CORIOLANUS BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE - Contextual Questions 4
A. By whom and in what circumstances is the passage spoken? (Use not more than 50 words.)
B. What is the dramatic significance of the subject matter of the passage?
C. What do you consider to be the interest and importance of the way in which this subject matter is expressed? (In this section you are expected to comment on such matters as diction, imagery and verse.)
[Flourish.]
ALL. Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus.
CORIOLANUS. No more of this, it does offend my heart.
Pray now, no more.
COM. Look, sir, your mother!
5 CORIOLANUS. 0, You have, I know, petition’d all the gods
For my prosperity! [Kneels.]
VOL. Nay, my good soldier, up;
My gentle Marcius, worthy Caius, and
10 By deed-achieving honour newly nam’d—
What is it? Coriolanus must I call thee?
But, O, thy wife!
CORIOLANUS. My gracious silence, hail!
Wouldst thou have laugh’d had I come coffin’d home,
15 That weep’st to see me triumph? Ah, my dear,
Such eyes the widows in Corioli wear,
And mothers that lack sons.
MEN. Now the gods crown thee!
CORIOLANUS. And live you yet? [To Valeria] O my sweet lady, pardon
20 VOL. I know not where to turn.
0, welcome home! And welcome, General.
And y’are welcome all.
MEN. A hundred thousand welcomes. I could weep
And I could laugh; I am light and heavy. Welcome!
25 A curse begin at very root on’s heart
That is not glad to see thee! You are three
that Rome should dote on
We have some old crab trees here at home that will not
Be grafted to your relish. Yet welcome, warriors.
30 We call a nettle a nettle, and
The faults of fools but folly.
COM. Ever right.
CORIOLANUS. Menenius ever, ever.
HER. Give way there, and go on.
CORIOLANUS [To his wife and mother]. Your hand, and yours.
Ere in our own house I do shade my head,
The good patricians must be visited;
From whom I have received not only greetings
But with them change of honours.
VOL. I have lived
To see inherited my very wishes,
And the buildings of my fancy; only
There’s one thing wanting, which I doubt not but
Our Rome Will cast upon thee.
CORIOLANUS: Know, good mother,
I had rather be their servant in my way
Than sway with them in theirs.
COM. On to the Capitol.
[FLOURISH. CORNETS. EXIT IN STATE, AS BEFORE. BRUTUS AND SICINIUS COME FORWARD.]
BRUTUS: All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights
Are spectacled to see him. Your prattling nurse
Into a rapture lets her baby cry
While she chats him; the kitchen malkin pins
Her richest lockram ‘bout her reechy neck,
Clamering the walls to seye him; stalls, bulks, windows,
Are smothered up, leads filled and ridges horsed,
With variable complexions, all agreeing
In earnestness to see him. Seld-shown flamens
Do press among the popular throngs and puff
To win a vulgar station; our veil’d dames
60 Commit the war of white and damask in
Their nicely gawded cheeks to th’ wanton spoil
Of Phoebus’ burning kisses. Such a pother,
As if that whatsoever god who leads him
Were slily crept into his human powers,
65 And gave him graceful posture.