by John Osborne
MENENIUS: He has never had anything but the love of his country and of you all as his first thought. Tell ‘em, Cominius.
(CORIOLANUS rises and offers to go away)
MENENIUS: No, stay where you are.
CORIOLANUS: Please to forgive me. I’d rather go back to it all than hear it gone over and how it came about.
BRUTUS: Sir, I hope nothing we’ve said has upset your stomach for these very typical Roman occasions. Every voice must let itself be heard.
CORIOLANUS: Heard! You call slogans and horses charged by your waving banners, being heard! I’ve got as much stomach for all of that as –
MENENIUS: Sit down!
CORIOLANUS: I’d rather sit at home and think; picking my cat’s fleas for him than go in for whatever you call this – making speeches about what I may or may not have done…
(Exit CORIOLANUS.)
MENENIUS: Cominius!
(Some boos and cat calls follow CORIOLANUS)
COMINIUS: Now, now –
VOICE: Speak up!
COMINIUS: I am here. What can I say of one man? When all you understand is parties, factions, invented plots, insights, misbegotten, slavering, from the inside reports. You talk of pride, some of you. It is one part of that man. I couldn’t be that man, but I wish that one of you could even be a little less than one part of that man. His flaws are lasting monuments already, while your well-planned assessments and schemes and developments are brought into this world like the bright, deformed slums they were always; conceived in clever ignorance. He doesn’t want anything –
SICINIUS: He’s got it already –
COMINIUS: What he was born with…
MENENIUS: Call him back. Call Coriolanus back.
(Dissension and indecision in the crowd)
SECOND POLICE OFFICER: Here he is, sir.
(Enter CORIOLANUS)
MENENIUS: The Senate, Coriolanus, will be pleased to make you consul.
CORIOLANUS: As you wish.
MENENIUS: The only thing left is to make your platform acceptable all round.
CORIOLANUS: Please, I do ask you not even to try to do that. I can’t play kiss my arse and ask for favours or votes of confidence. Not even to make them feel the illusion of power, or the ritual bestowings of it. Please, let me out of this one.
SICINIUS: Sir, you must speak to the people; the people of
Rome. Speak yourself to them, that’s all they ask of you.
CORIOLANUS: Must I? Must I? Then I think it’s time I must not.
SICINIUS: They have a right at least to all the forms.
MENENIUS: Do as they say. We all have to do it.
CORIOLANUS: ‘Having to’. ‘Forms’ may not necessarily be ‘rights’.
BRUTUS: (To SICINIUS) You hear that.
CORIOLANUS: To have to say I did this for you and then that. What I had to for them without pain to myself.
MENENIUS: Don’t make an issue of this. It’s everyday coinage – or conversion, change over; redevelopment; rethinking; streamlining; adjusting to new needs, circumstances – you know the phrases.
CORIOLANUS: I do. I am not obliged to use them.
MENENIUS: You are, my friend, or you will be. Tribunes of the People, you see our choice.
SICINIUS: We do.
SENATORS: CORIO-LAN-US!
(They go out, leaving tribunes and stragglers. Band plays. CROWD starts to break up)
BRUTUS: You see where his mind’s going?
SICINIUS: Do you think we are the only ones? He will have to put his case to them; and tout around for seals of approval from all kinds of places he affects to detest.
BRUTUS: Come. We’ve got a campaign of our own to work out.
Scene 11
Rome. A public place near the forum. An election van with hailer on top and CORIOLANUS posters. Enter several CITIZENS.
FIRST CITIZEN: If he’s not so stubborn and can bring himself to listen as well as talk, and talk to us, I don’t see why he shouldn’t have our votes.
SECOND CITIZEN: That’s for all of us to make up our minds.
THIRD CITIZEN: I’d say we could do worse.
(Enter CORIOLANUS, unobtrusively dressed, rather like the CITIZENS, with MENENIUS.)
There he is, looking like any man in the street. Let’s split up and go up to him in ones and twos – on the quiet. Everyone can put a question to him about his own problems. That way he can’t complain of facing an incoherent, unreasoning or unlistening mob.
MENENIUS: My dear chap, we’ve all had to do it in the past, not only now; the greatest men in Rome have cheerfully subjected themselves to it.
