Coriolanus Act 3.1

Act 3

Scene 3.1.1

A street in the City

The Senate had called for an early end to their session for drinks at the cafes at the market place. They do serve the better drinks although their antiquated décor needed refitting, but who cares when you are indulging in a drink with your friends. With their numbers, they would probably monopolize the seats and bordered the Commoners to the outside window sills. Their walk to the cafes was halted by the arrival of the messenger. The messenger was dressed in the battle fatigues and saluted the General before he passed the vid-message. Cominius later sighed on reading the message. He passed the message around and soon it reached Coriolanus. He read it and laughed.

“Tullus Audifius had made new head?” Coriolanus threw the vid-message onto the ground.

“He had, my friend.” Lartius smiled. He was looking forward to a new war where he could gain more recognition and maybe be made Consul too.

“When the Volsces stand but when time shall prompt them, they will make road upon us again.” Coriolanus was ever wary of the Volsces.

“They are worn.” Cominius sounded weary himself.  He was at the pinnacle of his rank, and was looking for a quiet retirement. “We shall hardly see their waves of the flag.”

“Did you meet Audifius?” Coriolanus asked Lartius. The later was the last one to mop the remnants at Corioli.

“He came to me. He cursed the Volsces for giving up on the city. He then moved to Antium.”

“Did he ask of me?” Coriolanus asked.

“He did. He also spoke of your battle with him. That of all things upon the earth he hated you.”

“At Antium did he live?” Coriolanus asked. “I wish I had a cause to seek him there.”

Coriolanus was keen to do battle again; the last ended with a truce and wounded to seek the man he hated. At his glance, he saw the approach of the two tribunes with the Commoners in tow. Bah, his thoughts to himself, the curs have arrived to exert more on him. He turned to whisper to Lartius.

“Behold, there are the tribunes of the Commoners, the tongue of theirs. I do despise them; or for they do prank in authority against all noble sufferance.”

“Pass no further.” Sicinius held out his arms to block Coriolanus. Brutus by his side spoke of danger to proceed further.

“What made this change?” Coriolanus grew irate at the halt. He held the thought that the halt was him, and not the entourage of Consuls. Menenius shared his thoughts and asked why.

“Hath he not passed the Noble and Commoners?” Cominius demanded in this army command tone. He was defiant with his voice to demand a reply.

“No. Brutus replied for he disliked the old dish in the uniform. He was never in the army and viewed them as a bunch of arrogant misfits allowed to hold a weapon.

“Have I had children’s voices?” Coriolanus passed the snide remark liking them to children who sway on slightest thoughts. He pushed his way forth to walk but was held back again.

“Let him through.” One of the Consuls shouted out.

 “Stop! Or all will broil.” Sicinius called out. His Commoners upbringing have named such terms that they feel comfort to use in replacement of the good words. A broil was a term they had picked from the kitchen to denote a mess up of bodies aka a fist fight where some might end up with a few tear in their flesh. It was more comforting to them than to say the good words lest it really become one.

“The Commoners are incensed with him.” Brutus spoke more plainly.

“Are these your herds?” Coriolanus pointed to the assembled Commoners who stood a distance before them. His selection of the word ‘herd’ denoted his likeness of the Commoners to the domesticated creatures bred only to be slaughtered.

“They must have voices that can speak now. Ask them to disclaim their earlier voices?” Coriolanus shouted to them. He looked to Sicinius. “You being their mouths, why rule not their teeth? Have you not set them on yet?”

Coriolanus taunt the tribunes of their toothless influence on their own. Menenius called for calm on all sides. He was ever the diplomat until he sees the need to set his fangs on them.

“It’s a purposed thing and grows by plot to curb the will of the nobility.” Coriolanus expressed his feelings then. 

“Suffered it and live with such as cannot rule, not ever will be ruled.”

“Call it not a plot: The people cry you mocked them; and of late, when the grain was given them gratis, you repined, scandalized the issue for the Commoners; called us time pleasers, flatterers, foes to the nobleness.” Brutus defended the Commoners right to be heard.

