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Coriolanus Translation Act 3, Scene 3

Also check out our detailed summary & analysis of this scene

Check out our summary & analysis of this scene

Original

Translation

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS

SICINIUS and BRUTUS enter.

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.

BRUTUS

Let's drive this point home: he wants to be a tyrant. If he manages to evade that, lets accuse him of being greedy, and say that he never distributed the spoils of war from the Antiates.

Enter an AEdile

A GUARD enters.

BRUTUS

What, will he come?

BRUTUS

Well, is he coming?

AEDILE

He's coming.

guard

He's coming.

BRUTUS

How accompanied?

BRUTUS

Who accompanies him?

AEDILE

With old Menenius, and those senatorsThat always favour'd him.

Guard

Just old Menenius, and the senators who've always been on his side.

SICINIUS

Have you a catalogueOf all the voices that we have procuredSet down by the poll?

SICINIUS

Do you have a list of all the votes we've gotten?

AEDILE

I have; 'tis ready.

Guard

I do, it's ready.

SICINIUS

Have you collected them by tribes?

SICINIUS

And you've organized them by group?

AEDILE

I have.

Guard

I have.

SICINIUS

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 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.

SICINIUS

Assemble everyone here. And when they hear me say "This is how it will be in the name and the strength of our people," whether I say either for death, fine, or banishment, have them yell accordingly: "Fine," if it's a fine; "Death," if it's for death. We'll insist on the old reasons and the power of truth.

AEDILE

I shall inform them.

Guard

I'll inform them.

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.

BRUTUS

And when they've begun to shout, make sure they don't stop; instead, make sure they wildly cheer whatever we happen to decide on.

AEDILE

Very well.

Guard

Very well.

SICINIUS

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

SICINIUS

Make sure they're really ready when we give them the sign.

BRUTUS

Go about it.

BRUTUS

Go to it.

Exit AEdile

GUARD exits.

BRUTUS

Put him to choler straight: he hath been used 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.

BRUTUS

Lets get him angry right away. He's so used to conquering, and to seeing value only in contradiction. Once we irritate him, he'll never calm down, and he'll speak what's in his heart. What's in there will be what we need to break his neck.

SICINIUS

Well, here he comes.

SICINIUS

All right; here he comes.

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, and COMINIUS, with Senators and Patricians

CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, and COMINIUS enter with SENATORS.

MENENIUS

Calmly, I do beseech you.

MENENIUS

[To CORIOLANUS] Calmly, please.

CORIOLANUS

Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece 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!

CORIOLANUS

Sure, like a stableboy, who will take any amount of abuse for a penny. May the honored gods keep Rome safe, and positions of justice be held by worthy men! May we all love one another! Fill our temples with peaceful demonstrations and our streets with war!

FIRST SENATOR

Amen, amen.

FIRST SENATOR

Indeed, indeed.

MENENIUS

A noble wish.

MENENIUS

A noble wish.

Re-enter AEdile, with Citizens

GUARD re-enters with CITIZENS.

SICINIUS

Draw near, ye people.

SICINIUS

Come here, people.

AEDILE

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

Guard

Listen to your tribunes. Attention: silence, I say!

CORIOLANUS

First, hear me speak.

CORIOLANUS

First, hear me speak.

BOTH TRIBUNES

Well, say. Peace, ho!

BOTH TRIBUNES

Sure, go ahead. Silence, everyone.

CORIOLANUS

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

CORIOLANUS

Will this be my last trial? Will everything come down to this?

SICINIUS

I do demand, 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?

SICINIUS

I insist upon it, so long as you will submit to the people's vote, abide by their representatives, and are willing to deal with lawful condemnation for the verdict which is reached?

CORIOLANUS

I am content.

CORIOLANUS

I am content with these terms.

MENENIUS

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.

MENENIUS

Hear that, citizens, he says he is content! Consider the military service he has done; think about all the wounds on his body, huge scars which look like graves in a churchyard.

CORIOLANUS

Scratches with briers,Scars to move laughter only.

CORIOLANUS

Just scratches. Laughable scars, really.

MENENIUS

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, But, as I say, such as become a soldier, Rather than envy you.

MENENIUS

Take into account that when he speaks, he is speaking as a soldier. Don't take his roughness the wrong way; he's not being cruel, but like I said, he's just being soldier rather than trying to pretend to be like you.

COMINIUS

Well, well, no more.

COMINIUS

Good, good, enough.

CORIOLANUS

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

CORIOLANUS

[To the CITIZENS] How can it be that after I was voted in as consul with your full approval, I've fallen so far within an hour that you revoke your vote?

SICINIUS

Answer to us.

SICINIUS

Answer to us.

