Coriolanus Act 5.2.1

Scene 5.2.1

The Volsces outpost

Menenius decided that the best approach was the frontal attack. He drove over in a open top vehicle; with no weapons on it, and appearing calm while he drove past the land under conflict. He took the precaution of placing a flag of truce just in case. He had seen what he think was a Volsces outpost behind the row of trees. He stopped his vehicle before he stepped out. He raised both his arms while he approached the trees.

“Who’s there?” The sentry hidden in the bush called out. He stepped out all dressed in camouflage and armed with a nasty looking blaster. The sentry was backed by two more others on his flanks.

“Well done. You guard like men. This is well, but I am here to parley. I want to see Coriolanus.” Menenius replied.

“From whence?” The sentry asked.

“From Rome.”

“You may not pass. You must return to Rome.” The sentry surprised Menenius when he refused the request. Menenius pressed forth by telling them his name, but they still refused.

“Be it so, go back. The virtue of your name is not passable.” The sentry replied.

“Aye, I tell you the General of yours is my lover.” Menenius smiled. “His fame unparalleled; aptly amplified; for I have. I will take my leave now but remember my name is Menenius, ever the General yearns for me again.”

“Howsoever, you have been a liar, as you are. I am telling the truth that you may not pass. Therefore go back.” The sentry repeated his order. He then looked at the old man. “Are you not a Roman?”

Menenius nodded to the sentry.

“Can you when you have pushed out your gates the very defender of them and in violent popular ignorance give your enemy shield, think to front his revenges with the east groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived. Go back to Rome and prepared for your execution. You are condemned, our General has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.”

Menenius still stood his ground. He then saw Coriolanus and Audifius walking behind the trees. He called out to his friend. Coriolanus saw the old man and walked over.

“What’s the matter?” Coriolanus asked the sentry. Before the later was to reply, the old charmer walked past them to hug Coriolanus.

“I am here with an errand for you.” Menenius smiled at this protégé. He looked so well, ever comfortable in his battle fatigues. He was a man grown out of the uniform and not the other way around. “The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! Oh, my son, thou had prepare fire for us; look thee, here’s water to quench it. I did not come easily, but being assured none by myself could …moved thee, I have been blown of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome and thy petitionary countrymen.”

“Away!’ Coriolanus told him.

“How! Away?” Menenius replied. He was trying to find the friend inside the psyche of the soldier.

“My mother, wife and son, I know not their affairs yet are servant to others.” Coriolanus shouted back. “I owe my revenge properly, my remission lies in these Volsces bosom. Therefore be gone. Mine ears against your suits are stronger than your gates against my fore. Yet I loved thee.”

Coriolanus handed the piece of note to Menenius.

“Take this along; I have written it for you.” Coriolanus then whispered to Menenius. “I heard thee speak. This man, Audifius, was my beloved Rome and now.”

Coriolanus and Audifius left the old man standing there alone.

He was a dejected man; all alone with no more friends.

Coriolanus Act 5.1.1

Act 5

Scene 5.1.1

Rome quivered in its foundation

Coriolanus was on everyday’s lips, not in awe but in fear. Many had packed their bags and left the city. The streets were deserted when it used to be covered by the traders and shoppers. That morning, the street had two irregular patrons who walked over to meet the other Consuls seated at the café on the corner. One was in a hurry while the one tagging behind was seen dragging his feet. They were to see the others on some wild idea of which he had no part but included in the idea.

“No, I will not go.” Menenius was the one seen dragging his feet. He was not happy with the request which he had little or no say in the matter. “You hear what he had said of who was his general who had loved him in most dear. He called me father; but what of that? You go to had him banished him, a mile before his tent fall down, and knee the way into his mercy. If he coyer to hear you speak, I will keep at home.”

“He would not seem to know me.” Cominius replied but Menenius grew irritated at that lame excuse.

“Yet at one time, he call me by name.” Cominius looked to Menenius. “I urged our old acquaintance, and the drops that we have bled together. ‘Coriolanus’ I called him but he would not answer to; forbad all names; he was a kind of nothing until he had forged himself a name in the fire of burning Rome.”

