Coriolanus Act 1 Scene 1.1.2

Scene 1.1.2

Menenius Agippa

“Worthy Menenius Agippa”, The Service Personnel sighed in relief. He had one other to taunt on when he found the nurse was not withstanding with any fresh directions to taunt the hero.

Menenius Agippa was a member of the Senate. He was born a Noble and like most of his peer, he went to military academy. He was appointed an officer with the rank of Captain, and given his own command. Soon after he joined, he was sent off to battle for Rome. He fought victoriously over the earlier raid on the Sabine’s and arrived home with decorations. He was presumed a hero like many of his peers of nobility, and then made to join the ranks of the Consuls. He started off as an assistant Consul, but with his fame, he soon got promoted to the Senate House as a full Consul. Despite his nobility, he found himself speaking well of the Commoners and Nobles; a skill he learned as an officer having to deal with both daily. It was a ploy of his to make his appearance more obvious to both although his articulate skills of manipulating the subject made him both a hero and enemy in the Senate House at times.

“He’s one honest enough; would all the rest were so.” Menenius Agippa fame to fight for the Commoner was known to them. It was no mean feat but with well placed vid of his articulate argument in the Senate, he won their hearts towards him. Those vids were censored or edited for the mass with morphing to highlight the issues. Menenius did not survive the battles in the Senate House by being brash for over ten years he had worked his charms on the issues and withdrew strategically when needed. Such was the quality of this Noble that the Commoner could never perceive to understand.

The Consul stepped forth and looked to them. He breathed in with a deep pull on the putrid air from the city filtration system there. The city of Rome was serviced such air although the maintenance of such system was by its people, with differing schedule and that one at the public place was long overdue. It with that reason, the feed for the Commoner had to be rationed lest the Noble starved from the limited supply; everything was tight supply because of the war. It was not a popular decision, but it made up well for his walk there after a heavy breakfast.

“What works, my countrymen, in hand? Where do you with the bats and clubs?” The Commoners there were armed with the crude tools, although the military and enforcement had upgraded to laser blasters and cannons. It was a ruling that the Commoners could not carry weapons for the Noble has feared a revolt like that.

“Speak, I pray you.” Menenius pleaded to his voters as if they were his children. He had pacified them before and he would do that again. They are easy to convince then those idiots in the Senate House. Those are recalcitrant in their views most times.

“Our business is not unknown to the Senate; they have inkling this fortnight what we intend to do, which now we’ll show them in deeds. They say the Commoners are many in numbers; they shall know we have strong arms too.” The nurse rebuked the Consul.

“Why, masters,” Menenius selected his words well. He addressed them as masters to give them hope. False hope to be exact was what he was bestowing to them. “My good friends, mine honest neighbors, will you undo yourselves.”

“We cannot, Sir. We are undone already.” The nurse replied and lowered her face. She felt ashamed for her hunger.

“I tell you, friends.” Menenius looked to the faces before him. “Most charitable cares. Have the patricians of you. For your wants; you’re suffering in this …”

“Crisis.” Menenius paused in his words to look to the high walls that protected all of Rome. Yes, we were technologically advanced but within us, we failed to feed the ones that build it. “Strike thee at the heavens and the Gods that look down at you.”

“It’s not the Romans who did this. Not us the Senate.” Menenius threaded out to check their reaction. He was moving the blame to the Gods. The war and the weather with the limited workers; some had been sent to fight the war were the cause of the shortage of wheat and hence the increase in price. “Your knees will help and not your arms. We, the Senate cared for you. We had taken care of you and yet you slander us with the curses.”

“The Senate is like your fathers.” Menenius bit his tongue for his slip of the vocabulary; he wanted to say guardian but he corrected himself fast. “Yet you curse them as enemies.”

“Care for us!” The nurse cried out in disgust. “True, indeed! The Senate never cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their stores crammed with grains. Your numbers made edicts for usury to support yourselves; repeal any against the Noble, and provide more piercing statutes to chain up and restrain the Commoners. If the invasion does not eat us up, the Noble will. That’s all their kind of love for us.”

“Either you must confess yourself wondrous malicious,” Menenius tried to add humor as if he was a priest hearing a confession before God. He mocked his role with his smile. “Or be accused of folly. I shall tell you it was an astounding tale.”

Menenius played to the assembled on their fear of the Gods. Then he continued on like a Consul.

“Your tale served its purpose. I will voice it in the Senate.” Menenius looked to the Commoners. They needed a voice and he was grabbing the attention then.

“I hear it, Sir.” The nurse spat out her words. “You must not think to feed on our disgrace with a tale but do it with deliverance.”

Menenius smiled at their simple minds and then shook his head. He hoped the Gods will offer him an answer which he had none. Then he saw the sow led by the old man; oddities for a pet in the city, but these were Commoners.