Coriolanus Act 5.3.2

Scene 5.3.2

A mother’s plea

Coriolanus family members were dressed in dark shades more familiar with mourning. They looked emancipated form their slump shoulders, but the older lady still walked with her back straight. They were unescorted by any men for they were left at the perimeter and only the family members allowed in. Volumnia stepped up and greeted her son.

“We came with some guards hired by Cominius; they were Volsces Mercenaries loyalty was bought by gold, but their dedication to the task was commendable. They had fought Romans and their own to ensure our safe passage. They had knowledge of your location and brought us here.” Volumnia explained. “Even among Volsces are some who are still faithful to their causes unlike one Roman I knew.”

Coriolanus was to reply when he saw his son stepped forth holding the hologram player. The young boy was dressed in a dark suit reserved for funerals. He had turned on the player and the image of Coriolanus appeared dressed in his Roman uniform.

“My father who was …”The young boy looked back to his mother at his rear and then continued. “Loyal to Rome have died. In his place, stands the betrayal of Rome who now held his name Coriolanus.”

“I…” Coriolanus was upset at the words spoken by his son. “I am …”

“The sorrows that deliver us thus changed makes us think so.” Virgilia spoke out. “We had thought you dead, Caius.”

Coriolanus slumped back in his seat. He laid his head onto his hands and then he rose up. He walked to his wife and looked at her.

“These eyes are the same I wore in Rome.” Coriolanus lowered his head before shaking it. “Like a dull actor, I have forgotten my line.”

Coriolanus hugged his wife and son before he whispered to her.

“Best of my life, forgive my tyranny, but do not asked me to forgive the Rome. Long as my exile, that is how sweet will be my revenge.” Coriolanus told her. “I carried thee, dear, and my true lip hath virgined it ever since. You Gods! I prate, and the most noble mother of the world leave un-saluted. I sink my knees in his earth.”

Coriolanus sank to his knees before his wife and son. He had found his longing for their company very much. His mother saw his ignorance of her and could not accept it. He was her son. Her son was embarrassing her in front of these strangers.

“Oh, stand up.” Volumnia told him before she knelt down. “Whilst no cushion that the flint I knell before thee, it pained my heart more to do this.”

Coriolanus immediately stood up and reached for his mother.

“Your knees to me? To your only son?” Coriolanus pulled his mother up. “I beseech you, peace! If you ask, remember this before; the things I have forsworn to grant may never be held by your denials. Do not bid me to dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate again with Rome’ mechanics…..”

“Oh, no more.” Volumnia shook her head. “You have said you will not grant us anything; for we have nothing else to ask but that which you deny already. Yet we will ask that again, if you fail in our request, the blame may hang upon your hardness, therefore hear us out.”  

Coriolanus sighed, and then he looked to his Volsces allies.

“Audifius, and all of you from Volsces, mark for we will hear nought from Rome in private.” Coriolanus moved back to his seat and then spoke. “Your request?”

Volumnia stepped ahead to cover her own daughter in law and grandson. She does not want to him grovel before them again’; never will she allowed her son to beg except to her.

“Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment and state of bodies speaks wholly for us.” Volumnia glared at her son. She blamed him for their predicament. The other Nobles had barred them from the social circles. That was unacceptable to Volumnia who needed that attention. “We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself how more unfortunate than all living woman. Are we come hither; since that thy sight, which should make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts, constrains them weep and shake with fear and sorrow, making the mother, wife and child, to see the son, the husband and the father, tearing his country’ bowels out.”

Volumnia glared to the others. She wished to blame them all for her son’s behavior but in her heart she knew it was her fault who made what her son was that day. He was her pride too; a shadow of herself inside him.

 “Thou barred us our prayers to the Gods, which is a comfort that all but we enjoy. For how can we for our country pray, whereto we are bound, together with thy victory, whereto we are bound? We must lose the country, our comfort in the country. We must find an evident calamity which side should win; for either thou must as a foreign recreant be led with manacles through the streets, or else triumphantly tread on thy country’ ruin, and bear the palm for having shed thy wife and children’s blood. For myself, son…”

“I purpose not to wait on fortune till these wars determine if I cannot persuade thee rather to seek a noble grace to both parts than seek the end of one, thou shall no sooner march to assault thy country than to tread on thy mother’s womb, that brought thee to this world.” Volumnia spoke her mind on the purpose of her visit.

“I shall not tread on me. I will run away till I am bigger but then I will fight.” The young boy shouted from the side of his grandmother. Volumnia held her grandson while the father of the child was shocked by the outburst.

“How … No, my son, my only …son.” Coriolanus looked to his son. “You are too young to understand. I am your father.”

“You are Coriolanus the enemy of Rome. I am Caius Marcius, Junior; son of Caius Marcius. My father died in Rome.” Junior replied back and then looked to his grandmother for assurance. She nodded to the child before she looked to the leader of the Volsces.

“Junior had been the subject of taunts and ridicule by his friends. He had come home crying and found not his father. Your wife and me have been subjected to verbal abuse and discrimination by both Nobles and Commoners. Your action had weighed on us with great burden, and yet we come to seek you. Me, your wife and your son. And we brought your image to you. We came to plea to Caius Marcius, son of mine.”

The grandmother was not stopping there.

“If it that our request did tend to save the Romans, thereby destroy the Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us, as poisonous of your honor.” The older lady looked to her son and then the Volsces. “Our suit reconciled them, the Volsces and Romans give the al-hail to thee, and cry ‘be blessed for making up this peace’. Thou should know the end of the war’ uncertain; but in this certain that if thou conquer Rome, the benefit which thou shall there by reap is such a name whose repetition will be dogged with curses; whose chronicle thus writ: ‘this man was noble, but with his last attempt he wiped it out, destroyed his country, and his name remains to the ensuing age abhorred’.”

The mother of the leader was getting agitated that her son was looking to his family. That was to her an insult to ignore her given rank in the family. She raised her voice at him.

“Speak to me, son; that has affected the fine strains of honor, to imitate the graces of the gods; thou ought to give an oak as a sign of peace. Why dost not speak?” The older lady was getting exasperated at the silent man who was her son. She turned to her daughter in law.

“It’s honorable for a noble man still to remember wrongs? Daughter, speak you; he cares not for your weeping.” Volumnia looked to her grandson who still stood by her. “Perhaps his childishness will move him more than can our reasons. But none of our words had gone through.”