Coriolanus (2014)

Hadley Fraser: Aufidius

Photos 

Quotes 

• Aufidius : Conditions! I would I were a Roman; for I cannot, being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition! What good conditions can a treaty find for the side that is defeated? Five times, Martius, I have fought with thee: so often hast thou beat me, and wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter as often as we eat. By the elements, if ev'r again I meet him face to face, he's mine or I am his. Mine appetite hath not that honour in't it had, for where I thought to crush him in an equal force, true sword to sword... I'll potch at his some way, or wrath or craft will get him.

  Volscian Lieutenant : He's the devil.

  Aufidius : Bolder, though not so subtle... My valour's poisoned. Wherever I find him - in his home, in sanctuary, or in the Capital - naked, sick, asleep, nor prayers of priests, nor time sacrifice - shall lift their rotten privilege against my hate to Martius. Wheresoever, I would wash my fierce hand in's heart.

• Coriolanus : My name is Caius Martius - who hath done to thee particularly, and to all the Volsces, great hurt and mischief. Thereto witness my surname: Coriolanus. The painful service, the extreme dangers and the drops of blood shed for my thankless country, are requited with that surname. A good memory, and witness of the malice and displeasure which thou shouldst bear me. Only that name remains. The cruelty and envy of the people, permitted by our dastard nobles, who have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest and suffered me by the voice of slaves to be whooped out of Rome. Now this extremity hath brought me to thy hearth. Not out of hope, mistake me not, to save my life, for if I had feared death, of all the men in the world, I would have avoided thee. But in mere spite, to be full quit of those my banishers, stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast a heart of wreck in thee, that wilt revenge thine own particular wrongs, and stop those mains of shame seen through thy country, speed thee straight, and make my misery serve thy turn. So use it that my revengeful service may prove as benefits to thee. For I will fight against my cankered country with the spleen of all the under fiends. But if so be thou darest not this, and that to prove more fortunes, thou art tired, then, in a word, I also am longer to live most weary. And do present my throat to thee and thy ancient malice, which not to cut would show thee but a fool...

  [Coriolanus drops to his knees] 

  Coriolanus : ...since I have ever followed thee with hate, drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast, and cannot live but to thy shame, unless it be to do thee service.

  [Volscian Lieutenant, who approached Coriolanus from behind with a blade, exchanges the blade with Aufidius's handkerchief] 

  Aufidius : O Martius, Martius. Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart a root of ancient envy.

  [Aufidius comes from behind Coriolanus, holding the knife to his neck] 

  Aufidius : If Jupiter should from yon cloud speak divine things and say 'tis true'...

  [Aufidius kisses Coriolanus's forehead] 

  Aufidius : ...I'd not believe them more than thee... all noble Martius!

  [From behind, Aufidius pretends to cut Coriolanus's throat and runs around] 

  Aufidius : Let me twine my arms about that body, where against my grained ash an hundred times hath broke and scarred the moon with splinters.

  [Aufidius drops in front of a shaken Coriolanus, pulling at his arms] 

  Aufidius : Here I clip the anvil of my sword, and do contest as hotly and as nobly with my love, as ever in ambitious strength I did contend against thy valour.

  [Holding his face, Aufidius gives Coriolanus a prolonged kiss on the lips] 

  Aufidius : Know thou first, I loved the maid I married...

  [Aufidius stand up in excitement] 

  Aufidius : ...never a man sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here, thou noble thing, more dances rapt my heart...

  [Coriolanus rises, mesmerized by Aufidius's excited speech] 

  Aufidius : ...then when I first my wedded mistress saw bedstride my threshold, why, thou Mars, I tell, we have a power on foot. And I had purpose once more to hew thy target from thy brow or lose my arm for it. Thou hast beat me out twelve several times, and I have nightly since dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me. We have been down together in my sleep...

  [Aufidius's hand moves to Coriolanus's face, to his throat] 

  Aufidius : ...unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat, and waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius, had we no quarrel else to Rome, but that art thence banished, we would muster all from twelve to seventy, and pouring war into the bowels of ungrateful Rome, like a bold flood o'er-bear... Come, go in, and take our friendly senators by the hands, who now are here, taking their leave of me, who am prepared against your territories, though not for Rome itself.

  Coriolanus : Bless me, gods.

  [Coriolanus and Aufidius embrace in friendship]