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QUOTES FROM THE BARD

I say they nourished disobedience, fed the ruin of the state

PLAY: Coriolanus ACT/SCENE: 3.1 SPEAKER: Coriolanus CONTEXT: CORIOLANUS
Whoever gave that counsel to give forth
The corn o’ th’ storehouse gratis, as ’twas used
Sometime in Greece—
MENENIUS Well, well, no more of that.
CORIOLANUS
Though there the people had more absolute power,
I say they nourished disobedience, fed
The ruin of the state.
BRUTUS
Why shall the people give
One that speaks thus their voice?
CORIOLANUS
I’ll give my reasons,
More worthier than their voices. They know the corn
Was not our recompense, resting well assured
They ne’er did service for ’t. Being pressed to th’ war,
Even when the navel of the state was touched,
They would not thread the gates. This kind of service
Did not deserve corn gratis. Being i’ the war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they showed
Most valour, spoke not for them. The accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the motive
Of our so frank donation. DUTCH: Schoon daar het volk veel grooter macht bezat,
Die, zeg ik, kweekte muiterij en voedde
‘t Verderf des staats. MORE: Was not our recompense=Was not a reward we granted
Cause unborn=No existing cause
Sometime=For a while, used to do
Pressed=Impressed (into military service)
Navel=Centre (of the state)
Thread=Pass through
Compleat:
Press (or force) soldiers=Soldaaten pressen, dat is hen dwingen om dienst te neemen
Recompense=Vergelding, beloning
Sometimes=Somtyds Topics: poverty and wealth, reason, order/society, claim, work

Categories: claim, Coriolanus, order/society, poverty and wealth, work|

The price is, to ask it kindly

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 2.3
SPEAKER: First Citizen
CONTEXT:
CORIOLANUS
No, sir,’twas never my desire yet to trouble the
poor with begging.
THIRD CITIZEN
You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to
gain by you.
CORIOLANUS
Well then, I pray, your price o’ the consulship?
FIRST CITIZEN
The price is to ask it kindly.
CORIOLANUS
Kindly! Sir, I pray, let me ha’t: I have wounds to
show you, which shall be yours in private. Your
good voice, sir; what say you?
SECOND CITIZEN
You shall ha’ it, worthy sir.
CORIOLANUS
A match, sir. There’s in all two worthy voices
begged. I have your alms: adieu.

DUTCH:
De prijs is, dat gij vriendlijk er om vraagt.

MORE:
Consulship=Position of consul
A match=Agreement, compact, bargain
Compleat:
Match (or bargain)=Koop, onderhandeling, overeenstemming
Consulship=Consulaat, consulschap

Topics: poverty and wealth, promise, leadership, merit, civility

Categories: civility, Coriolanus, leadership, merit, poverty and wealth|

If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there’s all the love they bear us

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 1.1
SPEAKER: First Citizen
CONTEXT:
MENENIUS
I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them
Against the Roman state, whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder than can ever
Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it, and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you, and you slander
The helms o’ the state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
FIRST CITIZEN
Care for us! True, indeed! They ne’er cared for us
yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there’s all the love they bear us.

DUTCH:
Als de oorlog ons niet opeet, dan doen zij het; en dat is al hunne liefde jegens ons.

MORE:
Piercing statutes=Biting laws (See Measure for Measure, 1.3)
True indeed=Ironical
Edicts for usury=Laws, decrees for money-lending
Wholesome=Suitable, beneficial
Eat us up=To devour, to consume, to waste, to destroy
Suffer=To bear, to allow, to let, not to hinder
Compleat:
To pierce=Doorbooren, doordringen
Edict=Een gebod, bevel, afkondiging
Wholesom=Gezond, heylzaam, heelzaam
Eat up=Opeeten, vernielen
Suffer=Toelaten

