Coriolanus (2014)

Peter De Jersey: Cominius

Quotes 

• Titus Lartius : O noble fellow!... Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword, and when it bows, stands up? Thou art left, Martius: a carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier even to Cato's wish. Not fierce and terrible only in strokes; but with thy grim looks and the thunder-like percussion of thy sounds, thou madst thine enemies shake, as if the world were feverous and did tremble.

  Cominius : Where's Martius?

  Titus Lartius : Lost. Alone he fights within Corioles.

  Cominius : O Martius, such a manhood is called foolery, when it stands against a falling fabric. Hadst thou but breathed, we should have come off like Romans: neither foolish in our stands, nor cowardly in retire. Believe me, sirs, we shall be charged again.

  [Coriolanus enters, bloody from battle] 

• Cominius : Know, Rome, that all alone Martius did fight within Corioli gates: where he hath won, with fame, a name to Caius Marcius, these in honour fellows 'Coriolanus.' Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus!

  [Crowd chants] 

  Coriolanus : No more of this; it does offend my heart: pray now, no more.

• [Coriolanus picks up Brutus and tosses him from the podium] 

  Coriolanus : For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them regard me as I do not flatter, and therein behold themselves. I say again, in soothing them, we nourish against our senate the cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, which we ourselves have ploughed for, sowed, and scattered by mingling *them* with *us*, the honoured numbered, who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that which they have given to beggars.

  Menenius : Well, not more!

  Valeria : We beg you, no more words, pray.

  Coriolanus : How now, no more? As for my country, I have shed my blood, not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs coin words till their decay against those measles, which we disdain, should tatter us, yet sought the very way to catch them.

  Brutus : You speak of the people as if you were a god to punish.

  Sicinia : 'Twere well we let the people know it.

  Menenius : What, what? His choler?

  Coriolanus : Choler! Were I as patient as the midnight sleep, by Jove, 'twould be my mind.

  Sicinia : It is a mind that *shall* remain a poison where it is, not a poison any further.

  Coriolanus : 'Shall remain'? Hear you this Triton of the minnows? Mark you hear her absolute 'shall'?

  Cominius : 'Twas from the canon.

  Coriolanus : 'Shall'? O good but most unwise patricians. Why, you grave but reckless senators have you thus given...

  [Coriolanus drops to the floor, picking up vouchers] 

  Coriolanus : ...Hydra here to choose an officer that with peremptory 'shall', being but the horn and noise of the monster's, wants not spirit say she'll turn your current in a ditch, and make your channels hers? If she have power, then vail your ignorance. If none, awake your dangerous lenity. If you are learned, be not as common fools. If you are not, let them have cushions by you.

  [Coriolanus throws the vouchers at Sicinia]