Cominius did not hide his scorn of the ex-hero haunting them. Menenius drove on his earlier protest.

“You have made good work! A pair of …Consuls that have wrecked fair Rome to make coals cheap; a noble memory.” 

“I minded him how royal it was to pardon when it was less expected; he replied, it was a bare petition of a state to one whom they had punished.” Cominius defended his stand. “I offered to awaken his regard for private friends: his answer to me was he could not stay. For one poor grain or two, to leave un-burnt and till to nosed the offence.”

“For one poor grain or two! I am one of those; his mother, wife, his child, and this brave fellow too, we are the grains: you are the musty chaff, and you are smelt above the moon. We must be burnt for you.” Menenius drew his own view.

“If you refuse your aid in this never needed help, yet do not upbraid our distress. Sure if you would be your country’s pleader, your good tongue more than the instant army we can make to stop our countryman.” Sicinius told Menenius.

“No! I will not meddle.” Menenius shouted back.

“Pray you, go to him.” Sicinius pleaded. “Make trial what you love can do for Rome, towards Marcius.”

“Say that Marcius return with me; what then?” Menenius asked.

“Your goodwill must have that thanks from Rome after the measure as you intended well.” Sicinius affirm the welcome he would receive. The other Consuls all have the hang dawg expression that even a cat would had sacrificed a mouse to them.

“I will undertake.” Menenius sighed. “I  think he will undertake it. He may hear me. Yet to bite his lip and hum at good Cominius …much un-hearts me. I will watch him till he dieted to my request before I set upon him.”

“You know the very road to his kindness, and cannot lose your way.” Brutus added in his words. He smiled to the other Consuls to show them that he was there. It was a Consul personal fear to be ignored or forgotten.

“Good faith, I will prove him.” Menenius took his leave of the group. His walk was hailed by those there, and none commented on his butt which was quite apparent from the rear view. All except one who had ignored the departing man while he took a drink to soothe down his irritation at being singled out by Menenius.

“He will never hear him.” Cominius replied. He felt that his officers were close to him than their own self convinced fathers; especially one that was bedding the mother behind his back. He had once admired Volumnia but she had spurned his advances.

“Not?” Sicinius sounded his dis-believement.

“I tell you he sits on gold there; his eyes red as it would burn Rome, and his injury the imprisonment to his pity. I knelt before him; it was very faintly he said ‘rise’; dismissed me thus with his speechless hand. What he would do when all hope is vain, unless his noble mother, and his wife for mercy to his country.”

With that statement, Cominius took leave of the Consuls.  

Coriolanus Act 4.7.1

Scene 4.7.1

A camp at a distance from Rome

The Volsces army under the combined leadership of Coriolanus and Audifius had made progressed with their strategy. The strength of Volsces was their soldiers which was numerous in numbers, and replaced with their overcrowded population. They lost all their wars to Rome for the other had technological design in armored vehicles. The vehicles was only good on the terrain which allowed for their tracks to grip on, so Coriolanus directed the army to circumvent into the hilly trails to race to their targets. Once there, they camped in and strengthen their defenses. It worked when the new army had opened up four fronts into Rome borders.

It was dawn there when Audifius stepped out from the tent with his aide. He was dressed in his undershirt and pants; it was the heat inside there with ten officers locking their heads over the next target. They had been at for over six hours until Audifius called for the break.

“Do they still fly to Rome?” Audifius asked. He was asking not of the flight technology which had been forgotten when the atmosphere of the skies was deemed too precious to contaminate on, and the works of the flight had been destroyed. Any form of flights in the skies was deemed to be witchcrafts which had come back to fuel the people’s belief. It was a renewed revelation when they saw the new hero who was undoing their defeats to victory in those recent battles.

“I do not know what witchcraft in him, but they said grace before their meal for him. They talked only of him and their thanks at the end.” The trusted lieutenant stood by his idol and he was so steadfast to Audifius that he refused to believe in the one named Coriolanus. “You are darkened in this action, Sir.”

