Original: O good but most unwise patricians! why,
Modern: Oh you good but very foolish nobles! Why,

Original: You grave but reckless senators, have you thus
Modern: You serious but careless senators, have you done this—

Original: Given Hydra here to choose an officer,
Modern: Given this many-headed monster the power to choose a leader,

Original: That with his peremptory ‘shall,’ being but
Modern: Who with his demanding “I will,” being nothing but

Original: The horn and noise o’ the monster’s, wants not spirit
Modern: The loud voice of this beast, has enough nerve

Original: To say he’ll turn your current in a ditch,
Modern: To say he’ll divert your river into a ditch,

Original: And make your channel his? If he have power
Modern: And make your waterway belong to him? If he has power

Original: Then vail your ignorance; if none, awake
Modern: Then bow down to your own ignorance; if he has none, then wake up

Original: Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn’d,
Modern: Your dangerous softness. If you are educated,

Original: Be not as common fools; if you are not,
Modern: Don’t act like ordinary fools; if you’re not educated,

Original: Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians,
Modern: Then let them sit in the seats of honor beside you. You are commoners,

Original: If they be senators: and they are no less,
Modern: If they are senators: and they are just as much senators,

Original: When, both your voices blended, the great’st taste
Modern: When both your voices are mixed together, most people prefer

Original: Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate,
Modern: Their taste over yours. They choose their own official,

Original: And such a one as he, who puts his ‘shall,’
Modern: And one like him, who sets his “I will,”

Original: His popular ‘shall’ against a graver bench
Modern: His crowd-pleasing “I will” against a more serious court

Original: Than ever frown in Greece. By Jove himself!
Modern: Than ever existed in Greece. By Jupiter himself!

Original: It makes the consuls base: and my soul aches
Modern: It makes the consuls look cheap: and my soul hurts

Original: To know, when two authorities are up,
Modern: To know that when two powers are competing,

Original: Neither supreme, how soon confusion
Modern: Neither one in complete control, how quickly chaos

Original: May enter ‘twixt the gap of both and take
Modern: May slip in between them both and destroy

Original: The one by the other.
Modern: One by using the other.

In Act III, Scene 1 of Coriolanus, the Roman general Caius Marcius Coriolanus encounters the tribunes Sicinius and Brutus in a public space in Rome, accompanied by various citizens, senators, and patricians. The tribunes confront Coriolanus about his opposition to distributing free grain to the plebeians, accusing him of being an enemy to the people’s welfare. Coriolanus responds with characteristic disdain for the common citizens and democratic processes, arguing that giving free grain to the people without requiring service in return will only encourage laziness and undermine Roman strength. His inflammatory rhetoric and refusal to moderate his position escalate tensions with both the tribunes and the gathered crowd.

The conflict intensifies when Coriolanus openly declares his contempt for the tribunate itself, calling it a threat to Roman tradition and senatorial authority. The tribunes seize upon his words as treasonous, formally accusing him of being an enemy of the people and attempting to have him arrested. Coriolanus’s supporters, including Menenius and other patricians, try to intervene and calm the situation, but Coriolanus continues to speak defiantly against popular government. The scene erupts into chaos as citizens become increasingly agitated by Coriolanus’s harsh words, and the tribunes work to inflame popular sentiment against him. The patricians eventually manage to escort Coriolanus away from the volatile crowd, but not before significant damage has been done to his political standing and relationship with the Roman people.

Coriolanus tells the tragic story of a Roman military hero whose pride and contempt for the common people ultimately leads to his downfall. The play opens with Roman citizens rioting over grain shortages, angry at the patrician class’s indifference to their suffering. Caius Marcius, a fierce Roman general, successfully leads the siege against the Volscian city of Corioles, earning the honorary name “Coriolanus.” Despite his military prowess, he openly despises the plebeians (common citizens) and reluctantly agrees to seek the consulship only at his mother Volumnia’s urging.

When Coriolanus runs for consul, he must follow tradition by displaying his war wounds to the citizens and asking for their votes. Though initially successful, the tribunes Brutus and Sicinius manipulate the fickle crowd against him, exploiting his arrogant nature and aristocratic disdain. When Coriolanus explodes in rage against the people’s ingratitude and the democratic process itself, he is banished from Rome. His famous response - “I banish you!” - reveals his wounded pride and inability to bend to political necessity.

In exile, Coriolanus seeks out his former enemy Aufidius, leader of the Volscians, and offers to help destroy Rome in revenge. Together they march on the city with devastating success. As Rome faces imminent destruction, various delegations plead with Coriolanus to spare the city, but he remains unmoved until his mother Volumnia, wife Virgilia, and young son appear before him. In the play’s climactic scene, Volumnia’s emotional appeal finally breaks through his resolve, and he agrees to make peace - knowing this decision will likely cost him his life. True to expectation, Aufidius and his conspirators kill Coriolanus for his “betrayal,” viewing his mercy toward Rome as weakness and treachery to their cause.