Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 3
The same. The Forum.
First Citizen : Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.
Second Citizen : We may, sir, if we will.
Third Citizen : We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a
[p]power that we have
no power to do; for if he show us
[p]his wounds and tell us his deeds,
we are to put our
[p]tongues into those wounds and speak for them; so,
if
[p]he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him
[p]our noble
acceptance of them. Ingratitude is
[p]monstrous, and for the multitude
to be ingrateful,
[p]were to make a monster of the multitude: of
the
[p]which we being members, should bring ourselves to
be
[p]monstrous members.
First Citizen : And to make us no better thought of, a little help
[p]will serve; for
once we stood up about the corn, he
[p]himself stuck not to call us
the many-headed multitude.
Third Citizen : We have been called so of many; not that our heads
[p]are some brown,
some black, some auburn, some bald,
[p]but that our wits are so
diversely coloured: and
[p]truly I think if all our wits were to issue
out of
[p]one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south,
[p]and
their consent of one direct way should be at
[p]once to all the points
o' the compass.
Second Citizen : Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would
[p]fly?
Third Citizen : Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's
[p]will;'tis
strongly wedged up in a block-head, but
[p]if it were at liberty,
'twould, sure, southward.
Second Citizen : Why that way?
Third Citizen : To lose itself in a fog, where being three parts
[p]melted away with
rotten dews, the fourth would return
[p]for conscience sake, to help
to get thee a wife.
Second Citizen : You are never without your tricks: you may, you may.
Third Citizen : Are you all resolved to give your voices? But
[p]that's no matter, the
greater part carries it. I
[p]say, if he would incline to the people,
there was
[p]never a worthier man.
[p][Enter CORIOLANUS in a gown of
humility,]
[p]with MENENIUS]
[p]Here he comes, and in the gown of
humility: mark his
[p]behavior. We are not to stay all together, but
to
[p]come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and
[p]by threes.
He's to make his requests by
[p]particulars; wherein every one of us
has a single
[p]honour, in giving him our own voices with our
own
[p]tongues: therefore follow me, and I direct you how
[p]you shall
go by him.
All : Content, content.
Menenius Agrippa : O sir, you are not right: have you not known
[p]The worthiest men have
done't?
Coriolanus : What must I say?
[p]'I Pray, sir'--Plague upon't! I cannot bring
[p]My
tongue to such a pace:--'Look, sir, my wounds!
[p]I got them in my
country's service, when
[p]Some certain of your brethren roar'd and
ran
[p]From the noise of our own drums.'
Menenius Agrippa : O me, the gods!
[p]You must not speak of that: you must desire
them
[p]To think upon you.
Coriolanus : Think upon me! hang 'em!
[p]I would they would forget me, like the
virtues
[p]Which our divines lose by 'em.
Menenius Agrippa : You'll mar all:
[p]I'll leave you: pray you, speak to 'em, I pray
you,
[p]In wholesome manner.
Coriolanus : Bid them wash their faces
[p]And keep their teeth clean.
[p][Re-enter
two of the Citizens]
[p]So, here comes a brace.
[p][Re-enter a third
Citizen]
[p]You know the cause, air, of my standing here.
Third Citizen : We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to't.
Coriolanus : Mine own desert.
Second Citizen : Your own desert!
Coriolanus : Ay, but not mine own desire.
Third Citizen : How not your own desire?
Coriolanus : No, sir,'twas never my desire yet to trouble the
[p]poor with
begging.
Third Citizen : You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to
[p]gain by you.
Coriolanus : Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship?
First Citizen : The price is to ask it kindly.
Coriolanus : Kindly! Sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to
[p]show you, which
shall be yours in private. Your
[p]good voice, sir; what say you?
Second Citizen : You shall ha' it, worthy sir.
Coriolanus : A match, sir. There's in all two worthy voices
[p]begged. I have your
alms: adieu.
Third Citizen : But this is something odd.
Second Citizen : An 'twere to give again,--but 'tis no matter.
Coriolanus : Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your
[p]voices that I
may be consul, I have here the
[p]customary gown.
Fourth Citizen : You have deserved nobly of your country, and you
[p]have not deserved
nobly.