“I cannot help it now.” Audifius sighed. “Unless by using means I lame the foot of our design.”

The lieutenant placed his hand on his General shoulder. Audifius acknowledged his friend and trusted comrade. Caligula had served him well, by his side in battle, and his mate on his needs, and most times, his assassin for the ones who revolted him.

“He bears more proudlier, even to my person, than I thought he would when first I did embrace him; yet his nature in that there no changeling, and I must excuse what cannot be amended.” Audifius sighed in allowing the one to come in.

“Yet I wish, Sir. I mean for your particular. You had not joined commission with him, but either had borne your action of yourself or else had left it solely.” Caligula wanted his General to take back what was his.

“I understand you well.” Audifius assured his lieutenant. “He knows not what I can urge against him. He bears all things fairly and show good husbandry for the Volsces, fights like a dragon, and does achieve. Yet he hath left undone that which shall break his neck or mine when we come to our account.”

“Do you think he will carry us to Rome?”

“All places yield to him where he sits down. The nobility of Rome is his for he is noble. The Consuls and the Commoners will love him too. The Commoners Consuls are not soldiers and their people will be as rash in repeal as hasty as to expel him thence. I think he will be to Rome as the osprey to the fish.” Audifius explained. “First he was a noble servant to them, but he could not carry his honors with them. Whether it was pride, which of daily fortune ever taints the happy man; whether defect of judgment, to fail in the disposing of those chances which he was lord of; but commanding peace even with the same austerity as he controlled the war; but one of these made him feared, so hated, and so banished: but he has a merit to choke it in the utterance.”

“So our virtues lie in the interpretation of the time; and power, unto itself most commendable, hath not a tomb so evident as a chair to extol what it hath done. One fire drives out of fire; one nail, one nail; rights by rights by fouler, strengths by strengths do fail.” Audifius affirms his statement with the repetitious words to prove his next statement. He had no reason why the man had come here but he would love the man who may fulfill his ambition.

“When Caius, Rome is thine, though art poorest of all; then shortly art thou mine.” Audifius smiled. Rome would be his. 

Coriolanus Act 4.6.1

Scene 4.6.1

A public place in Rome

They cometh again

The scene in Rome after the banishment of Coriolanus had dwindled to a state of restive moods. There were no issues to bear on the Nobles neither onto the Commoners, with all sides keeping to their own. Everybody was getting their mind on their everyday chores, while Consuls sitting was mundane with trivial issues. Brutus awaits his friend, Sicinius who was at his mistress at that high noon time. The later stepped out by the rear door of the house and hopped onto the adjacent back door to exit at the street behind. He eyed Brutus brooding by the sidewalk café and strolled over.

“We hear not of him.” Sicinius smiled. His subject was Coriolanus whom they had banished with the help of the Commoners. Since Coriolanus have left the borders of Rome, they had no news of his whereabouts. “Neither need we fear him.”

Sicinius had sensed Brutus brooding was of the unknown that Coriolanus could unleash on them.

“His remedies are tame.” Coriolanus was then no more a Consul nor a soldier. “The present peace and quietness of the people, which before were in wild hurry, here do make his friends, blush that the world goes well; though they themselves did suffered by it. Behold the dissentious numbers pestering streets than see our tradesmen singing in their shops and going about their business.”

“We stood to it in good time.” Brutus brooded. Then they saw the smiling Menenius approaching them.

“It’s him. He has grown most kind of late.” Sicinius spoke out cynically. Since Coriolanus departure, the old man had not been in the light for issues, and if he did, it was on yesterday’s issues. “Hail, Sir.”

“Hail to you too.” Menenius sank his weary legs onto the nearest chair. He had been doing his rounds but no one had stirred up an issue that was worthy of his effort. He began to feel old and unwanted.

“Your Coriolanus is not much missed but maybe with his friends.” Sicinius commented. “The Commoners do stand united and would do were he angry at them.”

