Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 6
Antium. A public place.
Tullus Aufidius : Go tell the lords o' the city I am here:
[p]Deliver them this paper:
having read it,
[p]Bid them repair to the market place; where
I,
[p]Even in theirs and in the commons' ears,
[p]Will vouch the truth
of it. Him I accuse
[p]The city ports by this hath enter'd
and
[p]Intends to appear before the people, hoping
[p]To purge herself
with words: dispatch.
[p][Exeunt Attendants]
[p][Enter three or four
Conspirators of AUFIDIUS' faction]
[p]Most welcome!
First Conspirator : How is it with our general?
Tullus Aufidius : Even so
[p]As with a man by his own alms empoison'd,
[p]And with his
charity slain.
Second Conspirator : Most noble sir,
[p]If you do hold the same intent wherein
[p]You
wish'd us parties, we'll deliver you
[p]Of your great danger.
Tullus Aufidius : Sir, I cannot tell:
[p]We must proceed as we do find the people.
Third Conspirator : The people will remain uncertain whilst
[p]'Twixt you there's
difference; but the fall of either
[p]Makes the survivor heir of all.
Tullus Aufidius : I know it;
[p]And my pretext to strike at him admits
[p]A good
construction. I raised him, and I pawn'd
[p]Mine honour for his truth:
who being so heighten'd,
[p]He water'd his new plants with dews of
flattery,
[p]Seducing so my friends; and, to this end,
[p]He bow'd his
nature, never known before
[p]But to be rough, unswayable and free.
Third Conspirator : Sir, his stoutness
[p]When he did stand for consul, which he
lost
[p]By lack of stooping,--
Tullus Aufidius : That I would have spoke of:
[p]Being banish'd for't, he came unto my
hearth;
[p]Presented to my knife his throat: I took him;
[p]Made him
joint-servant with me; gave him way
[p]In all his own desires; nay,
let him choose
[p]Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,
[p]My
best and freshest men; served his designments
[p]In mine own person;
holp to reap the fame
[p]Which he did end all his; and took some
pride
[p]To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,
[p]I seem'd his
follower, not partner, and
[p]He waged me with his countenance, as
if
[p]I had been mercenary.
First Conspirator : So he did, my lord:
[p]The army marvell'd at it, and, in the
last,
[p]When he had carried Rome and that we look'd
[p]For no less
spoil than glory,--
Tullus Aufidius : There was it:
[p]For which my sinews shall be stretch'd upon
him.
[p]At a few drops of women's rheum, which are
[p]As cheap as
lies, he sold the blood and labour
[p]Of our great action: therefore
shall he die,
[p]And I'll renew me in his fall. But, hark!
[p][Drums
and trumpets sound, with great shouts of]
[p]the People]
First Conspirator : Your native town you enter'd like a post,
[p]And had no welcomes home:
but he returns,
[p]Splitting the air with noise.
Second Conspirator : And patient fools,
[p]Whose children he hath slain, their base throats
tear
[p]With giving him glory.
Third Conspirator : Therefore, at your vantage,
[p]Ere he express himself, or move the
people
[p]With what he would say, let him feel your sword,
[p]Which we
will second. When he lies along,
[p]After your way his tale pronounced
shall bury
[p]His reasons with his body.
Tullus Aufidius : Say no more:
[p]Here come the lords.
All Lords : You are most welcome home.
Tullus Aufidius : I have not deserved it.
[p]But, worthy lords, have you with heed
perused
[p]What I have written to you?
All Lords : We have.
First Lord : And grieve to hear't.
[p]What faults he made before the last, I
think
[p]Might have found easy fines: but there to end
[p]Where he was
to begin and give away
[p]The benefit of our levies, answering
us
[p]With our own charge, making a treaty where
[p]There was a
yielding,--this admits no excuse.
Tullus Aufidius : He approaches: you shall hear him.
[p][Enter CORIOLANUS, marching with
drum and]
[p]colours; commoners being with him]
Coriolanus : Hail, lords! I am return'd your soldier,
[p]No more infected with my
country's love
[p]Than when I parted hence, but still
subsisting
[p]Under your great command. You are to know
[p]That
prosperously I have attempted and
[p]With bloody passage led your wars
even to
[p]The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home
[p]Do
more than counterpoise a full third part
[p]The charges of the action.
