The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (812 page)

factionary on the party of your general.

SECOND GUARD.

Notwithstanding that you have lied for him, as you say you have, I will

Howsoever you have been his liar,--as you say you have, I am one

tell you that you cannot pass. So

that, telling true under him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore

go back

go back.  

MENENIUS.

Has he eaten, do you know? I don’t want to speak with him

Has he dined, canst thou tell? For I would not speak with him

until after dinner.

till after dinner.

FIRST GUARD.

You’re a Roman, right?

You are a Roman, are you?

MENENIUS.

Yes, like Coriolanus.

I am as thy general is.

FIRST GUARD.

Then you should hate Rome like he does. After you have

Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have

expelled the one person who could protect you, and in a moment

pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and in a violent

of stupidity, given your enemy your best weapon, how can you confront

popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front

his need for vengeance with the insignificant groans of old women, the virginal

his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the virginal

hands of your daughters or with the weak intervention of such

palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such

a crippled old man as you seem to be? How do you expect to save yout

a decayed dotant as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the

city with such weak arguments

intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak

as these? No, you’re wrong, so go back to Rome, and

breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore back to Rome, and

get ready to die. You are condemned. Our general

prepare for your execution: you are condemned; our general has

won’t allow you to live.

sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

MENENIUS.

Punk, if you captian knew I were here he would treat me with

Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here he would use me with

respect.

estimation.

SECOND GUARD.

My captain doesn’t know you.

Come, my captain knows you not.

MENENIUS.

I mean your general.

I mean thy general.

FIRST GUARD.

My general doesn’t care about you. Go, I say, before

My general cares not for you. Back, I say; go, lest I let forth

I cut you. Back—that’s the best you’re going to

your half pint of blood;--back; that's the utmost of your

get: back.

having:--back.

MENENIUS.

No, but guy, guy—

Nay, but fellow, fellow,--

[Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS.]

CORIOLANUS.

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

MENENIUS.

Now, you little jerk, I’ll show you something. You will see

Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you; you shall know

that I am respected. You will see that a stupid

now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a jack

guard can’t drive me off from my son Coiolanus. Guess if after

guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess but by my

my welcome from him you will hanged,

entertainment with him if thou standest not i' the state of

or if you’ll be executed by some longer and more painful method.

hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship and crueler

Watch now, and faint for fear of what will happen to you.

in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come

May the gods have a meeting about your

upon thee.--The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy

personal fate, and like you more than I do!

particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father

Oh, my son! My son! You are preparing to burn us;

Menenius does! O my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us;

look, here’s water to put out the fire in your soul. I was not easily persuaded to come

look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come

and see you, but being assured that only I could change your mind, I

to thee; but being assured none but myself could move thee, I

have left Rome reluctantly, and ask you to

have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to

forgive Rome and your sorry countrymen. Let the gods remove

pardon Rome and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage

your anger, and turn the rest of it on this rascal here, this

thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this,

blockhead who wouldn’t let me in.

who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

CORIOLANUS.

Go away!

Away!

MENENIUS.

What? Go away?

How! away!

CORIOLANUS.

I don’t want to know my wife, mother or child. My pursuits

Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs

are in the service of others now. Though I am taking

Are servanted to others: though I owe

revenge on my behalf, the capacity to forgive belongs

My revenge properly, my remission lies

to the Volscians. Rome’s ungrateful

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,

forgetfulness will poison our former friendship,

Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

instead of pity remembering how we were friends. So go away.

Than pity note how much.--Therefore be gone.

I won’t listen to you.

Mine ears against your suits are stronger than

But because I loved you,

Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,

take this letter. I wrote it for your sake,

Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

[Gives a letter.]

and I would have sent it if you hadn’t come.

And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,

I won’t hear another word out of you, Menenius. Aufidius,

I will not hear thee speak.--This man, Aufidius,

I used to love this man in Rome, but you see what happened to that.

Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st!

AUFIDIUS.

You have a consistent temperment.

You keep a constant temper.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS.]

FIRST GUARD.

Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

SECOND GUARD.

Your name is clearly very powerful around here. You know the way

'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know the way home

to leave.

again.

FIRST GUARD.

Did you see how we were punished for not letting you in?

Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back?

SECOND GUARD.

Why do think I have to faint in fear?

What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

MENENIUS.

I don’t care about the world, or Coriolanus. As for you,

I neither care for the world nor your general; for such things as

you’re barely there, you’re worth so little. A man who

you, I can scarce think there's any, y'are so slight. He that

wants to kills himself isn’t afraid of being killed by someone else.

hath a will to die by himself fears it not from another. Let your

Let Coriolanus do his worst. Be yourself for a long time, and you

general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long; and your

will get more miserable as long as you live. I’ll you what you told me:

misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to,

away!

away!

[Exit.]

FIRST GUARD.

A good man, I think.

A noble fellow, I warrant him.

SECOND GUARD.

Coriolanus is the good man. He is a rock, an oak tree

The worthy fellow is our general: he is the rock, the oak not to

that doesn’t shake in the wind.

be wind-shaken.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others.]

CORIOLANUS.

Tomorrow we will camp our army in front of

We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow

the walls of Rome. Aufidius, my partner in action,

Set down our host.--My partner in this action,

you should tell to the Volscian leaders how openly

You must report to the Volscian lords how plainly

I have conducted this affair.

I have borne this business.

AUFIDIUS.

You have only respected

Only their ends

their purposes. You have refused to listen

You have respected; stopped your ears against

to the pleas of the Romans, never allowed

The general suit of Rome; never admitted

anyone to even whisper to you, not even your good friends

A private whisper, no, not with such friends

who thought you would surely listen to them.

That thought them sure of you.

CORIOLANUS.

That last old man, Menenius,

This last old man,

who I sent back to Rome with a broken heart,

Whom with crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,

loved me more than a father would,

Lov'd me above the measure of a father;

no, he worshipped me like a god. Their last means of obtaining safety

Nay, godded me indeed. Their latest refuge

was to send him, and for the sake of his love

Was to send him; for whose old love I have,--

(though I seemed cranky to him), I offer him

Though I show'd sourly to him,--once more offer'd

the same terms I offered Cominius, which he refused,

The first conditions, which they did refuse,

and now he can’t accept them. Out of respect for Menenius

And cannot now accept, to grace him only,  

(though he thought he could do more to help), I gave in