CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS – a noble Roman
TITUS LARTIUS, COMINIUS – generals against the Volscians
MENENIUS AGRIPPA – friend to CORIOLANUS
SICINIUS VELUTUS, JUNIUS BRUTUS – tribunes of the people
YOUNG MARCIUS – son of CORIOLANUS
A Roman herald
TULLUS AUFIDIUS – general of the Volscians
Lieutenant to AUFIDIUS
Conspirators with AUFIDIUS
A citizen of Antium
Two Volscian guards
VOLUMNIA – mother to CORIOLANUS
VIRGILIA – wife to COLIOLANUS
VALERIA – friend to VIRGILIA
Gentlewomen attending on VIRGILIA
Roman and Volscian senators, patricians, aediles, lictors, soldiers, citizens, messengers, servants to AUFIDIUS, and other attendants
PLAY
Partly in Rome, and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates.
ACT I
Scene i: Rome. A street.
Scene ii: Coroli. The Senate house.
Scene iii: Rome. An apartment in Marcius’ house.
Scene iv: Before Corioli.
Scene v: Within Corioli. A street.
Scene vi: Near the camp of Cominius.
Scene vii: The gates of Corioli.
Scene viii: A field of battle between the Roman and the Volscian camps.
Scene ix: The Roman camp.
ACT II
Scene i: Rome. A public place.
Scene ii: Rome. The Capitol.
Scene iii: Rome. The Forum.
ACT III
Scene i: Rome. A street.
Scene ii: Rome. A room in Coriolanus’ house.
Scene iii: Rome. The Forum.
ACT IV
Scene i: Rome. Before a gate of the city.
Scene ii: Rome. A street near the gate.
Scene iii: A highway between Rome and Antium.
Scene iv: Antium. Before Aufidius’ house.
Scene v: Antium. A hall in Aufidius’ house.
Scene vi: Rome. A public place.
Scene vii: A camp at a small distance from Rome.
ACT V
Scene i: Rome. A public place.
Scene ii: An advanced post of the Volscian camp before Rome. The guard at their stations.
Scene iii: The tent of Coriolanus.
Scene iv: Rome. A public place.
Scene v: Rome. A street near the gate.
Scene vi: Antium. A public place.
Act IV: Scene iv
CORIOLANUS: O world,thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn,
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose house, whose bed, whose meal and exercise
Are still together, who twin, as ’twere, in love
Unseparable, shall within this hour,
On a dissension of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity; so fellest foes,
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep
To take the one the other, by some chance,
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends,
And interjoin their issues. So with me:–
My birthplace hate I, and my love’s upon
This enemy town. – I’ll enter: if he slay me,
He does fair justice; if he give me way,
I’ll do his country justice.
