Book Description
Coriolanus is one of William Shakespeare’s great Roman tragedies, written around 1607–1608. Based on events from Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, the play tells the story of Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a proud and valiant Roman general whose arrogance and contempt for the common people lead to his political downfall and tragic end.
Excerpt from Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
The play opens with civil unrest in Rome — the citizens are starving and blame the ruling elite. Caius Marcius, a brilliant but proud soldier, earns the surname “Coriolanus” after his heroic victory against the Volscians and their leader Aufidius at Corioli.
Encouraged by his ambitious mother, Volumnia, Coriolanus is persuaded to seek political office as a consul. However, his open disdain for the commoners and refusal to flatter them make him deeply unpopular. Manipulated by the tribunes of the people, he is banished from Rome in disgrace.
Consumed by rage, Coriolanus allies himself with his former enemy Aufidius and leads an army against his own city. Just as he prepares to destroy Rome, his mother, wife (Virgilia), and son plead with him to stop. Torn between duty and love, he relents — a decision that leads to his betrayal and assassination by Aufidius and the Volscians.
