“Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a great
warrior of the Roman Republic, a man of immense valor and equally great pride.
He does not desire public acclaim for his achievements; his own knowledge of there
worth is sufficient.” Throughout the play Shakespeare tries to discuss
political issues and the hole between politics and the power held by the army.
Therefore Shakespeare uses the character of Coriolanus that seems to be
portrayed as a hero to pursue this idea in his play. Act 1 mainly serves to
build up this devoted ideal as Shakespeare uses the start of the play to
deconstruct Coriolanus and familiarize him with the audience as he introduces
the ideal of the struggle to attain power as an external conflict of his. Its
known that the author does this so that he could discuss political issues that
are arising in his era in a symbolic way. As at first Coriolanus is being
portrayed as an “enemy of the state” but later on as the Act 1 progresses he is
known to be the savior and hero of the state. Shakespeare uses the two characterization of Coriolanus in act 1 to satisfy his aims.
At the start of the play
Coriolanus is portrayed as an enemy to the state and as an unworthy person due
to his actions towards the plebeians. At the start of the play the plebeians
are shown to be rioting due to the high process of grain and later on Menenius
is being introduced by Shakespeare who is a smooth roman noble man the soothes
the situation due to his eloquent speaking capabilities as he metaphorically
compares the government to the stomach that harbors nutrients and passes them
around to the rest of the body like the government as he says “fable of the
belly”. Therefore the plebeians refer to him as “one that hath always loved the
people”. In comparison to Coriolanus who speaks of them as “What’s
the matter, you dissentious rogues/that, rubbing the poor itch of your
opinion/make yourselves scab.” In comparison of both we could see Menenius is
loved by the people unlike Coriolanus who is hated by them. Therefore
Shakespeare links the character to reach the theme of power by showing the
relationship of military power and politics between the two characters.
Overlooking the first part
of act 1 Coriolanus is then changed from being the most hated man in the city
of Rome to being the hero and savoir of Rome, as he is the one who had won the
battle in Coroli against the Volsce. Thus leading to contrasts the image that
was build in the audiences mind to another image of him being a hero and a
brave leader of men. When Coriolanus is shown to be saving Rome the word choice
and the tone in which he speaks of has changed “Sir, praise me not/my work hath
yet not warm’d me: fare you well.” When he addresses his troop and the
commanders in charge, the tone differed and was totally different that the tone
that he had used to address the plebeians in the first place as this shows the
connection between being a powerful soldier in war with no political power thus
starting to unveil Shakespeare’s purpose through his characterization.