CORIOLANUS: ‘Cheerfully subjected’. What do I say to them? It makes my tongue all ulcerated to think of myself.
MENENIUS: Do not think of yourself and don’t abuse your tongue or you’ll end up with even more than ulcers in your hands. Think of Rome – of Rome alone. You need its popular support – to begin with – not just the respect of a few of us.
CORIOLANUS: Popular support. I’d rather be forgotten by them all.
MENENIUS: You’ll ruin everything. Think about it. Try speaking to them in an ordinary, friendly way. (Goes out.)
CORIOLANUS: No such thing.
(Three CITIZENS approach.)
Tell them I hope they’ve had their weekly bath and cleaned their teeth. Ah, here’s a couple… You know why I’m standing about here?
THIRD CITIZEN: We do, sir. Some call it the ‘hustings’.
CORIOLANUS: For my own ends.
SECOND CITIZEN: Your own?
CORIOLANUS: Not because I wish to stand up here in this ridiculous attitude.
THIRD CITIZEN: How’s that?
CORIOLANUS: I was never one to approach the poor with appeals for charity.
THIRD CITIZEN: You must think that whatever we might choose to give you, we’d expect something in return.
CORIOLANUS: I’m prepared to go through this for your price; for a consul’s life. And what would you say was that price?
FIRST CITIZEN: The price is to ask for it kindly. Understandingly, helpful; uncondescending.
CORIOLANUS: Kindly? I have been kindly, as you call it, and what else, dispersed more understanding, helpfulness than you’ve had public benefits.
SECOND CITIZEN: Well, I’ll take a chance on you.
CORIOLANUS: A convert, sir. There’s a couple.
THIRD CITIZEN: This doesn’t seem the right way to me to go about it.
SECOND CITIZEN: Well, there it is.
(They go out and are replaced by two more CITIZENS. CORIOLANUS speaks into his loud hailer on the top of the van)
CORIOLANUS: This is Coriolanus, your candidate for the consulship.
FIRST CITIZEN: You’ve done all right in some things but very good in others.
CORIOLANUS: Ah! An enigmatist!
FIRST CITIZEN: Oh, you’ve mopped up the troubles overseas in your way. But you don’t do anything, let alone care anything for us, your own ordinary people.
CORIOLANUS: You should think the more of me for it, for not being indiscriminate. Oh, I will make the right noises to my brothers, my comrades, my people. Will they think the better of me for it? So it seems. They demand reason, reassurances, promises and: policies, those policies you love so dearly; so if you prefer that to my private voice, you shall have it; for I’m not without skill in showing off my policies – like a dancing girl wriggling on the Capitol in front of your tired, old, eager eyes. I can strip off before your very eyes and dissemble very nicely – if a cavorting eunuch’s what you’re after. And I should have known: you are! I am your man! Make me your consul!
SECOND CITIZEN: What’s he on about? We only want to hear from you. Wages, prices, schemes, rehabilitation work, hours, conditions.
CORIOLANUS: You shall, my friend.
FIRST CITIZEN: Hear, hear.
SECOND CITIZEN: What are you ‘hear, hearing’?
CORIOLANUS: I will deal with these things. And sharply. But you don’t want to stand listenin
g to me.
BOTH: Good luck, mate. (They go out.)
CORIOLANUS: Good luck, mate… Voice of my heart! I’d rather be shot at than go through this knocking on doors for a pair of powerful boots; or scuffling in the streets of Rome. Begging from every Tired Tom and Dozey Dick who wants to put in his few miserable pence. Tradition, the law demands it of us all. Anything can be allowed to happen or rise up if it’s only in the name of common tradition. Rather than that, they can stuff their boots up to their elbow and let ‘em stay there.
(Enter three more CITIZENS. CORIOLANUS picks up the hailer.)
Can you hear me? Can you? Hear me? Well, I am peddling myself, and I need your voices. Not only mine – to make me consul.
(Some cheers. Then enter MENENIUS and the tribunes of the people.)
CORIOLANUS: You hear that. The People’s voice. Isn’t that a sound? Enough to gag a man’s bowels!
SICINIUS: What’s that?
CORIOLANUS: Oh, and women too, madam, or what it is I should call you?