CORIOLANUS

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

CORIOLANUS

Go on, then: it's true, I ought to answer to you.

SICINIUS

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

SICINIUS

We charge you with attempted tyranny, with the plan to take over all of Rome's offices, for which you are a traitor to the people.

CORIOLANUS

How! traitor!

CORIOLANUS

What? A traitor?

MENENIUS

Nay, temperately; your promise.

MENENIUS

No, gently; you promised to respond gently.

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 'Thou liest' unto thee with a voice as free As I do pray the gods.

CORIOLANUS

The lowest circles of hell take in these people! You're calling me their traitor? You ruinous tribune! If you could deal me twenty thousand deaths, held twenty million deaths in your hand, and with your tongue could deal as many over again, I would say "you lie" to you with a voice as free as the one I use to pray to the gods.

SICINIUS

Mark you this, people?

SICINIUS

Do you hear this, people?

CITIZENS

To the rock, to the rock with him!

CITIZENS

To the rock, to the rock with him!

SICINIUS

Peace! 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, So criminal and in such capital kind, Deserves the extremest death.

SICINIUS

Silence! We do not need to go through this again. What you have seen him do and heard him say—beating your officers, cursing you, opposing laws with grand gestures and here defying even to be tried—even this, so criminal and so serious—deserves the most extreme death.

BRUTUS

But since he hathServed well for Rome,—

BRUTUS

But since he has served Rome well—

CORIOLANUS

What do you prate of service?

CORIOLANUS

What would you know of service?

BRUTUS

I talk of that, that know it.

BRUTUS

I only speak of what I know.

CORIOLANUS

You?

CORIOLANUS

You?

MENENIUS

Is this the promise that you made your mother?

MENENIUS

Is this the promise that you made your mother?

COMINIUS

Know, I pray you,—

COMINIUS

Listen, I beg you—

CORIOLANUS

I know no further: 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, To have't with saying 'Good morrow.'

CORIOLANUS

I know only this: let them condemn me to a steep Tarpeian death. As a vagabond exile, made to beg for grains, I would not buy a word of their mercy, nor stop by boldness for anything they could give me to be had with saying "Good day."

SICINIUS

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 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, 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.

SICINIUS

For crimes against the people—seeking to pluck away their power, and now at the end for his hostile blows in the presence not only of the judges but of the people themselves—in the name of the people and by the power vested in us as tribunes we, from this instant onward, banish him from our city, Rome. If he ever again enters our gates, he will be thrown off the Tarpeian rock. In the people's name, I say it shall be so.

CITIZENS

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

CITIZENS

It shall be so, it shall be so; let him go. He's banished, and it shall be so.

COMINIUS

Hear me, my masters, and my common friends,—

COMINIUS

Hear me, sirs, and my friends, the people—

SICINIUS

He's sentenced; no more hearing.

SICINIUS

His sentence has been passed; there will be no more "hearing."

COMINIUS

Let me speak: I have been consul, and can show for Rome 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 Speak that,—

COMINIUS

Let me speak. I have been consul, and can show for Rome her enemies' scars upon me. I love my country tenderly, more profoundly than my own life, my own dear wife, or the fruits of her very womb, my own treasured children; if I would say that—

SICINIUS

We know your drift: speak what?

SICINIUS

We get it; if you would say what?

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.

BRUTUS

There's no more to be said except that he is banished. He's an enemy to the people and his country; that's it.

CITIZENS

It shall be so, it shall be so.

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; 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 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, For you, the city, thus I turn my back: There is a world elsewhere.

CORIOLANUS

You common junkyard dogs, whose breath I hate like the reeking of a rotten swamp, whose love I hold equal to the bloated carcasses of unburied dead men, the stink of which corrupts my air, I banish you. Remain here with your uncertainty! Let every feeble rumor shake your hearts! May your enemies' smallest motions drive you into despair! May you keep this power to banish your defenders, until your ignorance, with no sense of your own self-preservation, delivers you as slaves to some nation who will conquer you without a single blow. I despise Rome, for you're in it, and turn my back. There is a world elsewhere.

Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENENIUS, Senators, and Patricians

CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENENIUS and SENATORS exit all at once.

AEDILE

The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

GUARD

The people's enemy is gone; he's gone!

CITIZENS

Our enemy is banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

CITIZENS

Our enemy is banished; he is gone, hooray!

Shouting, and throwing up their caps

CITIZENS shout and throw their hats in the air.

SICINIUS

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

SICINIUS

Go, follow him out to the gates, and follow him, as he has followed you, with all your bitterness. Give him the torment he deserves. We will have a guard take us through the city.

CITIZENS

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

CITIZENS

Come, lets follow him to the gates. The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.

Exeunt

All exit.