“All’s well, and might had been better if he could have temporized.” Menenius replied with a sigh.

“Where is he?” Sicinius added on his mocking voice.

“I heard nothing. His mother and wife none had heard from him too.” Menenius then saw the Audile approaching them.

“Worthy Consuls, there is a spy we caught. He resides in our prison. He reported that the Volsces with their army have invaded our lands again. They have destroyed what lies in their path.”

“So Audifius marched on us when he knew we are without Coriolanus.” Menenius spoke up. “The man lowered his horns like a bull when the opportunity present. Where was he when Coriolanus was around? He was not seen without a peep from him.”

“Find out more.” Sicinius told the Audile. Another Audile was seen approaching them.

“The Consuls are going to the House; some news is come that turns to their countenance.” The new arrived Audile informed the Consuls. He looked to the other Audile. “The report he brought had been supported by the other. What’s more fearful was that that one named Marcius had joined Audifius. They lead the army against Rome.”

“This is most unlikely.” Sicinius felt the fear welling up his body. Then he felt his left arm pulled from the rear. Before he could react, he was landed onto his back by the punishing blow on the cheek.

“You have made good work.” It was Cominius who had sneaked up and took the blow onto the other Consul. “You just helped the Volsces to invade us. Our ladies; the daughters we helped to birth would be ravished by these Volsces. Would you like see your wives dishonored by them too?”

Sicinius looked away, but Cominius was not finished as yet.

“Your temples burned to their foundation, and your franchise reduced to ashes.”

‘Pray to your Gods. If Marcius…” Menenius pleaded to them.

“If?” Cominius snapped back. “Marcius is their God now. He leads them like one. They will follow him against us brats with no less confidence.”

“Aye! You and your apron men.” Menenius compared them to the staff at those private feasts. “You stood so much with these garlic eaters.”

“He will shake your Rome about your ears.” Cominius cursed at them.

“Is this true?” Brutus awaken up to the new issue, stirred himself up

“Aye, it’s true. You look pale.” Cominius replied. “The regions had smilingly revolt, and who resist are mocked for valiant ignorance, and perish constant fools. Who is can blame him? Your enemies and his find something in him.”

“We are all undone, unless the man had mercy.” Menenius uttered his prayer.

“Who shall ask for it? They won’t do it for fear of shame.” Cominius point to the Consuls appointed among the Commoners. “The people deserved such pity of him as the wolf does of the shepherds; for all his best friends if they should say, be good to Rome; they charged him even as those should do that had deserved his hate.”

“You have brought a trembling upon Rome, such as never was she was incapable of help.” Cominius glared at the two Consuls.

“Say not we bought it.”Sicinius deny his role.

“How! Was we? We loved him but like beasts and cowardly nobles, have way unto your clusters who did the boot of him from the city.” Menenius changed his sides to get closer with Cominius.

“I fear they will roar him in again. Tullus Audifius, the second name of the men, obey his points as if he were his officer. Desperation is all the policy, strength, and defense that Rome can make against them.” Cominius stated the fact. He then saw the trooping of people approaching them.

“Here come the clusters. And is Audifius with him?”

“We hear fearful news.”The leader of the people voiced out. “When I said banish, it was pity.”

The others all echoed the same. They are chummy when the odds are lined against them.

“We consented to the banishment, yet it was against our will.” The leader stated their stand.

“You are goodly things, you voices!” Cominius replied and walked off. 

Coriolanus Act 4.5.3

Scene 4.5.3

Murmurs of the staffs

The dozen of serving staffs convened to their own rooms after the last of the guests have left for their own homes or the adjoining rooms which was made available to the rear of the house. The revelation of the unregistered guest had shaken up the feast mood to that of anger and then appreciation; sarcasm ring in that last word, but it was appreciated that the hero of Rome would be its bane soon. Coriolanus was accorded the main guest with the others holding onto his attention for the rest of the evening. He had retired to the guest rooms with two of the wanton ladies; one a widower and the other with the consent of her lover. Such was the impunity of these people behind closed doors. Well, not all had left but there were two of the staff immersed in the pool. I guessed personal hygiene was never a matter in the general pool.