MENENIUS: (Hurriedly, seeing trouble.) You’ve done well. And the tribunes here will endorse you. The rest will be formality, I tell you. Then off to the Senate at long last.
CORIOLANUS: Is this true?
SICINIUS: You have played your part. You will get your consulship by the consent of the people.
CORIOLANUS: Where next? The Senate House?
SICINIUS The Senate House.
CORIOLANUS: Can I get these things off now?
SICINIUS: You may.
CORIOLANUS: I’ll do that right away and feel myself again – if I’m still there.
MENENIUS: I’ll come with you. Will you come?
BRUTUS: We’ll stay down here a while.
SICINIUS: Goodbye, Coriolanus.
(CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS go out)
It’s all but in his pocket now.
BRUTUS: He didn’t give much away. (Enter the PLEBIANS.)
SICINIUS: Well, is he our man?
FIRST CITIZEN: He’s got our vote.
BRUTUS: Let’s hope he deserves it.
SECOND CITIZEN: Hear, hear, to that. But it seemed to me, he didn’t think much of anyone, not himself even. He poked fun at everyone, everything.
THIRD CITIZEN: Right. He was having it over us quite openly.
FIRST CITIZEN: No. It is his manner, his way of speaking we didn’t catch. He doesn’t mean it.
SECOND CITIZEN: Well, you’re the only one to think so. He hardly bothered to explain himself.
SICINIUS: But he must have done.
ALL: No. No. What did we hear!
THIRD CITIZEN: All he talked about was something about all being, I don’t remember – being condemned to moments of isolating oneself, at one time or another in one’s life. But what has he to SAY I That’s what I’d like to find out. All I know is that he wants to be consul. Some grudging sweet talk all round and then that’s that! Was this not a mockery!
(Cheers.)
SICINIUS: Either you were mistaken or, if you were not, then why did you pledge him your support?
BRUTUS: Couldn’t you have said to him that he’s the same man he’s always been? That he is, has been, and always will he against our kind!
(Roars)
You should have told him each and every one of the things he stands for. Not changed! Do you believe: changed! You are conned and conned easily and well he knows it.
SICINIUS: You know his temper. Why didn’t you trample on it? That would have shown you: that would have seen the end of his election.
BRUTUS: Didn’t you see one outstretched palm and the other raising up his finger at you? When he wanted you! And do you think he’ll treat you any better for this trick? Wasn’t there one doubtful soul among you?
SICINIUS: Well, what do you say now?
THIRD CITIZEN: It’s still not fixed. There’s time yet to reverse it; if we’ve a mind to it.
SECOND CITIZEN: Well?
(Cheers and acclaim.)
FIRST CITIZEN: And I’ll double that show of hands in hours.
BRUTUS: Get to it then. Tell your friends they’ve chosen the wrong consul; who’s against all they’ve fought for and against. They have some liberties, let them brandish them.
SICINIUS: Get them altogether. And when they’ve thought better of it and realised what they’ve done, put him to the real test. Smoke him out. He is there for it. So go to it. Let him show, and show to everyone, what his real opinion is of you.
BRUTUS: Forgive us for having seemed to stand aside. But the time came for you to act on your own.
SICINIUS: Yes. Blame it on us. But, in the meantime, you’ve found your own true voice.
BRUTUS: Oh, say what you like about us. Say we talked you into it.
SICINIUS: Change your minds and tell him so and why!
(Roars. The PLEBIANS go out.)
BRUTUS: Let them go. It’s best to take a risk at this stage.
SICINIUS: We’d better go to the Capitol. In the forefront.
Scene 12
Rome. A conference room. Into the room with its long table and rows of chairs come CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, SENATORS, COMINIUS and LARTIUS.
CORIOLANUS: So Aufidius has made some more new ground.
LARTIUS: He has. Which was why we had to come to some kind of terms quicker.
CORIOLANUS: So then, so then, we are back where we started except the Volscians are no doubt better off than ever and ready to start up the whole thing again, when it suits them.
COMINIUS: They are worn out, Lord Consul. I hardly think we shall see those banners wave again in our lifetime.
CORIOLANUS: Did you see Aufidius?
