Act III, Scene 3

The same. The Forum.

[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS]

• Junius Brutus. In this point charge him home, that he affects
  Tyrannical power: if he evade us there,
  Enforce him with his envy to the people,
  And that the spoil got on the Antiates
  Was ne'er distributed. 2345
  [Enter an AEdile]
  What, will he come?

• Aedile. He's coming.

• Junius Brutus. How accompanied?

• Aedile. With old Menenius, and those senators 2350
  That always favour'd him.

• Sicinius Velutus. Have you a catalogue
  Of all the voices that we have procured
  Set down by the poll?

• Aedile. I have; 'tis ready. 2355

• Sicinius Velutus. Have you collected them by tribes?

• Aedile. I have.

• Sicinius Velutus. Assemble presently the people hither;
  And when they bear me say 'It shall be so
  I' the right and strength o' the commons,' be it either 2360
  For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them
  If I say fine, cry 'Fine;' if death, cry 'Death.'
  Insisting on the old prerogative
  And power i' the truth o' the cause.

• Aedile. I shall inform them. 2365

• Junius Brutus. And when such time they have begun to cry,
  Let them not cease, but with a din confused
  Enforce the present execution
  Of what we chance to sentence.

• Aedile. Very well. 2370

• Sicinius Velutus. Make them be strong and ready for this hint,
  When we shall hap to give 't them.

• Junius Brutus. Go about it.
  [Exit AEdile]
  Put him to choler straight: he hath been used 2375
  Ever to conquer, and to have his worth
  Of contradiction: being once chafed, he cannot
  Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks
  What's in his heart; and that is there which looks
  With us to break his neck. 2380

• Sicinius Velutus. Well, here he comes.
  [Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, and COMINIUS,]
  with Senators and Patricians]

• Menenius Agrippa. Calmly, I do beseech you.

• Coriolanus. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece 2385
  Will bear the knave by the volume. The honour'd gods
  Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
  Supplied with worthy men! plant love among 's!
  Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
  And not our streets with war! 2390

• First Senator. Amen, amen.

• Menenius Agrippa. A noble wish.

[Re-enter AEdile, with Citizens]

• Sicinius Velutus. Draw near, ye people.

• Aedile. List to your tribunes. Audience: peace, I say! 2395

• Coriolanus. First, hear me speak.

• Both Tribunes. Well, say. Peace, ho!

• Coriolanus. Shall I be charged no further than this present?
  Must all determine here?

• Sicinius Velutus. I do demand, 2400
  If you submit you to the people's voices,
  Allow their officers and are content
  To suffer lawful censure for such faults
  As shall be proved upon you?

• Coriolanus. I am content. 2405

• Menenius Agrippa. Lo, citizens, he says he is content:
  The warlike service he has done, consider; think
  Upon the wounds his body bears, which show
  Like graves i' the holy churchyard.

• Coriolanus. Scratches with briers, 2410
  Scars to move laughter only.

• Menenius Agrippa. Consider further,
  That when he speaks not like a citizen,
  You find him like a soldier: do not take
  His rougher accents for malicious sounds, 2415
  But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
  Rather than envy you.

• Cominius. Well, well, no more.

• Coriolanus. What is the matter
  That being pass'd for consul with full voice, 2420
  I am so dishonour'd that the very hour
  You take it off again?

• Sicinius Velutus. Answer to us.

• Coriolanus. Say, then: 'tis true, I ought so.

• Sicinius Velutus. We charge you, that you have contrived to take 2425
  From Rome all season'd office and to wind
  Yourself into a power tyrannical;
  For which you are a traitor to the people.

• Coriolanus. How! traitor!

• Menenius Agrippa. Nay, temperately; your promise. 2430

• Coriolanus. The fires i' the lowest hell fold-in the people!
  Call me their traitor! Thou injurious tribune!
  Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,
  In thy hand clutch'd as many millions, in
  Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say 2435
  'Thou liest' unto thee with a voice as free
  As I do pray the gods.

• Sicinius Velutus. Mark you this, people?

• Citizens. To the rock, to the rock with him!

• Sicinius Velutus. Peace! 2440
  We need not put new matter to his charge:
  What you have seen him do and heard him speak,
  Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
  Opposing laws with strokes and here defying
  Those whose great power must try him; even this, 2445
  So criminal and in such capital kind,
  Deserves the extremest death.

• Junius Brutus. But since he hath
  Served well for Rome,—

• Coriolanus. What do you prate of service? 2450

• Junius Brutus. I talk of that, that know it.

• Coriolanus. You?

• Menenius Agrippa. Is this the promise that you made your mother?

• Cominius. Know, I pray you,—

• Coriolanus. I know no further: 2455
  Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,
  Vagabond exile, raying, pent to linger
  But with a grain a day, I would not buy
  Their mercy at the price of one fair word;
  Nor cheque my courage for what they can give, 2460
  To have't with saying 'Good morrow.'

• Sicinius Velutus. For that he has,
  As much as in him lies, from time to time
  Envied against the people, seeking means
  To pluck away their power, as now at last 2465
  Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence
  Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers
  That do distribute it; in the name o' the people
  And in the power of us the tribunes, we,
  Even from this instant, banish him our city, 2470
  In peril of precipitation
  From off the rock Tarpeian never more
  To enter our Rome gates: i' the people's name,
  I say it shall be so.

• Citizens. It shall be so, it shall be so; let him away: 2475
  He's banish'd, and it shall be so.

• Cominius. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends,—

• Sicinius Velutus. He's sentenced; no more hearing.

• Cominius. Let me speak:
  I have been consul, and can show for Rome 2480
  Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love
  My country's good with a respect more tender,
  More holy and profound, than mine own life,
  My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
  And treasure of my loins; then if I would 2485
  Speak that,—

• Sicinius Velutus. We know your drift: speak what?

• Junius Brutus. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd,
  As enemy to the people and his country:
  It shall be so. 2490

• Citizens. It shall be so, it shall be so.

• Coriolanus. You common cry of curs! whose breath I hate
  As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize
  As the dead carcasses of unburied men
  That do corrupt my air, I banish you; 2495
  And here remain with your uncertainty!
  Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!
  Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
  Fan you into despair! Have the power still
  To banish your defenders; till at length 2500
  Your ignorance, which finds not till it feels,
  Making not reservation of yourselves,
  Still your own foes, deliver you as most
  Abated captives to some nation
  That won you without blows! Despising, 2505
  For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
  There is a world elsewhere.
  [Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENENIUS, Senators,]
  and Patricians]

• Aedile. The people's enemy is gone, is gone! 2510

• Citizens. Our enemy is banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

[Shouting, and throwing up their caps]

• Sicinius Velutus. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him,
  As he hath followed you, with all despite;
  Give him deserved vexation. Let a guard 2515
  Attend us through the city.

• Citizens. Come, come; let's see him out at gates; come.
  The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.

[Exeunt]