The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (806 page)

you. Please go to the front door of the house with other beggars.

you: pray go to the door.  

CORIOLANUS.

I deserved that reception

I have deserv'd no better entertainment

by being Coriolanus.

In being Coriolanus.

[Re-enter second SERVANT.]

SECOND SERVANT.

Where are from? What was the doorman thinking when he let

Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head that he

someone like you in the house? Get out.

gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

CORIOLANUS.

Away!

Away!

SECOND SERVANT.

Away? Yes, go away.

Away? Get you away.

CORIOLANUS.

Now you are making trouble.

Now the art troublesome.

SECOND SERVANT.

Are you bold enough to stay? I’ll have someone talk to you in a moment.

Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon.

[Enter a third SERVANT. The first meets him.]

THIRD SERVANT.

Who’s this?

What fellow's this?

FIRST SERVANT.

The strangest guy I ever saw. I can’t get him

A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him

out of the house. Please call the master to deal with this.

out o' the house. Pr'ythee call my master to him.

THIRD SERVANT.

What do want here? Please leave the house.

What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you avoid the house.  

CORIOLANUS.

Just let me stand here. I won’t hurt anything.

Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.

THIRD SERVANT.

What is your social rank?

What are you?

CORIOLANUS.

I am a rich man from a good family.

A gentleman.

THIRD SERVANT.

You’re an astonishingly poor rich man.

A marvellous poor one.

CORIOLANUS.

That’s true.

True, so I am.

THIRD SERVANT.

Please, you poor rich man, go somewhere else. This is no

Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; here's no

place for you. Please leave, come on.

place for you. Pray you avoid; come.

CORIOLANUS.

Do your job, and go

Follow your function, go,

get fat on table scraps

And batten on cold bits.

[Pushes him away.]

THIRD SERVANT.

What, you won’t leave? Please, tell the master what a weirdo

What, you will not?--Pr'ythee, tell my master what a strange

he’s got on his hands.

guest he has here.

SECOND SERVANT.

I will.

And I shall.

[Exit.]

THIRD SERVANT.

Where do you live?

Where dwell'st thou?

CORIOLANUS.

Under a tree.

Under the canopy.

THIRD SERVANT.

Under a tree?

Under the canopy?

CORIOLANUS.

Yes?

Ay.

THIRD SERVANT.

And where is that?

Where's that?

CORIOLANUS.

In a city full of vultures and crows.

I' the city of kites and crows.

THIRD SERVANT.

In a city full of vultures and crows? What as ass you are! So you

I' the city of kites and crows!--What an ass it is!--Then thou

live with idiots, too?

dwell'st with daws too?  

CORIOLANUS.

No, I don’t work for your boss.

No, I serve not thy master.

THIRD SERVANT.

What? Are you messing with my boss?

How, sir! Do you meddle with my master?

CORIOLANUS.

Yes, but that’s more honest than having sex with your boss’ wife.

Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress.

You chatter on and on. Go serve the dinner guests with your tray!

Thou prat'st and prat'st; serve with thy trencher, hence!  

[Beats him away.]

[Enter AUFIDIUS and the second SERVANT.]

AUFIDIUS.

Where is this guy?

Where is this fellow?

SECOND SERVANT.

Here he is, sir. I would have beaten him like a dog, but I

Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for

didn’t want to disturb the guests.

disturbing the lords within.

AUFIDIUS.

Where do you come from? What do you want? What’s your name?

Whence com'st thou? what wouldst thou? thy name?

Why won’t you speak? Speak, man! What’s your name?

Why speak'st not? speak, man: what's thy name?

CORIOLANUS.

[Take of the scarf covering his face.] If, Tullus,

[Unmuffling.] If, Tullus,

you still don’t know who I am, and having seen me, don’t

Not yet thou know'st me, and, seeing me, dost not

think I am who I am, then I must

Think me for the man I am, necessity

tell you my name.

Commands me name myself.

AUFIDIUS.

What is your name?

What is thy name?

[Servants retire.]

CORIOLANUS.

A name that the Volscians don’t like the sound of,

A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears,

and you won’t like it either.

And harsh in sound to thine.  

AUFIDIUS.

What’s your name?

Say, what's thy name?

You look grim, and your face

Thou has a grim appearance, and thy face

looks commanding. Though your clothes are torn,

Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn,

you look like a noble person. What is your name?

Thou show'st a noble vessel: what's thy name?

CORIOLANUS.

Get ready to frown. You still don’t know me?

Prepare thy brow to frown:--know'st thou me yet?

AUFIDIUS.

I don’t know you. Your name?

I know thee not:--thy name?

CORIOLANUS.

My name is Caius Marcius, and I have caused

My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done

you in particular, and all the Volscians,

To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces,

a great deal of pain and trouble. Listen to

Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may

my last name, Coriolanus: for all the difficult service,

My surname, Coriolanus: the painful service,

the extreme danger, and the blood

The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood

that I’ve shed for my ungrateful country, all I got in return

Shed for my thankless country, are requited

was that last name. It’s a memorial,

But with that surname; a good memory,

and a sign of the hatred

And witness of the malice and displeasure

you should feel towards me. That name is all I have left.

Which thou shouldst bear me: only that name remains;

The cruelty and malice of the people

The cruelty and envy of the people,

(permitted by our cowardly upper classes, who

Permitted by our dastard nobles, who

have all abandoned me), have taken the rest of what I had,

Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest,

and allowed me to be chased out of Rome

And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be

by the votes of slaves. This disaster

Whoop'd out of Rome. Now, this extremity

has brought me to your home, not out of hope,

Hath brought me to thy hearth: not out of hope,

or to save my life (because if

Mistake me not, to save my life; for if

I was afraid of death, I would definitely have

I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world

avoided you), but simply out of spite,

I would have 'voided thee; but in mere spite,

to be fully avenged on those who banished me,

To be full quit of those my banishers,

is why I stand here in front of you. So if you have

Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast

any interest in vengeance, and want to take revenge

A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge

for wrongs done to you, and stop those shameful

Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims

injuries that are all over your country, then act with speed

Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee straight

and make my unhappiness work for you. Use me for

And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it

revenge, and my service may be

That my revengeful services may prove

beneficial for you. Because I will fight

As benefits to thee; for I will fight

against my corrupt country with the anger

Against my canker'd country with the spleen

of all the devils in hell. But if you’re

Of all the under fiends. But if so be

not interested, and you’re tired of war,

Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes

then, I am also

Th'art tir'd, then, in a word, I also am

tired of life, and will

Longer to live most weary, and present

let you slit my throat for your long-standing hatred,

My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice;

and if you didn’t kill me you’d be a fool,

Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,

I have always hated you back,

Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,  

and killed many of your countrymen,

Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,

and I can’t keep living without embarrassing you,

And cannot live but to thy shame, unless

unless I’m working for you.

It be to do thee service.

AUFIDIUS.

Oh, Marcius!

O Marcius, Marcius!

Everything you said made me

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

hate you less. If God

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

himself came from behind that cloud

Should from yond cloud speak divine things,

and say, “It’s all true,” I wouldn’t believe you

And say ''Tis true,' I'd not believe them more

more than I already do. Let me

Than thee, all noble Marcius.--Let me twine

hug you, though

Mine arms about that body, where against

I have tried to kill you

My grained ash an hundred times hath broke

unsuccessfully a hundred times.

And scar'd the moon with splinters; here I clip

I embrace you, my old enemy, and

The anvil of my sword, and do contest