LARTIUS: We had a pre-arranged meeting in secret. He was full of bile for the Volscians giving up the town so easily as he seemed to think. Now he’s gone back to Antium.
CORIOLANUS: Did he speak about me?
LARTIUS: He did indeed.
CORIOLANUS: How? What?
LARTIUS: The times he had met you; of all the things he’d pawn in order to get you.
CORIOLANUS: And he’s staying at Antium, you say?
LARTIUS: Antium. If only I could be given the excuse to go and get him back.
(Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS)
SICINIUS: Stay where you are.
CORIOLANUS: What is this?
ERUTUS: I am warning you. It will be dangerous for you to go out of here.
CORIOLANUS: What has happened?
MENENIUS: The facts?
COMINIUS: Is the vote not as good as his? All but the counting?
BRUTUS: No, Cominius.
CORIOLANUS: So these were children’s voices?
FIRST SENATOR: Out of the way, tribunes. He’s to go to his place.
BRUTUS: They’ve been roused up against him.
SICINIUS: We wouldn’t advise it.
CORIOLANUS: Is this your herd? Has the cat given back their tongues? Their mouths seem empty enough; but own up aren’t you their teeth? Haven’t you set them on?
MENENIUS: Calm, do be calm.
CORIOLANUS: This is all a trumped-up thing; and it will get bigger. First it was to flout the law and when that wasn’t frightening enough for you, you take on yourselves to maim and injure anyone in sight. And why? Because policy – yes, policy – dominates and is…wonderfully afraid. That’s your game, isn’t it?
BRUTUS: Not a worse one than the way you go about yours.
CORIOLANUS: Why should I elect to be a consul? Let life do me so much ill that I’ll end up like you and be a tribune.
SICINIUS: These are your true colours.
MENENIUS: Let’s try to be calm.
COMINIUS: People feel they have been abused, stirred up, led to believe things that were not so. This lack of openness doesn’t become Rome. Nor does Coriolanus deserve to be brushed aside.
CORIOLANUS: Talk to me of wages, prices! I spoke to them once and I will again.
MENENIUS: Not now, not now.
FIRST SENATOR: Not in your present mood.
CORIO
LANUS: Now; I will! ‘My good friends’, I crave their pardon each and every one of them, changeable, aggressive, craven, every one of them. Don’t let them think of me as a flatterer and therefore fit to govern them. Let’s not throw away everything we have sown and tended for a few rebellious weeds, and weeds I do mean, by letting them in too far.
MENENIUS: Well, no more.
FIRST SENATOR: No, no more words for heaven’s sake.
CORIOLANUS: What! No more! Why shouldn’t my lungs be allowed to go on coining words until they burst, as sure as hell they will?
BRUTUS: You talk of people as if you were God, expressly brought up to punish as if you’d no diseases of your own at all.
SICINIUS: The sooner it’s made clear to them, the better.
MENENIUS: What, what! His anger?
CORIOLANUS: Anger? If I were as patient as my deepest sleep, dear God, it would still be from my mind.
SICINIUS: Then it’s a mind that shall stay where it is –
CORIOLANUS: Is! ‘Shall stay where it is’? Did you hear this frightening black-faced lady! Did you hear!
COMINIUS: She was out of order.
CORIOLANUS: ‘Shall’! Oh, you nice, foolish men. You plodding, reckless Senators. This lady here has so many heads she cannot live with them all, which is why she chooses to lose them in a mob of others. If you think power lies there, then give in to it now. If not, do something about it and at once. Would you let them pitch their ‘shall’ against yours? This popular ‘shall’ against the gentlest and most civilised society the world has seen! It makes my bones ache to see such a situation; when two sides are both too weak to assume supremacy; and how revolution will come between the two of them and destroy the lot.
COMINIUS: We must be off.
MENENIUS: Yes, no more of that.
CORIOLANUS: I’ll give my reasons when asked for ‘em. What can you give to the Siciniuses of Rome to satisfy their prudish imaginations? ‘We are the strongest because we are the most, to hell with the best, we do not acknowledge such a possibility. What we make, we shall employ.’ Not invent, mark you, what we make, look into the future to. They talk of this sweat and that’s their most important product – and they smell it over half the world. Well, let them take it over; let it be theirs!