Coriolanus : Your enigma?
Fourth Citizen : You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have
[p]been a rod to her
friends; you have not indeed loved
[p]the common people.
Coriolanus : You should account me the more virtuous that I have
[p]not been common
in my love. I will, sir, flatter my
[p]sworn brother, the people, to
earn a dearer
[p]estimation of them; 'tis a condition they
account
[p]gentle: and since the wisdom of their choice is
[p]rather
to have my hat than my heart, I will practise
[p]the insinuating nod
and be off to them most
[p]counterfeitly; that is, sir, I will
counterfeit the
[p]bewitchment of some popular man and give
it
[p]bountiful to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you,
[p]I may be
consul.
Fifth Citizen : We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give
[p]you our voices
heartily.
Fourth Citizen : You have received many wounds for your country.
Coriolanus : I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I
[p]will make much
of your voices, and so trouble you no further.
Both Citizens : The gods give you joy, sir, heartily!
Coriolanus : Most sweet voices!
[p]Better it is to die, better to starve,
[p]Than
crave the hire which first we do deserve.
[p]Why in this woolvish toge
should I stand here,
[p]To beg of Hob and Dick, that do
appear,
[p]Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to't:
[p]What
custom wills, in all things should we do't,
[p]The dust on antique
time would lie unswept,
[p]And mountainous error be too highly
heapt
[p]For truth to o'er-peer. Rather than fool it so,
[p]Let the
high office and the honour go
[p]To one that would do thus. I am half
through;
[p]The one part suffer'd, the other will I do.
[p][Re-enter
three Citizens more]
[p]Here come more voices.
[p]Your voices: for
your voices I have fought;
[p]Watch'd for your voices; for Your voices
bear
[p]Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
[p]I have seen and
heard of; for your voices have
[p]Done many things, some less, some
more your voices:
[p]Indeed I would be consul.
Sixth Citizen : He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest
[p]man's voice.
Seventh Citizen : Therefore let him be consul: the gods give him joy,
[p]and make him
good friend to the people!
All Citizens : Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul!
Coriolanus : Worthy voices!
Menenius Agrippa : You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes
[p]Endue you with the
people's voice: remains
[p]That, in the official marks invested,
you
[p]Anon do meet the senate.
Coriolanus : Is this done?
Sicinius Velutus : The custom of request you have discharged:
[p]The people do admit you,
and are summon'd
[p]To meet anon, upon your approbation.
Coriolanus : Where? at the senate-house?
Sicinius Velutus : There, Coriolanus.
Coriolanus : May I change these garments?
Sicinius Velutus : You may, sir.
Coriolanus : That I'll straight do; and, knowing myself again,
[p]Repair to the
senate-house.
Menenius Agrippa : I'll keep you company. Will you along?
Junius Brutus : We stay here for the people.
Sicinius Velutus : Fare you well.
[p][Exeunt CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS]
[p]He has it now,
and by his looks methink
[p]'Tis warm at 's heart.
Junius Brutus : With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds.
[p]will you dismiss the
people?
Sicinius Velutus : How now, my masters! have you chose this man?
First Citizen : He has our voices, sir.
Junius Brutus : We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.
Second Citizen : Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice,
[p]He mock'd us when he begg'd
our voices.
Third Citizen : Certainly
[p]He flouted us downright.
First Citizen : No,'tis his kind of speech: he did not mock us.
Second Citizen : Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says
[p]He used us scornfully:
he should have show'd us
[p]His marks of merit, wounds received for's
country.
Sicinius Velutus : Why, so he did, I am sure.
Citizens : No, no; no man saw 'em.
Third Citizen : He said he had wounds, which he could show
[p]in private;
[p]And with
his hat, thus waving it in scorn,
[p]'I would be consul,' says he:
'aged custom,
[p]But by your voices, will not so permit me;
[p]Your
voices therefore.' When we granted that,
[p]Here was 'I thank you for
your voices: thank you:
[p]Your most sweet voices: now you have
left
[p]your voices,
[p]I have no further with you.' Was not this
mockery?
Sicinius Velutus : Why either were you ignorant to see't,
[p]Or, seeing it, of such
childish friendliness
[p]To yield your voices?