“This was known before.” Coriolanus re-instated on his feelings.

“Not to them all.” Brutus convened back his support for the Commoners.

“You like do such business.” Coriolanus looked to Brutus like a lapping cur.

“Never alike but the way to better yours.” Brutus hit back.

“Why then shall I be Consul? Let me deserve ill as you are, and made me your fellow tribune.” Coriolanus mocked the other. Be with the devil than fight the devil was his reasoning then; a claim he was later to accept and caused his downfall.

“You shown too much of that which the people stir: if you will pass to where you are bound, you must inquire your way, which you are out of, with a gentler spirit, or never be so noble as a consul, nor yield him for tribunes.” Sicinius spoke of wisdom to the hero, for he was to change for better than to continue on with his arrogance.

“Tell me of the grain! This was my earlier speech, and I will speak it again.” Coriolanus led on to the subject matter again that led him to here. Menenius sighted the timing and place was not appropriate.

“Not in this heat, sir, now.”

“Now, as I live, I will.” Coriolanus demanded. He turned to the Consuls. “My Noble friends, I crave their pardons.”

Coriolanus tone was cynical, and he continued.

“For the mutable, rank scented meanness,” Coriolanus twitched his nose. “Let them regard me as I do not flatter, and therein behold themselves. I say again, in soothing them, we nourish against our Senate their cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, which we ourselves have ploughed for, sowed and scattered, by mingling them with us, the honored members, who lack not virtue nor power, but that which we reserved for beggars.”

“No more” Menenius beseech to Coriolanus while his eyes sneaked views of the Commoners who may had heard those words.

“How!” Coriolanus raised his voice. “No more! For my country, I have shed my blood, not fearing the outward force, so shall my lungs coined words till they decay against those measles.”

“You speak of the Commoners, as if you were a God to punish; not a man of their infirmity.” Brutus replied louder.

“It’s well we let the people’s know it.” Sicinius sniggered.

“What? It’s his personal view.” Menenius was getting agitated on the loss of his control on the situation. In his mind, they are all fools to debate on the street with no protection on the Senate immunity.

“It’s his personal view that shall remain a poison where it’s.” Sicinius replied.

“It shall remain. Hear you this Triton of the minnows, mark my absolute ‘shall’? You grave and reckless Consuls, have you thus given Hydra here to choose an officer that with his preemptory ‘shall’ make your current into a ditch, and your channel his.” Coriolanus glared at the tribunes who supposedly stood for the Commoners; they whom are the scrapper of the Senate. “If he holds the power, then vain your ignorance, if none woke yourself. If you are learned, be not as common fools; if you are not let them have cushions for you.” Coriolanus mocked them of the capital punishment on their seats. 

“They are Commoners, if they be Consuls, and shared their voices with yours, the view will be theirs. They choose their magistrates; and such as one as he who puts his ‘shall’ before him.”

“Well, well, no more of that.” Menenius was trying hard to control the situation.

“Through the people had more absolute power, I will say they will nourish disobedience, fed to the ruins of the state.” Coriolanus expressed his contempt of such Tribunes.

“Why shall the people give one that spoke thus their voice?” Brutus laid down the new bait for Coriolanus to bite. He took it like his wartime action; blind rush without thinking at times.

“I give you my reasons, much worthier than their voices. They know the grains was not ours to give, rest assured they never did service for it. They ignore the call to serve when the state asked for it.” Coriolanus looked to the Commoners of which some shrink from serving when called, and more stern actions was needed to get them in. “Their action would not justify the grains gratis. Their accusations which they often make against the Senate, all their causes unborn. Soon, they will flood the Senate, and bring in the crows to peck the eagles.”

“Enough!” Brutus shouted out but Coriolanus was not to be silenced but before he was to do so, Sicinius had intervened.

“He spoken like a traitor and shall answer as traitors do.”

“Wretch!’ But Sicinius had saw it to call the Audiles; they who are responsible for the security of the Senate. There were in escort of the Consuls in public.

“Hands off.” Cominius held back the Audiles but Sicinius was not giving up that easily. He called out for help from the Commoners.