The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (803 page)

of important government officials, but also of officers

Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers

of the law. In the name of the people,

That do distribute it;--in the name o' the people,

and by the power vested in us as tribunes, we

And in the power of us the tribunes, we,

banish him from Rome, effective immediately,

Even from this instant, banish him our city,

on pain of being thrown

In peril of precipitation

off of a cliff, and he may never again

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more

enter the city of Rome. In the people’s name,

To enter our Rome gates: I' the people's name,  

I declare it.

I say it shall be so.

CITIZENS.

It will be so. Take him away.

It shall be so, it shall be so; let him away;

He’s banished, and it will be so.

He's banished, and it shall be so.

COMINIUS.

Listen to me, friends—

Hear me, my masters and my common friends,--

SICINIUS.

He has been sentenced. There will be no more discussion.

He's sentenc'd; no more hearing.

COMINIUS.

Let me speak:

Let me speak:

I have been consul, and I have scars that I

I have been consul, and can show for Rome

got defending Rome. I love

Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love

my country more

My country's good with a respect more tender,

than my own life,

More holy and profound, than mine own life,

or my wife, or my future children,

My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,

so if I want

And treasure of my loins; then if I would

speak—

Speak that,--

SICINIUS.

We get the idea. What do you have to say?

We know your drift. Speak what?

BRUTUS.

There’s no more to be said. He is banished

There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd,

as an enemy of the people and his country.

As enemy to the people and his country:

It will be so.

It shall be so.

CITIZENS.

It will be so.

It shall be so, it shall be so.

CORIOLANUS.

You pack of dogs!

You common cry of curs! whose breath I hate

Your breath stinks!

As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize  

I love you as much as a rotting corpse.

As the dead carcasses of unburied men

I banish you!

That do corrupt my air,--I banish you;

And may you remain here with your anxieties!

And here remain with your uncertainty!

I hope every rumor of attack terrifies you!

Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!

Your enemies will scare you to death!

Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,

May you always have the power

Fan you into despair! Have the power still

to banish the people who defend your city, until finally

To banish your defenders; till at length

your ignorance (which doesn’t know anything until it sees it firsthand

Your ignorance,--which finds not till it feels,--

except when it sees yourselves,

Making but reservation of yourselves,--

who are your own worst enemies) leaves you

Still your own foes,--deliver you, as most

as the defeated slaves to some other nation

Abated captives to some nation

that beat you without even a fair fight!

That won you without blows! Despising,

I despise Rome because of you, and I’m happy to leave.

For you, the city, thus I turn my back:

There is world outside of Rome.

There is a world elsewhere.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENENIUS, Senators, and

Patricians.]

AEDILE.

The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

CITIZENS.

Our enemy is banished, he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

Our enemy is banish'd, he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

[Shouting, and throwing up their caps.]

SICINIUS.

Go see him out the gates, and follow him,

Go, see him out at gates, and follow him,

like he followed you, with scorn.

As he hath follow'd you, with all despite;

Give him the harassment he deserves. Have a group of bodyguards

Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard

accompany us all day.

Attend us through the city.

CITIZENS.

Come, let’s watch him leave.

Come, come, let's see him out at gates; come.

God bless our great tribunes!

The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS,and

several young Patricians.]

CORIOLANUS.

Oh, stop crying. Let’s say goodbye quickly. The mob

Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell:--The beast

has kicked me out. Mother,

With many heads butts me away.--Nay, mother,

be brave like you used to be. You were used

Where is your ancient courage? you were us'd

to say that hard times were a good test for the spirits,

To say extremities was the trier of spirits;

that ordinary people could endure ordinary mishaps,

That common chances common men could bear;

that when everything was fine everyone

That when the sea was calm all boats alike

did alright. When things get

Show'd mastership in floating; fortune's blows,

really tough, and we bear our misfortunes like noblemen, that when it demands

When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves

the skills of a nobleman to cope. You used to tell me al kinds

A noble cunning; you were us'd to load me

of rules and sayings that would strengthen the

With precepts that would make invincible

person who learned them.

The heart that conn'd them.

VIRGILIA.

Oh, God!

O heavens! O heavens!

CORIOLANUS.

No, please, woman—

Nay, I pr'ythee, woman,--

VOLUMNIA.

I hope everyone in Rome gets sick and dies,

Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome,

and the economy crashes!

And occupations perish!

CORIOLANUS.

What?

What, what, what!

They will love me once they miss me. No, mother,

I shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,

Go back to the attitude you had when you used to say,

Resume that spirit when you were wont to say,

if you had been the wife of Hercules [mythical hero who performed 12 impossible tasks],

If you had been the wife of Hercules,

you would have done 6 of his impossible tasks, and saved

Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd

your husband from having to do so much work. Cominius,

Your husband so much sweat.--Cominius,

don’t be upset—goodbye. Goodbye, wife. Mother,

Droop not; adieu.--Farewell, my wife,--my mother:

I’ll be ok. You good old man, Menenius,

I'll do well yet.--Thou old and true Menenius,

your tears are saltier than a younger man’s,

Thy tears are salter than a younger man's,

and harmful to your eyes. My former general,

And venomous to thine eyes.--My sometime general,

I’m used to seeing you look tough, and you’ve often seen

I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld

terrible sights that harden your heart—tell these sad women

Heart-hard'ning spectacles; tell these sad women

that’s it’s foolish to get upset about something that can’t be helped,

'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,

and it’s better to laugh at them. Mother, you well know

As 'tis to laugh at 'em.--My mother, you wot well

that your proud of me when I’m in danger, and

My hazards still have been your solace: and

now I’m really in trouble. I’m going alone,

Believe't not lightly,--though I go alone,

and I feel like I’m going to fight a dragon in his marshy home

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

that I have heard scary rumors about but never seen. Your son

Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen,--your son

will either exceed the deeds of ordinary men or be trapped

Will or exceed the common or be caught

by crafty tricks and intrigue.

With cautelous baits and practice.

VOLUMNIA.

My firstborn son,

My first son,

where will you go? Take Cominius

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius

with you for a while. Choose a path

With thee awhile: determine on some course

that doesn’t expose you to every danger

More than a wild exposture to each chance

that spring up on your way.

That starts i' the way before thee.

CORIOLANUS.

Oh, God!

O the gods!

COMINIUS.

I’ll travel with you for a month, help you decide

I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee