The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (788 page)

I mean to stride your steed; and at all times

try to live up to the name you’ve given me

To undercrest your good addition

to the best of my abilities.

To the fairness of my power.

COMINIUS.

So, I’m off to my tent,

So, to our tent;

but before I go to sleep, I will write

Where, ere we do repose us, we will write

to Rome and tell them of our success. Titus Lartius,

To Rome of our success.--You, Titus Lartius,

you must go back to Corioles and send

Must to Corioli back: send us to Rome

the leading men to Rome so that we can work out a peace treaty

The best, with whom we may articulate

for their own good and ours.

For their own good and ours.

LARTIUS.

I will, sir.

I shall, my lord.

CORIOLANUS.

The gods are mocking me. Though I just refused  

The gods begin to mock me. I, that now

your generous gifts, I now have to beg you

Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg  

for something else.

Of my lord general.

COMINIUS.

Take it, it’s yours. What is it?

Take't: 'tis yours.--What is't?

CORIOLANUS.

I used to stay sometimes in Corioles

I sometime lay here in Corioli

at a poor man’s house. He treated me kindly.

At a poor man's house; he used me kindly:

He called to me during the battle, and I saw he was a prisoner of war,

He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;

but just then I saw Aufidius,

But then Aufidius was within my view,

and my hatred for Aufidius overwhelmed my pity for my friend. I’m asking you

And wrath o'erwhelmed my pity: I request you

to let my poor friend go.

To give my poor host freedom.

COMINIUS.

Well said!

O, well begg'd!

Even if had killed my son,

Were he the butcher of my son, he should

I would let him be free. Bring him here, Titus.

Be free as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus.

LARTIUS.

Marcius, what is his name?

Marcius, his name?

CORIOLANUS.

My God, I forgot.

By Jupiter, forgot:--

I’m tired, my memory is tired.

I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd.--

Do we have any wine?

Have we no wine here?

COMINIUS.

Let’s go to our tent.

Go we to our tent:

The blood on your face is drying. It’s time

The blood upon your visage dries; 'tis time

for it to be treated. Come.

It should be look'd to: come.

[Exeunt.]

[A flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, bloody, with two or

three soldiers.]

AUFIDIUS.

The town has been taken.

The town is ta'en.

FIRST SOLDIER.

The Romans will give it back during the peace negotiations.

'Twill be delivered back on good condition.

AUFIDIUS.

Negotiation!

Condition!

I wish I were a Roman, because I

I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,

can’t keep living as a Volscian.

Being a Volsce, be that I am.--Condition?

What good can the loser of a war expect

What good condition can a treaty find

from the peace treaty? Marcius, I’ve fought

I' the part that is at mercy?--Five times, Marcius,

with you five time, and you’ve beat me every time,

I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me;

and you would do so, I think, even if we fought each other

And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter

every day. By God,

As often as we eat.--By the elements,

if I ever meet again face to face,

If e'er again I meet him beard to beard,

one of us is going to die. My admiration of him

He's mine or I am his: mine emulation

isn’t as honorable as it once was—I used to want to

Hath not that honour in't it had; for where

beat him in a fair fight,

I thought to crush him in an equal force,--

my sword against his—but now I’ll poke him anyway I can.

True sword to sword,--I'll potch at him some way,

Either my hatred or my dirty tricks will get him in the end.

Or wrath or craft may get him.  

FIRST SOLDIER.

He’s the devil.

He's the devil.

AUFIDIUS.

He’s bolder than the devil, but not as smart. My bravery’s been tainted

Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour's poisoned

because I he keeps hurting me. That bad side of it is going

With only suffering stain by him; for him

to come out for him. I won’t stop hating Marcius for any of the following reasons:

Shall fly out of itself: nor sleep nor sanctuary,

his being asleep, or in a place where I’m not allowed to kill him [like a temple or church],

Being naked, sick; nor fane nor Capitol,

or being unarmed, or in a temple;

The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice,

if a priests is begging me not to, if it’s a holiday;

Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up

all of which are good reasons

Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst

to stop trying to kill somebody. I’m going to kill him even if I find him

My hate to Marcius: where I find him, were it

at my own home, being protected by my brother,

At home, upon my brother's guard, even there,

even though it would be inhospitable,

Against the hospitable canon, would I

I will wash my hands in his blood. Go back to Corioles,

Wash my fierce hand in's heart. Go you to the city;

and find out how the Romans are defending it, and who

Learn how 'tis held; and what they are that must

is being held prisoner by them.

Be hostages for Rome.

FIRST SOLDIER.

Won’t you go?

Will not you go?

AUFIDIUS.

They are waiting for at the cypress grove.

I am attended at the cypress grove: I pray you,--

It’s south of town. Go there after Corioles and give me

'Tis south the city mills,--bring me word thither

the news,

How the world goes, that to the pace of it

so I will now how fast I need to be.

I may spur on my journey.

FIRST SOLDIER.

I will, sir.

I shall, sir.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter MENENIUS, SICINIUS, and BRUTUS.]

MENENIUS.

The fortune teller says we will have news tonight.

The augurer tells me we shall have news tonight.

BRUTUS.

Good or bad?

Good or bad?

MENENIUS.

Not good from the perspective of the common people, because they hate

Not according to the prayer of the people, for they love not

Marcius.

Marcius.

SICINIUS.

Animals (like those fools) know what’s good for them.

Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

MENENIUS.

Tell me, what do wolves love?

Pray you, who does the wolf love?

SICINIUS.

Lamb.

The lamb.

MENENIUS.

Yes, wolves like to eat lambs, which is what the poor people want to do to

Ay, to devour him, as the hungry plebeians would the noble

Marcius.

Marcius.

BRUTUS.

Yeah, sure, Marcius is a lamb that baas like a bear.

He's a lamb indeed, that baas like a bear.

MENENIUS.

Yeah, sure, he’s a bear that acts like a lamb. You two are old men.

He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two are old men:

Tell me something.

tell me one thing that I shall ask you.

BOTH TRIBUNES.

What is it?

Well, sir.

MENENIUS.

What faults does Marcius have that you two

In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two have not

don’t have, too?

in abundance?

BRUTUS.

It’s not that he has a fault, but that he has all the faults.

He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all.  

SICINIUS.