Topics: poverty and wealth, order/society, punishment, equality

Categories: Coriolanus, equality, poverty and wealth, punishment|

They’ll sit by th’ fire, and presume to know what’s done i’th’ Capitol

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 1.1
SPEAKER: Martius
CONTEXT:
MARTIUS
Hang ’em! They say!
They’ll sit by the fire, and presume to know
What’s done i’ the Capitol; who’s like to rise,
Who thrives and who declines; side factions and give out
Conjectural marriages; making parties strong
And feebling such as stand not in their liking
Below their cobbled shoes. They say there’s
grain enough!
Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,
And let me use my sword, I’ll make a quarry
With thousands of these quarter’d slaves, as high
As I could pick my lance.
MENENIUS
Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;
For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
What says the other troop?

DUTCH:
Hang ze op! Zij zeggen!
Aan ‘t haardvuur zittend willen ze alles weten,
Wat op het Kapitool geschiedt: wie rijst,
Wie heerscht, wie daalt; partijen doen ze ontstaan,
En gissen echt op echt; verheffen dezen,
En treden niet gelapten schoen op genen,
Die hun mishaagt!

MORE:
Like=Likely
Side=Take the side of, side with
Quarry=A reward (usually dead game) given to hounds
Pick=Pitch, throw
To feeble=Enfeeble, weaken
Ruth=Pity (hence ruthless, which is still used)
Conjectural=Founded on conjecture, formed by guess
Marriages=Unions
Passing=Beyond
Troop=Group of citizens
Compleat:
Quarry=Prooy; Hey gewey, den afval of ‘t ingewand van ‘t geveld hart dat men de honden tot een belooning geeft
Feeble=Zwak, slap
Ruthfull=Mededoogend; medoogens waardig
Conjectural=Op gissing steunende
Passing=Zeer, uitsteekend
Troop=Bende, hoop; tröp

Topics: poverty and wealth, equality, order/society, excess

Categories: Coriolanus, excess, order/society, poverty and wealth|

They said they were an-hungry; sigh’d forth proverbs

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 1.1
SPEAKER: Martius
CONTEXT:
MENENIUS
Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;
For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
What says the other troop?
MARTIUS
They are dissolved: hang ’em!
They said they were an-hungry; sigh’d forth proverbs,
That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,
That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent not
Corn for the rich men only: with these shreds
They vented their complainings; which being answer’d,
And a petition granted them, a strange one—
To break the heart of generosity,
And make bold power look pale—they threw their caps
As they would hang them on the horns o’ the moon,
Shouting their emulation.

DUTCH:
Zij schreeuwden over honger, kermden spreuken,
Als: nood breekt wet; ook honden moeten eten;
De spijs is voor den mond; de goden zenden
Niet enkel rijken graan; — met zulke lappen
Omhingen zij hun klachten.

MORE:
Proverb: Cast your cap at the moon
Other proverbs:
Dogs must eat
Small birds must have meat
Hunger breaks down (pierces) stone walls (Hunger is made of gunpowder of gunpowder of hunger; for they both eat through stone walls.)
Meat was made for mouths

An-hungry (or a-hungry). Very hungry (anhungered=very hungry, 1300)
Dissolved=Dispersed
Vented their complainings=Aired their grievances
Answered=Granted (petitions)
Generosity=Nobility
Emulation=Endeavour or ambition to equal or excel, envious rivalry
Shreds=Fragments, patches
Compleat:
Dissolve=Ontbinden, gescheiden
Vent=Uiten
Generosity=Edelmoedigheid, grootmoedigheid
Emulation=Volgzucht, afgunst

Burgersdijk notes:
Of zij wierpen hun mutsen. Sh. wilde voor zijn publiek verstaanbaar zijn, en sprak, zonder schroom,
van de mutsen der Romeinen. Zoo wordt ook bij het smeeken de muts afgenomen, zie 3.2.

Topics: proverbs and idioms, still in use, invented or poularised, poverty and wealth

Categories: Coriolanus, invented or poularised, poverty and wealth, proverbs and idioms|

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