose name myself  

I arrest you as a traitor and a revolutionary,

Attach thee as a traitorous innovator,

an enemy of the public welfare. Obey,

A foe to the public weal. Obey, I charge thee,

and prepare to defend yourself.

And follow to thine answer.

CORIOLANUS.

Go away, you old goat!

Hence, old goat!

SENATORS and PATRICIANS.

We’ll take responsibility for him.

We'll surety him.

COMINIUS.

Old man, take your hands off him.

Aged sir, hands off.

CORIOLANUS.

Get out of here, rotten thing! Or I will beat

Hence, rotten thing! or I shall shake thy bones

you up.

Out of thy garments.

SICINIUS.

Help me, you citizens!

Help, ye citizens!

[Re-enter Brutus, with the AEDILES and a rabble of Citizens.]

MENENIUS.

Both sides need to show more respect.

On both sides more respect.

SICINIUS.

This is the guy who wants to take away all of your power.

Here's he that would take from you all your power.

BRUTUS.

Seize him, officers.

Seize him, aediles.

PLEBEIANS.

Down with him! Down with him!

Down with him! down with him!

SECOND SENATOR.

Weapons, weapons, weapons!

Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[They all bustle about CORIOLANUS.]

Tribunes! patricians! citizens! What’s happening!

Tribunes! patricians! citizens!--What, ho!—

Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, Citizens!

Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, Citizens!

CITIZENS.

Peace, peace, peace; stop, calm, peace!

Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace!

MENENIUS.

What is about to happen? I am out of breath.

What is about to be?--I am out of breath;

Destruction’s near. I cannot speak. You tribunes

Confusion's near: I cannot speak.--You tribunes

of the people—Coriolanus, be calm!—

To the people,--Coriolanus, patience:--

Speak, Sicinius

Speak, good Sicinius.

SICINIUS.

Listen to me, people. Simmer down!

Hear me, people: peace!

CITIZENS.

Let's hear our tribune: peace!

Let's hear our tribune: peace!--

Speak, speak, speak.

Speak, speak, speak.

SICINIUS.

You are just about to lose your rights.

You are at point to lose your liberties;

Coriolanus wants to take them all from you. Coriolanus,

Marcius would have all from you; Marcius,

whom you just elected consul.

Whom late you have nam'd for consul.

MENENIUS.

Shame on you!

Fie, fie, fie!

That’s the way to make more trouble, not calm things down.

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

FIRST SENATOR.

To destroy the city.

To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.

SICINIUS.

What is the city but the people?

What is the city but the people?

CITIZENS.

True,

True,

the people are the city.

The people are the city.

BRUTUS.

Everyone agreed that we should be

By the consent of all, we were establish'd

the representatives of the people.

The people's magistrates.

CITIZENS.

You still are.

You so remain.

MENENIUS.

And are likely to remain so.

And so are like to do.  

COMINIUS.

Letting the tribunes exist is the way to destroy the city,

That is the way to lay the city flat;

to knock down all the buildings,

To bring the roof to the foundation,

and knock down all the buildings

And bury all which yet distinctly ranges,

into heaps and piles of rubble.

In heaps and piles of ruin.

SICINIUS.

You deserve to die for trying to abolish the office of tribune.

This deserves death.

BRUTUS.

Either let us keep our authority,

Or let us stand to our authority,

or let us lose it. We here declare,

Or let us lose it.--We do here pronounce,

on behalf of the people, who gave us our power

Upon the part o' the people, in whose power

by electing us, that Coriolanus deserves

We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy

immediate death.

Of present death.

SICINIUS.

So grab him!

Therefore lay hold of him;

Take him to the top of a tall cliff,

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence

and throw him off to his death.

Into destruction cast him.

BRUTUS.

Police, seize him!

Aediles, seize him!

CITIZENS

Give up, Coriolanus!

Yield, Marcius, yield!

MENENIUS.

Let me say one thing.

Hear me one word;

I beg, tribunes, listen to me for a minute.

Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.

AEDILES.

Silence!

Peace, peace!

MENENIUS.

If you are what you seem to be, that is a true patriot,

Be that you seem, truly your country's friends,

then try to fix this problem calmly and rationally,

And temperately proceed to what you would  

not with violence.

Thus violently redress.

BRUTUS.

Those unimpassioned methods,

Sir, those cold ways,

which seem prudent and rational, are a mistake when the situation

That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous

requires violent action. Grab him

Where the disease is violent.--Lay hands upon him

and take him to the cliff!

And bear him to the rock.

CORIOLANUS.

No, I’ll die here. [Draws his sword.]

No; I'll die here. [Draws his sword.]

Some of you have seen me fight.

There's some among you have beheld me fighting;

Go ahead, make my day.

Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.

MENENIUS.

Put that sword away! Tribunes, go away for a while.

Down with that sword!--Tribunes, withdraw awhile.

BRUTUS.

Grab him!

Lay hands upon him.

MENENIUS.

Help Coriolanus!

Help Marcius, help,

Those of you that are noblemen, help him, young and old!

You that be noble; help him, young and old!

CITIZENS.

Down with him, down with him!

Down with him, down with him!

[In this brawl the TRIBUNES, the police and people are

[In this mutiny the TRIBUNES, the AEDILES, and the people are

driven offstage.]

beat in.]

MENENIUS.

Go home, be gone, go away!

Go, get you to your house; be gone, away!

Everything will be brought to nothing otherwise.

All will be nought else.

SECOND SENATOR.

You go away.

Get you gone.

CORIOLANUS.

Stay where you are!

Stand fast;  

We have as many friends as enemies.

We have as many friends as enemies.

MENENIUS.

Is it going to come to that?

Shall it be put to that?

FIRST SENATOR.

God forbid.

The gods forbid:

I beg you, Coriolanus, go home and

I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house;

let us sort this out.

Leave us to cure this cause.

MENENIUS.

This is a problem

For 'tis a sore upon us

that you can’t solve. Go away, please.

You cannot tent yourself; be gone, beseech you.