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Coriolanus: Act V, Scene 6

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Coriolanus
Act V, Scene 6

Antium. A public place.

Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

Insolent villain!

From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

Charles Cowden Clarke, Mary Cowden Clarke, 1866

  1. Enter Tullus Aufidius with Attendants.

Aufidius

1 - 9
  1. Go tell the lords a’ th’ city I am here.
  2. Deliver them this paper. Having read it,
  3. Bid them repair to th’ market-place, where I,
  4. Even in theirs and in the commons’ ears,
  5. Will vouch the truth of it. Him I accuse
  6. The city ports by this hath enter’d, and
  7. Intends t’ appear before the people, hoping
  8. To purge himself with words. Dispatch.
  9. Exeunt Attendants.
  10. Enter three or four Conspirators of Aufidius’ faction.
  11.                                        Most welcome!

First Conspirator

10
  1. How is it with our general?

Aufidius

11 - 13
  1.                             Even so
  2. As with a man by his own alms empoison’d,
  3. And with his charity slain.

Second Conspirator

14 - 17
  1.                             Most noble sir,
  2. If you do hold the same intent wherein
  3. You wish’d us parties, we’ll deliver you
  4. Of your great danger.

Aufidius

18 - 19
  1.                       Sir, I cannot tell,
  2. We must proceed as we do find the people.

Third Conspirator

20 - 22
  1. The people will remain uncertain whilst
  2. ’Twixt you there’s difference; but the fall of either
  3. Makes the survivor heir of all.

Aufidius

23 - 30
  1.                                 I know it;
  2. And my pretext to strike at him admits
  3. A good construction. I rais’d him, and I pawn’d
  4. Mine honor for his truth; who being so heighten’d,
  5. He watered his new plants with dews of flattery,
  6. Seducing so my friends; and, to this end,
  7. He bow’d his nature, never known before
  8. But to be rough, unswayable, and free.

Third Conspirator

31 - 33
  1. Sir, his stoutness
  2. When he did stand for consul, which he lost
  3. By lack of stooping—

Aufidius

34 - 46
  1.                      That I would have spoke of:
  2. Being banish’d for’t, he came unto my hearth,
  3. Presented to my knife his throat. I took him;
  4. Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way
  5. In all his own desires; nay, let him choose
  6. Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,
  7. My best and freshest men; serv’d his designments
  8. In mine own person; holp to reap the fame
  9. Which he did end all his, and took some pride
  10. To do myself this wrong; till at the last
  11. I seem’d his follower, not partner, and
  12. He wag’d me with his countenance as if
  13. I had been mercenary.

First Conspirator

47 - 50
  1.                       So he did, my lord.
  2. The army marvell’d at it, and in the last,
  3. When he had carried Rome and that we look’d
  4. For no less spoil than glory—

Aufidius

51 - 56
  1.                               There was it;
  2. For which my sinews shall be stretch’d upon him:
  3. At a few drops of women’s rheum, which are
  4. As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labor
  5. Of our great action; therefore shall he die,
  6. And I’ll renew me in his fall. But hark!
  1. Drums and trumpets sounds, with great shouts of the people.

First Conspirator

57 - 59
  1. Your native town you enter’d like a post,
  2. And had no welcomes home, but he returns
  3. Splitting the air with noise.

Second Conspirator

60 - 62
  1.                               And patient fools,
  2. Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear
  3. With giving him glory.

Third Conspirator

63 - 68
  1.                        Therefore at your vantage,
  2. Ere he express himself or move the people
  3. With what he would say, let him feel your sword,
  4. Which we will second. When he lies along,
  5. After your way his tale pronounc’d shall bury
  6. His reasons with his body.

Aufidius

69 - 70
  1.                            Say no more.
  2. Here come the lords.
  1. Enter the Volscian Lords.

All Volscian Lords

71
  1. You are most welcome home.

Aufidius

72 - 74
  1.                            I have not deserv’d it.
  2. But, worthy lords, have you with heed perused
  3. What I have written to you?

All Volscian Lords

75
  1.                             We have.

First Volscian Lord

76 - 82
  1.          And grieve to hear’t.
  2. What faults he made before the last, I think
  3. Might have found easy fines; but there to end
  4. Where he was to begin, and give away
  5. The benefit of our levies, answering us
  6. With our own charge, making a treaty where
  7. There was a yielding—this admits no excuse.

Aufidius

83
  1. He approaches, you shall hear him.
  1. Enter Coriolanus marching with Drum and Colors, the
  2. Commoners being with him.