Junius Brutus : Could you not have told him
[p]As you were lesson'd, when he had no
power,
[p]But was a petty servant to the state,
[p]He was your enemy,
ever spake against
[p]Your liberties and the charters that you
bear
[p]I' the body of the weal; and now, arriving
[p]A place of
potency and sway o' the state,
[p]If he should still malignantly
remain
[p]Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
[p]Be curses to
yourselves? You should have said
[p]That as his worthy deeds did claim
no less
[p]Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
[p]Would
think upon you for your voices and
[p]Translate his malice towards you
into love,
[p]Standing your friendly lord.
Sicinius Velutus : Thus to have said,
[p]As you were fore-advised, had touch'd his
spirit
[p]And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd
[p]Either his
gracious promise, which you might,
[p]As cause had call'd you up, have
held him to
[p]Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature,
[p]Which
easily endures not article
[p]Tying him to aught; so putting him to
rage,
[p]You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler
[p]And
pass'd him unelected.
Junius Brutus : Did you perceive
[p]He did solicit you in free contempt
[p]When he did
need your loves, and do you think
[p]That his contempt shall not be
bruising to you,
[p]When he hath power to crush? Why, had your
bodies
[p]No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry
[p]Against the
rectorship of judgment?
Sicinius Velutus : Have you
[p]Ere now denied the asker? and now again
[p]Of him that did
not ask, but mock, bestow
[p]Your sued-for tongues?
Third Citizen : He's not confirm'd; we may deny him yet.
Second Citizen : And will deny him:
[p]I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.
First Citizen : I twice five hundred and their friends to piece 'em.
Junius Brutus : Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,
[p]They have chose a
consul that will from them take
[p]Their liberties; make them of no
more voice
[p]Than dogs that are as often beat for barking
[p]As
therefore kept to do so.
Sicinius Velutus : Let them assemble,
[p]And on a safer judgment all revoke
[p]Your
ignorant election; enforce his pride,
[p]And his old hate unto you;
besides, forget not
[p]With what contempt he wore the humble
weed,
[p]How in his suit he scorn'd you; but your loves,
[p]Thinking
upon his services, took from you
[p]The apprehension of his present
portance,
[p]Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
[p]After
the inveterate hate he bears you.
Junius Brutus : Lay
[p]A fault on us, your tribunes; that we laboured,
[p]No
impediment between, but that you must
[p]Cast your election on him.
Sicinius Velutus : Say, you chose him
[p]More after our commandment than as guided
[p]By
your own true affections, and that your minds,
[p]Preoccupied with
what you rather must do
[p]Than what you should, made you against the
grain
[p]To voice him consul: lay the fault on us.
Junius Brutus : Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you.
[p]How youngly he began
to serve his country,
[p]How long continued, and what stock he springs
of,
[p]The noble house o' the Marcians, from whence came
[p]That Ancus
CORIOLANUS, Numa's daughter's son,
[p]Who, after great Hostilius, here
was king;
[p]Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
[p]That our
beat water brought by conduits hither;
[p]And [Censorinus,] nobly
named so,
[p]Twice being [by the people chosen] censor,
[p]Was his
great ancestor.
Sicinius Velutus : One thus descended,
[p]That hath beside well in his person
wrought
[p]To be set high in place, we did commend
[p]To your
remembrances: but you have found,
[p]Scaling his present bearing with
his past,
[p]That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
[p]Your sudden
approbation.
Junius Brutus : Say, you ne'er had done't--
[p]Harp on that still--but by our putting
on;
[p]And presently, when you have drawn your number,
[p]Repair to
the Capitol.
All : We will so: almost all
[p]Repent in their election.
Junius Brutus : Let them go on;
[p]This mutiny were better put in hazard,
[p]Than
stay, past doubt, for greater:
[p]If, as his nature is, he fall in
rage
[p]With their refusal, both observe and answer
[p]The vantage of
his anger.
Sicinius Velutus : To the Capitol, come:
[p]We will be there before the stream o' the
people;
[p]And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,
[p]Which we
have goaded onward.
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Next: Act 3 - Scene 1