“Here’s a strange alteration!” The first staff to have seen Coriolanus was then seated in the cold pool to ease his carnal pain.

“By my hand, I had thought to have stricken him and yet my mind gave me his clothes made a false report of him.” The second serving lady immersed to her neck in the water beside the first staff spoke up. She needed the cold water to numb the muscles while she removed the marks of the intrusions. She then recalled the slight altercation with the man.

“What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his thumb, as one would set up a top.” The lady commented on Coriolanus. She then recalled his nudity which was more than a hands hold.

“He had so, looking as it were. Would I be hanged, but I thought there was more in him than I could think.” The man staff had seen Coriolanus too and somehow he felt the attraction too.

“So did I, I will be sworn he is simply the rarest man in the world.” The lady added to the compliment. She then saw the hurt feeling on the man and nudged over to him. She reached out to him under the water while she nibbled at his shoulder.

“I think he is”, the man replied on. “But a greater soldier than was one other.”

“Who, my master?” The lady squeezed him hard to spur the blood flow while she smiled at him.

“It’s no matter now.” The man leaned back to enjoy his ministration by her.

“Worth six on him.” The lady whispered to his ears. He was known to go both ways, and she loved nothing more than to be on the receiving end of another.

“Nay, not so neither”, the man replied. He then changed the subject to Tullus. He admired Tullus every much. “I take him to be a better soldier. One must admire one’s own General than a betraying one.

“For the defense of a town our general is excellent.” The lady replied. She was from Corioli and her home still stand because Tullus had stopped the total destruction of the whole place.

“And for assault.” The man rolled over onto the lady having his own urges stirred up. While he was to assault the gates 

of his conquered adversary when the door to the Main Hall admitted in one of the other male staff.

“Oh Man! I can tell you news; new you rascals.” The newly arrived staff intruded on the duo who had moved apart with their mood deflating by the seconds.

“What? What? Lets’ partake with it.” Both voiced out. The staffs are an inquisitive lot, with ears to the doors and eyes through the narrow slits of the walls; nothing evades them. Gossip made the chores more bearable to hear of their masters’ mis-deeds.

“He was the one who whack our General; Caius Martius.” The second man spoke up.

“Why do you say whack our General? I saw him with the lady nymph and the older bitch?” The lady staff defended her observation. She was in mine that Coriolanus may have more the needs for a woman. She knew Tullus was like her lover; a man with both needs but she stay committed on her view of Coriolanus but here Tullus was master.

“Our master was hard for him directly.” The lady bit her tongue to appear neutral. “To say the truth before Corioli, Tullus had scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.”

Tullus had the winning edge until his downfall at Corioli. Maybe he had called on Coriolanus to reinstate his superiority for the loss of the war. These masters are all power crazy, and ego driven. She had known it before, they had done it to her before; all thrice on her without a care for her.

“More of thy news?” The first man asked. He wanted to know the details if it was seen the subjugation of that hero by his master. He hated Romans and more if they are admired by his women. The third man sat down by the pool edge to relate the tale. The true tale and it was not of sex.

“Ayee! Keep you amorous thoughts to yourself. I speak of the new guest in his new role.” The second man spoke out.”Did you not see how he was made here today as if he was a son of Mars; set at the upper end of the table, no questions asked of him by any of the guests but they paid homage to him. Our General made himself a mistress of him; sanctifies himself with his hands.”

“But the real truth is the General is cut in the middle and one half was what he was yesterday, for the other half on the table for the picking of the guests.” Tullus was no more the hero he was before, but to please his friends and allies, he had laid himself feasts to bribe them to stay as one of his. Or go to war to be that hero he was once before. “Tullus said he will go and sow the porter of Rome gates by the ears; he will mow all of them down before him once again. When they see his crest up again, and the man in blood, they will be of their burrows and revel all with him. He has the means now; Coriolanus.”

“When goes this forward?” The first man asked.

