Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same years he wrote Antony and Cleopatra, making them his last two tragedies.
Coriolanus is the name given to a Roman general after his military feats against the Volscians at Corioli. Following his success he seeks to be consul, but his disdain for the plebeians and the mutual hostility of the tribunes lead to his banishment from Rome. In exile, he presents himself to the Volscians, then leads them against Rome. After he relents and agrees to a peace with Rome, he is killed by his previous Volscian allies.
Synopsis:
The play opens amid furious food riots: the citizens cry that the nobles are hoarding grain and they especially blame Caius Martius (later Coriolanus) . Menenius, a kindly patrician, calms them, but is joined by Martius, who disdains the people, and enflames their anger. He scorns the new tribunes, especially Sicinius and Junius, established to speak for the citizens.
A message arrives: the old enemy of the Romans, the Volscians, commanded by Aufidius are about to attack Rome. This distracts from the food riot as citizens join the war.
Martius leads the army under the high command of Cominius. Martius' mother Volumnia incites her warlike son.
At Corioli Martius battles his Volscian nemesis Aufidius and wins victory and glory. Cominius honours him with the name "Coriolanus".
In his triumph Volumnia urges him to seek the elected office of Consul. Coriolanus grudgingly wins the votes of the people.
The two tribunes soon scheme to undo his election, and pit the testy Coriolanus against the people. He is at last deemed a traitor and run out of Rome, on pain of death.
A banished man, he wanders the world, and at last meets Aufidius. Together they plot their vengeance on Rome. Coriolanus soon outshines Aufidius in defeating the Romans.
All Rome pleads with Coriolanus to spare the city. He only relents when his mother, wife, and son beg mercy.
Aufidius denounces him as a traitor to the Volscians for forsaking their victory. Aufidius and Coriolanus have their final battle.
The Play:
Director: Charles Bouchard
Cast: Graham Vincent, Coriolanus; James Drew, Menenius; Peter Wilding, Cominius; Francis Chapman, Titus Lartius; Edward Prescott, Tullus Aufidius; Sara Hammerton, Sicinius; Lila Victoire, Junius; Marianne Farrar-Hockley, Volumnia; Vo Minh Thuy, Virgilia; Mathias de Poorter, Roman Senator; Heli Parna, Citizen; Sarah Janss, Citizen, Valeria; Diana Campillo, Citizen-also programme;Tibor Radvanyi, Volscian Senator-also photography;Tracie Ryan, Volscian Senator-also make-up and hair; Sven Delariviere, Volscian Lord, Aedile-also graphics; Sebastian D'Oyen-Gobert, Messenger, Citizen; Paul Gommert, Messenger, Citizen; Paddy Prono, Volscian Lord, Citizen; Lari Luotenen, Aufidius Lieutenant.
Crew: Stephen Challens, Producer, Stage Manager; Carlos Cassoran, Stage Manager; Andy Williams, Lighting; Andrew Budds, Sound; David Challens, Associate Stage Manager; Stephen Sadler, Box Office; Hilda Juhasz, Charlie White, Bar; Front of House, Boff Muir. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Alan Charlton. COSTUMES: Mary Wiklander-Williams. Video recording & editing: Benoît Matthys & Pierre-Edouard Jasmin.
The Film:
2011, USA,UK, Drama , Thriller, War
Director: Ralph Fiennes
Stars: Ralph fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox
Writer: William Shakespeare, John Logon
My Personal Comments:
Hail Brutus! Because he was a libertarian rather than a leader or a fascist dictator, curse the leaders, curse the generals, curse authority, rage for orders, curse the politicians, curse the gods, curse the elite, curse the dragons, curse the religions, curse the serpents, curse militarism, curse dictatorships, curse secret societies, curse the masons, curse capital, eat the rich.
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