The authoritative edition of Coriolanus from The Folger Shakespeare
Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and
general readers.
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.
This edition 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.