“Tomorrow, today, presently. You shall hear the siren calling for men soon. They have decided and to be executed immediately.”

“Then the peace is nothing but to rust the iron, increase the tailors and breed ballad makers.” The lady laid back into her cold water to ease her pains. “Bollocks!”

“Let me have war, said I; it exceeds peace as far as day and night. It’s sprightly, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible, a gutter of bastard children than war’s a destroyer of men.”

“This so; and as war in some sort may be a ravisher, so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.” The lady muttered her view. “Arse holes to the fore!”

“Aye, it makes men hate one another.” The first man laughed at his cynical remark.

“They then less need one for the other.” The second man added in. He was clearly in favor of one gender. “The war for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volsces.”

“In, in, in….” The lady slump her into the water while she eased herself of her own frustrations. It was obvious these men were more into each other than for her. Self gratification was more welcomed than a cliff hanger frustration. 

Coriolanus Act 4.5.2

Scene 4.5.2

A hero’ welcomes

“Where is this fellow?” Audifius paraded in with the staff who had complained. He was still in his prime as seen by his half naked body with only the top half covered his upper thigh. He reached down to scratch his inner left thigh while he glared at Coriolanus.

“Here, sir. I would have beaten him if he was …” The staff who earlier posed his fighting skills tried to impress his master.

“Where had you come from? What’s thy name?” Audifius asked with his voice slurring from the heavy intoxication. He stumbled in his steps.

“If, Tullus not yet know of me, and seeing me, does not think me for the man I am, necessity commands me name myself.” Coriolanus wanted his identity to be known than to be branded a vagrant.

“Okay, okay, what is thy name?” Tullus spoke up while he straightens his back as if he was back in the army.

“A name unmusical to the Volsces ears.  And harsh in sound to thine.” Coriolanus mocked the other. He wanted to be received with equal respect. That was something he had missed the last months.

“What’s thy name?” Tullus was trying to understand the man. “Thou hast a grim expression, and thy face bears a command in it, thought thy tackle torn from thee. Thou still show a …noble vessel. What’s thy name again?”

“My name is Caius Martius, who had done thee particularly, and to all the Volsces.” Coriolanus spoke out.

“Caius Martius? The Caius Martius? Oh my God!” Tullus shouted out. “You are one crazy son of a bitch. But I liked you. Come with thee.”

Tullus pulled Coriolanus to the Main Hall. Inside the hall, was a large pool filled with people; men and women in state of naked and half naked, either coupling or enjoyed being administered by another. The unique part of it was none of the guests were masked to cover their identities, although the tattoo on their body marked their military affiliation. 

Coriolanus knew of such parties while Rome was one of the advocates of such freedom of acts. It was the Nobles who partake in it although it was kept discrete for fear of ill words spoken to the faithful one at the home. Soon the tradition became more open in participation although the actors veiled themselves with face masks, while both sexes took liberty of the illicit action. No acts of such were ever bound by limitations, where its boundary may expand to the whims of its actors. The pool of participation soon included the paid actors be it servants or stand-in so long as secrecy was maintained on the identities.

Tullus pulled Coriolanus to the pool and leaving the later in the center of the pool while he sat himself on the far side. Men and women were also in the pool obvious to the dirty man in his dirt caked clothing. Caius felt out of place and chooses to remove his clothes to be one with them while Tullus spoke.

“Men, this man said he is Caius Martius. Have any of you recalled him?” Tullus asked. No one responded although some did try to pay attention to the stripping man. Coriolanus stood there nude with the pool water reaching his knees. He was getting upset that none of those bastards he have them beaten before could not identify him. He however recognized some faces; old adversaries who ran with the tails between their legs, now laid there exposed to compare against his own.

“Great hurt and mischief, witness you all, my surname, Coriolanus.” That last mentioned of his name caught some more attention. There were some murmurs but most of them there were in the drunk with their glazed eyes. “The painful service, the extreme dangers, and the drops of my bloodshed for my thankless country, are paid in full. In some places, the blood flowed over the rim of the bowl.”

