Coriolanus

by William Shakespeare and William Aldis Wright

Book Overview

Set in the earliest days of the Roman Republic, Coriolanus begins with the common people, or plebeians, in armed revolt against the patricians. The people win the right to be represented by tribunes. Meanwhile, there are foreign enemies near the gates of Rome. The play explores one reason that Rome prevailed over such vulnerabilities: its reverence for family bonds. Coriolanus so esteems his mother, Volumnia, that he risks his life to win her approval. Even the value of family, however, is subordinate to loyalty to the Roman state. When the two obligations align, the combination is irresistible. Coriolanus is so devoted to his family and to Rome that he finds the decision to grant the plebians representation intolerable. To him, it elevates plebeians to a status equal with his family and class, to Rome's great disadvantage. He risks his political career to have the tribunate abolished--and is banished from Rome. Coriolanus then displays an apparently insatiable vengefulness against the state he idolized, opening a tragic divide within himself, pitting him against his mother and family, and threatening Rome's very existence. The authoritative edition of Coriolanus from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes: -Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play -Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play -Scene-by-scene plot summaries -A key to the play's famous lines and phrases -An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language -An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play -Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books -An annotated guide to further reading Essay by Heather James The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671722581
• ISBN13: 9780671722586
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly good

Having heard virtually nothing about this play, I picked it up with very low expectations. I was amazed, however, to find myself totally enthralled with the story, not the least reason being its relevance to events of the past eight years. If I ever hear of it being performed, I will definitely buy a ticket! I did not read this Dover edition, but I do not think that things such as footnotes and explanatory essays will add that much to this particular play.

VASTLY underrated.

This is one of those Shakespearean plays that very few casual readers know of; it is not, generally, a play that is required reading in any but the most in-depth literature courses, and most people have never heard of it or know of it only by title. This is truly a shame, because it is one of Shakespeares BEST works. It is the story of a man too honorable for his own good, who loses all due to the conniving of clever politicians because he refuses to play the game by their rules and flatter the people with weasel-words and empty promises. Truly, a wonderful story with a far better plot than most of Shakespeare's plays, and language just as musical as any of them. If you've read Shakespeare's better-known plays and enjoyed the language, do yourself a favor and make yourself familiar with this lesser-known play.

rugged shakespeare

I had an overpriced Arden Shakespeare copy of the play. The spine broke. I have known Oxford was as good for lower price and prefer the notes. The Arden text is more authoritative but the physical (Oxford) book is better.

Incredible Characters of a "Lesser-Known" Masterpiece ...

"Thy valientness is mine. Thou suckest it from me." That would be Volumnia's (Coriolanus' mother) quote -- and one of my favorites. "Coriolanus" is an intriguing story and the characters are marvelous. I have yet to see a better portrayal of a suffocating mother. Volumnia will live in my heart forever.

Shakespeare's Greatest

Shakespeare's last and greatest tragedy, *Coriolanus* dramatizes the conflict between pride and envy--those two antagonists which were the favorite characters of ancient myth.Coriolanus is a man of Virtue, when virtue meant 'manliness' not 'modest chastity.' Above all, he had the virtue of pursuing virtue, which he refused to compromise and which he refused to hide. In contrast, the aristocracy and the mob whom they serve despised Coriolanus precisely because he was good and refused to be otherwise.*Coriolanus* is Shakespeare at the height of his powers, and the real tragedy is that this work is not better known.