The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (814 page)

as a deserter to a foreign pwer, will be

Must, as a foreign recreant, be led

arrested and executed as a traitor, or else

With manacles through our streets, or else

you will win and destroy your country,

Triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin,

and win medals for having killed

And bear the palm for having bravely shed

your wife and child. As for me, son,

Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son,

I don’t intend to wait until one side or the other

I purpose not to wait on fortune till

wins. If I can’t persuade you

These wars determine: if I can not persuade thee

to show mercy on both sides,

Rather to show a noble grace to both parts

rather than trying to destroy Rome, then as soon

Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner  

as you march to attack your country you will be stepping

March to assault thy country than to tread,--

on your mother’s womb,

Trust to't, thou shalt not,--on thy mother's womb

which brought you into the world.

That brought thee to this world.

VIRGILIA.

And on mine,

Ay, and mine,

which gave birth to your son, who will bear your name

That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name

forever.

Living to time.

BOY.

He won’t step on me.

'A shall not tread on me;

I’ll run away until I am bigger, and then I’ll fight back.

I'll run away till I am bigger; but then I'll fight.

CORIOLANUS.

I will not be soft like a woman and give in,

Not of a woman's tenderness to be,

as anyone can see.

Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.

I have stayed too long.

I have sat too long.

[Rising.]

VOLUMNIA.

No, don’t leave us like that.

Nay, go not from us thus.

If it is true that our request would

If it were so that our request did tend

save the Romans, and therefore destroy

To save the Romans, thereby to destroy

the Volscians who you work for, you might be mad at us,

The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us,

for trying to get you to break your word to the Volscians. But

As poisonous of your honour: no; our suit

our request is that you reconcile them: let the Volscians feel

Is that you reconcile them: while the Volsces

good about being merciful to the Romans, and the Romans

May say 'This mercy we have show'd,' the Romans

be happy for surviving, and both sides

'This we receiv'd,' and each in either side

will love you and thank you

Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, 'Be bless'd  

for making peace! You know

For making up this peace!' Thou know'st, great son,

that anything can happen in a war, but this must is certain:

The end of war's uncertain; but this certain,

if you conquer Rome, the only benefit

That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit

that you will get from that is a

Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name

bad reputation, you will be hated by many,

Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;

and history will remember you as a man who was noble,

Whose chronicle thus writ:--'The man was noble,

but who lost his nobility,

But with his last attempt he wip'd it out;

destroyed his country and who is

Destroy'd his country, and his name remains

hated by all future generations. Speak to me, son:

To the ensuing age abhorr'd.' Speak to me, son:

you have always aspired to be honorable,

Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,

to be like God,

To imitate the graces of the gods,

who can make the wind blow, and storms thunder,

To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air,

but who uses his lighting bolts, mercifully, against

And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt

nothing more than a tree. Why won’t you speak?

That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?

Do you think it is honorable for a nobleman

Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man

to always remember his grudges? Daughter-in-law, you talk to him,

Still to remember wrongs?--Daughter, speak you:

he doesn’t care about your crying. You speak, grandson.

He cares not for your weeping.--Speak thou, boy:

Maybe your childishness will persuade him better

Perhaps thy childishness will move him more

than we can with our arguments. There’s no man in the world

Than can our reasons.--There's no man in the world

more devoted to his mother, but he lets me chatter on

More bound to's mother; yet here he lets me prate  

to no effect. You have never once

Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life

treated me right,

Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy;

though I, without ever wanting more children,

When she,--poor hen,--fond of no second brood,

have taken care of you in war and peace,

Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home,

covered with medals. Tell me I’m asking too much,

Loaden with honour. Say my request's unjust,

and thrust me back. But if that’s not the case,

And spurn me back: but if it be not so,

you are not being honest, and God will curse you

Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee,

for withholding the respect you owe me

That thou restrain'st from me the duty which

as your mother. He turns away.

To a mother's part belongs.--He turns away:

Kneel ladies, let’s shame him by pretending to respect him.

Down, ladies: let us shame him with our knees.

That new name of his, Coriolanus, gave him too much pride,

To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride

and he’s lost his compassion. Kneel,

Than pity to our prayers. Down: an end;

it’s all over. So we will go home to Rome,

This is the last.--So we will home to Rome,

and die with our neighbors. No, look at us.

And die among our neighbours.--Nay, behold's:

This boy, who can’t say what he wants,

This boy, that cannot tell what he would have

but kneels and holds up his hands because the rest of us are doing it,

But kneels and holds up hands for fellowship,

supports our petition with more strength

Does reason our petition with more strength

than you have to deny it. Come one, let’s go.

Than thou hast to deny't.--Come, let us go:

This guy had a Volscian for a mother,

This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;

his wife is a Volscian, and his child

His wife is in Corioli, and his child  

is, too. But, go one, dismiss us.

Like him by chance.--Yet give us our despatch:

I won’t say anything until Rome is burning,

I am hush'd until our city be afire,

and then I’ll only speak a little,

And then I'll speak a little.

CORIOLANUS.

[After holding VOLUMNIA by the hands, in silence.]

Oh, mother!

O mother, mother!

What have you done? Look, the heavens are opening,

What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope,

the gods are looking down, and they’re laughing at this strange family scene.

The gods look down, and this unnatural scene

Oh, mother! Oh!

They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O!

You have won a victory for Rome,

You have won a happy victory to Rome;

but you have put your son

But for your son,--believe it, O, believe it,

in serious danger,

Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd,

and maybe risk of death. But let it come.

If not most mortal to him. But let it come.--

Aufidius, though I can’t keep my promise and make war,

Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,

I’ll make a suitable peace treaty. Now, Aufidius,

I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,

if you were me, wouldn’t you have

Were you in my stead, would you have heard

listened to your mother? And given her what she asked?

A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius?

AUFIDIUS.

I was moved by it.

I was mov'd withal.

CORIOLANUS.

I bet you were.

I dare be sworn you were:

And it is not easy to make

And, sir, it is no little thing to make

me cry in sympathy.

Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir,  

But whatever peace treaty you make, tell me about it.

What peace you'll make, advise me: for my part,

I won’t go to Rome, I’ll go back with you, and please

I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and, pray you

support me in this plan. Oh, mother! Wife!

Stand to me in this cause.--O mother! wife!

AUFIDIUS.

[To himself.] I’m glad you have mercy and honor mutually incompatible

[Aside.] I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour

within yourself. I’ll use that to make

At difference in thee; out of that I'll work

myself a position as good as the one I had before you showed up.

Myself a former fortune.

[The Ladies make signs to CORIOLANUS.]

CORIOLANUS.

[To the Women.] Yes, yes, we’re leaving.

[To VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, &c.]  Ay, by and by;

But let’s have a drink first, and then you’ll be better

But we'll drink together; and you shall bear

able to bring back more than a written treaty, which

A better witness back than words, which we,

we will send agreeing to your conditions.

On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd.

Come inside with us. Ladies, you deserve

Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve

to have a temple built to you. All the weapons

To have a temple built you: all the swords

in Italy, and all the soldiers,

In Italy, and her confederate arms,

could not have made this peace.

Could not have made this peace.  

[Exeunt.]