Coriolanus

84 - 97
  1. Hail, lords! I am return’d your soldier;
  2. No more infected with my country’s love
  3. Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting
  4. Under your great command. You are to know
  5. That prosperously I have attempted, and
  6. With bloody passage led your wars even to
  7. The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home
  8. Doth more than counterpoise a full third part
  9. The charges of the action. We have made peace
  10. With no less honor to the Antiates
  11. Than shame to th’ Romans; and we here deliver,
  12. Subscrib’d by th’ consuls and patricians,
  13. Together with the seal a’ th’ Senate, what
  14. We have compounded on.

Aufidius

98 - 100
  1.                        Read it not, noble lords,
  2. But tell the traitor, in the highest degree
  3. He hath abus’d your powers.

Coriolanus

101
  1. “Traitor”? How now?

Aufidius

102
  1.                     Ay, traitor, Martius!

Coriolanus

103
  1.                       “Martius”?

Aufidius

104 - 116
  1. Ay, Martius, Caius Martius! Dost thou think
  2. I’ll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol’n name
  3. Coriolanus, in Corioles?
  4. You lords and heads a’ th’ state, perfidiously
  5. He has betray’d your business, and given up,
  6. For certain drops of salt, your city Rome,
  7. I say “your city,” to his wife and mother,
  8. Breaking his oath and resolution like
  9. A twist of rotten silk, never admitting
  10. Counsel a’ th’ war; but at his nurse’s tears
  11. He whin’d and roar’d away your victory,
  12. That pages blush’d at him, and men of heart
  13. Look’d wond’ring each at others.

Coriolanus

117
  1.                                  Hear’st thou, Mars?

Aufidius

118
  1. Name not the god, thou boy of tears!

Coriolanus

119
  1.                                      Ha?

Aufidius

120
  1. No more.

Coriolanus

121 - 128
  1. Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart
  2. Too great for what contains it. “Boy”? O slave!
  3. Pardon me, lords, ’tis the first time that ever
  4. I was forc’d to scold. Your judgments, my grave lords,
  5. Must give this cur the lie; and his own notion—
  6. Who wears my stripes impress’d upon him, that
  7. Must bear my beating to his grave—shall join
  8. To thrust the lie unto him.

First Volscian Lord

129
  1. Peace both, and hear me speak.

Coriolanus

130 - 135
  1. Cut me to pieces, Volsces, men and lads,
  2. Stain all your edges on me. “Boy,” false hound!
  3. If you have writ your annals true, ’tis there
  4. That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I
  5. Flutter’d your Volscians in Corioles.
  6. Alone I did it. “Boy”!

Aufidius

136 - 139
  1.                        Why, noble lords,
  2. Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune,
  3. Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,
  4. ’Fore your own eyes and ears?

All Conspirators

140
  1.                               Let him die for’t.

All Volscian Lords

141 - 142
  1. Tear him to pieces! Do it presently!—He kill’d my son!—My
  2. daughter!—He kill’d my cousin Marcus!—He kill’d my father!

Second Volscian Lord

143 - 147
  1. Peace ho! No outrage, peace!
  2. The man is noble, and his fame folds in
  3. This orb o’ th’ earth. His last offenses to us
  4. Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius,
  5. And trouble not the peace.

Coriolanus

148 - 150
  1.                            O that I had him,
  2. With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
  3. To use my lawful sword!

Aufidius

151
  1.                         Insolent villain!

All Conspirators

152
  1. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!
  1. Draw the Conspirators, and kills Martius, who falls;
  2. Aufidius stands on him.

All Volscian Lords

153
  1.                                   Hold, hold, hold, hold!

Aufidius

154
  1. My noble masters, hear me speak.

First Volscian Lord

155
  1.                                  O Tullus!

Second Volscian Lord

156
  1. Thou hast done a deed whereat valor will weep.

Third Volscian Lord

157 - 158
  1. Tread not upon him. Masters all, be quiet,
  2. Put up your swords.

Aufidius

159 - 165
  1. My lords, when you shall know (as in this rage,
  2. Provok’d by him, you cannot) the great danger
  3. Which this man’s life did owe you, you’ll rejoice
  4. That he is thus cut off. Please it your honors
  5. To call me to your Senate, I’ll deliver
  6. Myself your loyal servant, or endure
  7. Your heaviest censure.

First Volscian Lord

166 - 169
  1.                        Bear from hence his body,
  2. And mourn you for him. Let him be regarded
  3. As the most noble corse that ever herald
  4. Did follow to his urn.

Second Volscian Lord

170 - 172
  1.                        His own impatience
  2. Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.
  3. Let’s make the best of it.

Aufidius

173 - 181
  1.                            My rage is gone,
  2. And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up.
  3. Help, three a’ th’ chiefest soldiers; I’ll be one.
  4. Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully;
  5. Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he
  6. Hath widowed and unchilded many a one,
  7. Which to this hour bewail the injury,
  8. Yet he shall have a noble memory.
  9. Assist.
  1. Exeunt, bearing the body of Martius. A dead march sounded.
finis
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