Coriolanus glared at the Volsces there. He recalled the battles and then the banishment. The same Romans he had fought for with his life had banished him. He sighed back in his tone.

“That with that surname, only that name remains. Coriolanus….”

“The cruelty and envy of the people permitted by our dastardly Nobles, who have forsook me, having devoured all of me.”Coriolanus raised up his arms. “Suffered me by the voices of the slaves to be whooped out of Rome.”

Some of the sobering guests muttered the name in their lips and then their eyes beamed up.

“Now, this extremity half brought me to thy hearth: not of hope; mistake me not of it, to save my life; for if I feared death, I would have avoided all of men. In mere spite, to be fully quit of those my banishers, I stand before thee. If thou has a heart of wreck in thee, that will revenge thine own wrongs done on you and stop those maims of shame seen through by my country, speed thee straight and my misery serve thy turn. Use it that my revengeful services may prove as benefits to thee, for I will fight against my cankered country with the spleen of all the fiends.”

Coriolanus stood there in the pool and looked to those who were once his foes. Some more had stopped their stupor of drinking and stared at him. Suddenly one of them picked up the goblet of wine and threw at Coriolanus.

“Kill the bastard! He once waged war on us.” The man who threw charged at Coriolanus. The later threw a punch at the charging man but they both went down into the water. Soon more men jumped in and wrestled Coriolanus to drown him.

“Stop, you fool. He is my friend.” The voice belonged to Tullus who pulled away the vicious men off Coriolanus. “He had come to serve us, not kill us. Why must be …like whom he was before.”

“He’s Caius Martius, the one who defeated us.” One of the other attackers shouted.

“True, but heed thy words. He had defeated you. He had beaten us all. But here now, he had offered to serve us. Whom do you think would do a better task than one who had done it well before on us?” Tullus pulled up the half drowned hero of his enemy.

“Oh, Marcius. Each word thou hast spoken hath weeded from my heart a root of ancient envy.” Tullus dragged the later to the side of the pool. If Jupiter should from yonder speak divine things, and say it’s true, I will not believe them more than thee, all noble Marcius.”

“Have thee gone mad, Tullus?” A fellow man in the pool asked. “He’s Caius Marcius.”

“Aye, he is.” Tullus replied. He reached down to cradle Coriolanus onto his lap. “Let me twine my arms about that body, where against the grained ash and hundred times broken. I clip the anger of my dagger and do contest as hotly and nobly with this love.”

“Ah, give him to me. I would show him the anger of my daggers up his love butt.” One other shouted out and was cheered by the others.

“Know thou first, I loved the maid I married;  never man sighed truer breath; but that I see him here, more dances to my heart than when I first wedded mistress saw besides my threshold. I have dream of encounters between us, we have been drawn together in sleep, unbuckling the barrier in between, and fisting each other throats to wake up half dead with nothing.”

“Aye, I have the fisting thee need now.” Another one who had seen to take on more drinks showed his earlier drunken approach but Tullus ignored him. He sighed to himself, those fools sees no admiration for Coriolanus like he did. They were foes, but within them, they were in love and hate. He had found no one could equal that in him; not even his first bride which he was so much in love. With her, it was infatuation and so named love but with Coriolanus, they were like a spirited pair made by the Gods but separated by physical means to battle before this.

“You bless me, Sir.” Coriolanus had regained his consciousness and heard the pledge of his previous foe. He shared then the bonding of the other like when he was with his own men. They have only themselves to bond during the long war, and honor forbidden them to consummate with the enemies wives. It was a sworn honor never to dethrone their wives rank, but there were other equal avenues to release the tension.

“Most absolute, Sir. If thy love to me is real, then shared my commission to set down thy best art experienced by the years. See to the defenses and offensives that we are to undertake to knock on Rome’s gates or rudely fight them here to destroy.” Tullus saw then the opportunity to use what was Rome to undo the Romans at their best. “Staff, have my friend here fed and above all, be entertained as a guest.”

