The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (791 page)

SICINIUS.

Fortunately, he can’t bring his honors

He cannot temp'rately transport his honours

with him into the future. By the time of the election for consul

From where he should begin and end; but will

he will have lost this good-will.

Lose those he hath won.

BRUTUS.

We can take comfort in that, at least.

In that there's comfort.

SICINIUS.

Don’t doubt that the common people, who we represent,

Doubt not the commoners, for whom we stand,

will gladly forget these new honors,

But they, upon their ancient malice will forget,

on account of the old hatred they have for Coriolanus.

With the least cause these his new honours; which

I don’t doubt that be will give them a new reason to hate him,

That he will give them make as little question

any more than that he will be proud to have earned their hatred.

As he is proud to do't.

BRUTUS.

I heard him swear,

I heard him swear,

that if he were to run for the consulship, he would never

Were he to stand for consul, never would he

campaign in the market-place, and nor would he

Appear i' the market-place, nor on him put

ever pretend to be humble.

The napless vesture of humility;

Nor would he show his battle scars

Nor, showing, as the manner is, his wounds

to the people, as a way to beg for their support.

To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

SICINIUS.

That’s right.

'Tis right.

BRUTUS.

That’s what he promised. He would rather lose the consulship

It was his word: O, he would miss it rather

than win it by any means but by the support of the rich

Than carry it but by the suit of the gentry to him,

and aristocratic.

And the desire of the nobles.

SICINIUS.

I hope

I wish no better

he does exactly what he says, and puts that

Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it

plan into effect.

In execution.

BRUTUS.

He most likely will.

'Tis most like he will.

SICINIUS.

It will lead him, as we strongly desire,

It shall be to him then, as our good wills,

to political destruction.

A sure destruction.

BRUTUS.

Either he loses

So it must fall out

or we do. To force the issue,

To him or our authorities. For an end,

we must remind the people of how much

We must suggest the people in what hatred

he’s always hated them, and that he would

He still hath held them; that to's power he would  

like to make them his mules, and silence their representatives,

Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and

and take away their freedoms.; and that he regards them,

Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them,

in terms of their human abilities,

In human action and capacity,

no more worthwhile

Of no more soul nor fitness for the world

than camels for his wars, who are only fed so that

Than camels in their war; who have their provand

they can carry heavy loads, and be beaten

Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows

for failing to carry those burdens.

For sinking under them.

SICINIUS.

Yes, as you say, if we remind the people of all that,

This, as you say, suggested

at a time when he is particularly haughty and cruel

At some time when his soaring insolence

to the common people (and that time will come soon enough,

Shall touch the people,--which time shall not want,

if he is provoked, and that’s as easy

If it be put upon't; and that's as easy

as provoking a dog to attack sheep), then they will

As to set dogs on sheep,--will be his fire

rise up against him,

To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze

and destroy him forever.

Shall darken him for ever.

[Enter A MESSENGER.]

BRUTUS.

What’s the matter?

What's the matter?

MESSENGER.

You are needed at the Capitol. It is thought

You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought

that Marcius will be consul:

That Marcius shall be consul:

I have seen mute men crowd around to see him, and

I have seen the dumb men throng to see him, and

blind men to hear him speak. Older women throw their gloves,

The blind to hear him speak: matrons flung gloves,

and young ladies throw their scarves and handkerchiefs (as tokens of their affection)

Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers,

at him as he passed. The noblemen bowed to him as they

Upon him as he pass'd; the nobles bended

would to the statue of God, and the common people

As to Jove's statue; and the commons made

threw up their hats and cheered him.

A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:

I never saw anything like it,

I never saw the like.

BRUTUS.

Let’s go to the Capitol

Let's to the Capitol;

to see and hear what’s going on,

And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,

but secretly thinking about the outcome.

But hearts for the event.

SICINIUS.

I’m coming with you.

Have with you.  

[Exeunt.]

[Enter two OFFICERS, to lay cushions.]

FIRST OFFICER.

Come, come, they are almost here. How many people are running for consulships?

Come, come; they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?

SECOND OFFICER.

Three, they say. But everyone thinks that Coriolanus will

Three, they say; but 'tis thought of every one Coriolanus will

win it.

carry it.

FIRST OFFICER.

He’s a brave fellow. But he’s very proud, and he doesn’t love the

That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud and loves not the

common people.

common people.

SECOND OFFICER.

Well, there have been many great men who have tried to win the support of the

Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the

people, but who never really loved them; and there are many that the common people

people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have

have loved, without knowing why. So, if they love without knowing

loved, they know not wherefore; so that, if they love they know

why. they hate with no better reason. Therefore, for

not why, they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for

Coriolanus to not care about whether they love or hate him

Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him

shows how well he knows the true nature of the common people; and, because

manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and,

he doesn’t care about their opinion, he lets them know how little he cares about them.

out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't.

FIRST OFFICER.

If he didn’t care whether they loved him or not, he would waver

If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved

indecisively between doing them good and harm. But in fact he

indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm; but he

wants them to hate him even more than they actually do,

seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it

and does everything he can to show them that he is their

him; and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their

enemy. And to try to make the people hate you

opposite. Now to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the

is as bad the opposite, which he dislikes: to flatter them and try to make

people is as bad as that which he dislikes,--to flatter them for

them love you.

their love.

SECOND OFFICER.

He has served his country well, and his rise to fame was not done

He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his ascent is not

by the methods of those who, having been compliant and

by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and

polite to the people, took off their hats to flatter the people, without doing anything else

courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to

to win their respect and esteem. But Coriolanus has

have them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath

made his honors so clear to them, and won them over with his

so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their

actions, that for them to be silent, and not say how much

hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess

they really love him would be ungrateful, and to say they didn’t love him

so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise

would be an act of ill will so bad that it would make anyone who

were a malice that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof

heard it scold the speaker for lying.

and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

FIRST OFFICER.

That’s enough about him. He is a fine man. Get out of the way, they are coming.

No more of him; he is a worthy man.: make way, they are coming.

[A sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul,

MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators

take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.]

MENENIUS.

Having made a decision about the Volscians, and

Having determined of the Volsces, and

having sent for Titus Lartius to come, it remains for us,

To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

as the main point of this meeting after the close of the Senate,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

to reward Coriolanus for his service