We have made peace
[p]With no less honour to the Antiates
[p]Than
shame to the Romans: and we here deliver,
[p]Subscribed by the consuls
and patricians,
[p]Together with the seal o' the senate, what
[p]We
have compounded on.
Tullus Aufidius : Read it not, noble lords;
[p]But tell the traitor, in the high'st
degree
[p]He hath abused your powers.
Coriolanus : Traitor! how now!
Tullus Aufidius : Ay, traitor, CORIOLANUS!
Coriolanus : CORIOLANUS!
Tullus Aufidius : Ay, CORIOLANUS, Caius CORIOLANUS: dost thou think
[p]I'll grace thee
with that robbery, thy stol'n name
[p]Coriolanus in Corioli?
[p]You
lords and heads o' the state, perfidiously
[p]He has betray'd your
business, and given up,
[p]For certain drops of salt, your city
Rome,
[p]I say 'your city,' to his wife and mother;
[p]Breaking his
oath and resolution like
[p]A twist of rotten silk, never
admitting
[p]Counsel o' the war, but at his nurse's tears
[p]He whined
and roar'd away your victory,
[p]That pages blush'd at him and men of
heart
[p]Look'd wondering each at other.
Coriolanus : Hear'st thou, Mars?
Tullus Aufidius : Name not the god, thou boy of tears!
Coriolanus : Ha!
Tullus Aufidius : No more.
Coriolanus : Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart
[p]Too great for what
contains it. Boy! O slave!
[p]Pardon me, lords, 'tis the first time
that ever
[p]I was forced to scold. Your judgments, my grave
lords,
[p]Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion--
[p]Who
wears my stripes impress'd upon him; that
[p]Must bear my beating to
his grave--shall join
[p]To thrust the lie unto him.
First Lord : Peace, both, and hear me speak.
Coriolanus : Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads,
[p]Stain all your edges on
me. Boy! false hound!
[p]If you have writ your annals true, 'tis
there,
[p]That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I
[p]Flutter'd your
Volscians in Corioli:
[p]Alone I did it. Boy!
Tullus Aufidius : Why, noble lords,
[p]Will you be put in mind of his blind
fortune,
[p]Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,
[p]'Fore
your own eyes and ears?
All Conspirators : Let him die for't.
All The People : 'Tear him to pieces.' 'Do it presently.' 'He kill'd
[p]my son.' 'My
daughter.' 'He killed my cousin
[p]Marcus.' 'He killed my father.'
Second Lord : Peace, ho! no outrage: peace!
[p]The man is noble and his fame
folds-in
[p]This orb o' the earth. His last offences to us
[p]Shall
have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius,
[p]And trouble not the
peace.
Coriolanus : O that I had him,
[p]With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
[p]To
use my lawful sword!
Tullus Aufidius : Insolent villain!
All Conspirators : Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!
[p][The Conspirators draw, and kill
CORIOLANUS:]
[p]AUFIDIUS stands on his body]
All Lords : Hold, hold, hold, hold!
Tullus Aufidius : My noble masters, hear me speak.
First Lord : O Tullus,--
Second Lord : Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will weep.
Third Lord : Tread not upon him. Masters all, be quiet;
[p]Put up your swords.
Tullus Aufidius : My lords, when you shall know--as in this rage,
[p]Provoked by him,
you cannot--the great danger
[p]Which this man's life did owe you,
you'll rejoice
[p]That he is thus cut off. Please it your
honours
[p]To call me to your senate, I'll deliver
[p]Myself your
loyal servant, or endure
[p]Your heaviest censure.
First Lord : Bear from hence his body;
[p]And mourn you for him: let him be
regarded
[p]As the most noble corse that ever herald
[p]Did follow to
his urn.
Second Lord : His own impatience
[p]Takes from Aufidius a great part of
blame.
[p]Let's make the best of it.
Tullus Aufidius : My rage is gone;
[p]And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up.
[p]Help,
three o' the chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.
[p]Beat thou the drum,
that it speak mournfully:
[p]Trail your steel pikes. Though in this
city he
[p]Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one,
[p]Which to this
hour bewail the injury,
[p]Yet he shall have a noble memory. Assist.
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