Tullus looked to the ones who were still standing there.

“Do I need to command you or would you move on your own? Caius is my guest as all of you are. Whatever you may partake, he may do so. I am sure beneath all that dirt, he had loads to share.” Tullus spoke out.  He then turned to the serving staff. “Bring on more wines, and food. We have a new reason to celebrate. A thousand welcome, Caius. More than a friend now than an enemy once before.”

Coriolanus Act 4.5.1

Scene 4.5.1

A house in Antium

If the interior of the house was to said, it make the exterior a pale comparison to the interior. The walls inside the house were in white in shades, with its decorated walls of flowery design, and the mahogany furniture that lined the walls. There were three doorways; the left to the buttery, the right to the library, and the center to the main hall where the entertainments was held. It was the home of an ex-General who had one too many friends seeking his acquaintance or assistance. Tullus Audifius may have been a General of a defeated army, but he still held an influential position among the Elders and leaders. That evening he was entertaining some old soldiers, and with them the barrel of wine must be bottomless so were the attendees.

The silence of the front hall was shattered by the arrival of the serving staff from the center doorway; a young slim man with well defined anatomy lines to his apron covering his nudity and the metal tray was his other decent cover. He was devoid of hairs from head to toe; probably the wax may have still remained in some clefts.

“Wine, wine, wine! What service is there?” The staff walked and did a right turn to the buttery to get more of it. He did have a rounded butt. When the first was gone, another pranced in from the earlier doorway. It was lady serving staff then, dressed like the man. She was young, nubile in the shape but retained her hair on the head. She paused in her steps while she massaged her bosom. She muttered to herself on the rough treatment by those lecherous patrons; men and women. If not for her master, she would have fisted them up to her elbow on them. She then reached to her back and pinched the cheeks to ease the pain there.

“Cotus? Where’s Cotus? My master calls for him.” The lady staff muttered. “More like coitus to me.”

“Bah!” The lady staff resigned to her woes, and turned to go back by the door she came from. It was then Coriolanus walked in by the front door. It was also then the man staff having retrieved the wine barrel. He held the small barrel covering his chest. He saw Coriolanus and eyed him from heel to head. He frown his expression on seeing the vagrant in the hall.

“A goodly house. The feast smells well, but I”, Coriolanus looked to his dirt covered clothes, and unkempt hair. “Appear not like a guest.”

“Here’s no place for you.” The staff twitched his nose and motioned to the doorway to outside. “Pray leave now.”

The staff felt out of place with his nudity and chose to ignore Coriolanus. He scrambled back to the Main Hall. Coriolanus stood there undecided when another lady staff walked back in with an empty tray.

“Gracious, who are you? Has the porter give to such companions? Pray get you out.” The new lady staff cringed in her body on the sight of Coriolanus. He looked so dirty and unworthy of her attention. “Shoo!”

“Away?” Coriolanus reacted to the denial by the servant. He was a Noble and such conduct was unheard of.

“Go away!” The servant repeated her words. She held the tray she was holding to shield her nudity as if she was ashamed to be seen by him.

“Now you are troublesome.” Coriolanus approached the serving staff which made her stepped back.

“Are you so brave?” The serving staff placed the tray to the ground and held out her arms towards Coriolanus. “I am telling you I am well versed in the arts of fighting. I will have you talking to the Gods soon.”

The serving lady lashed out with a finger jab towards Coriolanus throat, but he had seen that move. He grabbed her tiny hand with his right hand and pulled it to the side before he used his left palm to push her back.

“Ouch!” The lady staff went sprawling down and it was then the main door opened and out came three more serving men staffs. They were all dressed like the others.

“What fellow is him?”

“A stranger. I cannot get him out of the house.” The lady staff explained. “I was to show him my skills but he….”

“Let me stand here. I will not hurt you.” Coriolanus voiced out. “I am a gentleman. A ….”

Coriolanus bit on his tongue that was to say Nobles.

“Call the master. He will now what to do.” One of the men staff said and then went off to fetch the master.