QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Coriolanus ACT/SCENE: 3.2 SPEAKER: Coriolanus CONTEXT: CORIOLANUS
Let them puff all about mine ears, present me
Death on the wheel or at wild horses’ heels,
Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock,
That the precipitation might down stretch
Below the beam of sight, yet will I still
Be thus to them.
A PATRICIAN
You do the nobler.
CORIOLANUS
I muse my mother
Does not approve me further, who was wont
To call them woollen vassals, things created
To buy and sell with groats, to show bare heads
In congregations, to yawn, be still and wonder,
When one but of my ordinance stood up
To speak of peace or war. I talk of you:
Why did you wish me milder? would you have me
False to my nature? Rather say I play
The man I am.
VOLUMNIA
O, sir, sir, sir,
I would have had you put your power well on,
Before you had worn it out. DUTCH: Hadt gij uw eervol machtkleed aangedaan,
Aleer gij ‘t hadt versleten! MORE: Precipitation=Being thrown headlong off the rock
I muse=I am astonished, I wonder
Woollen vassals=Slaves dressed in rough, coarse clothing
Groats=Pence
Ordinance=Order, rank
Compleat:
To precipitate=(throw down) Plotseling van boven neer storten of werpen, haastig voortdryven, onbedachtelyk verhaasten
Muse=Bepeinzen
Vassal=Leenman, onderdaan
Ordinance=Inzetting, instelling Topics: authority, appearance, deceit, status