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Play: Coriolanus Author: Shakespeare Text used: Arden Library ref: Key: enter from within enter from without exit inwards Exit outwards Act door Entering door Space-time indication Commentary /sc IN characters OUT and notes I.i Mutinous FIRST CITIZEN The other side o’ th’ A mutinous gathering in the streets Citizens city is risen. Why stay we prating of Rome. here? To th’ Capitol! (46-7) Menenius MENENIUS What work’s, my He meets the mutinous Citizens. countrymen, in hand? Where go you With bats and clubs? (54-5) Coriolanus MENENIUS What says the other troop? Coriolanus comes from the ‘other COR. They are dissolved. (203) troop’ whose off-stage shouts are heard at 45. Their petition has been granted by the authorities who are associated with the inner, Capitoline door. Messenger MESSENGER The news is, sir, the News comes from outwards, unless. (‘hastily’) Volsces are in arms. (223) Sicinius FIRST SENATOR Martius, ‘tis true... The Tribunes and Senators have Brutus The Volsces are in arms. (226) just heard the news from the Cominius Messenger, and thus enter from the Titus Lartius same door. other Senators Coriolanus FIRST SENATOR Your company to th’ The Senators exit inwards to the Senators Capitol, where I know Our greatest Capitol, and Senator directs the Cominius friends attend us. Citizens towards the outward door; Citizens FIRST SENATOR Hence to your but Coriolanus ironically invites homes, be gone!... them to the inward, Capitoline door COR. Nay, let them follow... and to the prospect of warfare; they Worshipful mutineers, Your valour ‘steal away’ in the opposite puts well forth. Pray follow... direction. Citizens steal away. (243-4, 247-9) Sicinius SICINIUS Let’s hence and hear How The Tribunes leave for the Capitol Brutus the dispatch is made. (275-6) to listen to the deliberations about Menenius the coming war. I.ii Aufidius FIRST SENATOR So your opinion is, MARKED congestion: change of Senators of Aufidius, That they of Rome are location to senate of Corioles: Corioles entered in our counsels...(1-2) inwards door. Aufidius SECOND SENATOR. Hie you to your Split exit: Aufidius outwards, they Senators bands. Let us alone to guard remain to defend city. Corioles....Bring up your army. (26-7, 29) I.iii Volumnia They set them down on two low stools MARKED congestion at inwards Virgilia and sew. (0.2) door. Change of location; new scene set with domestic props, perhaps brought on from outwards door by stage hands. The ladies enter from more private chambers. Gentlewoman GENTLEWOMAN Madam, the Lady She announces a visitor from Valeria is come to visit you. (26) outwards. Gentlewoman VOLUMNIA Tell Valeria, We are fit to She exits to admit Valeria. bid her welcome. (43-4) Valeria VALERIA You are manifest Valeria enters the domestic space. Usher housekeepers. (51) Gentlewoman 2 Valeria VALERIA Prithee, Virgilia, turn thy Valeria and Volumnia exit to visit Volumnia solemness out o’ door and go along ‘the good lady that lies in’ (76), but Virgilia with us. Virgilia refuses to leave her house VIRGILIA. No, at a word, madam. while Coriolanus is at war. Indeed, I must not. (105-9) I.iv Coriolanus as before the city of Corioles MARKED congestion as the stage Lartius is reset. For the battle scenes of the Soldiers rest of Act I, the city of Corioles becomes the inwards locality, the Roman camp the outwards. Messenger To them a Messenger The Messenger brings news of the COR. How far off lie these armies? more remote battlefield where MESSENGER Within this mile and Cominius and Aufidius are fighting. half. (8) The contrast between Corioles (inwards) and Roman camp and main battlefield (outwards) is strongly established. Senators on the walls of Corioles They enter and (probably at 22) exit ‘with others’ above. Army of the CORI. They fear us not, but issue forth The Volscian army emerges from Volsces their city. (23) inside the city. Coriolanus The Romans are beat back to their They are forced back outwards, Lartius trenches. towards the Roman camp. Soldiers Coriolanus COR. ...we’ll beat them to their wives, Coriolanus leads a counterattack, Soldiers As they us to our trenches. (42) emphasising the contrasting localities of inwards home and outwards battlefield. Volscians COR. So now the gates are ope... Coriolanus disappears into Soldiers FIRST SOLDIER See, they have shut Corioles. Coriolanus him in. (43, 46) Lartius LARTIUS What is become of Lartius re-enters after the retreat to Martius?(48) the trenches. Coriolanus Enter Martius, bleeding, assaulted by Coriolanus makes his retreat from the Enemy. within the city, still fighting. All LARTIUS Let’s fetch him off, or make Led by Coriolanus, the Romans remain alike. take Corioles. They fight, and all enter the city. (62) I.v Roman FIRST ROMAN This will I carry to MARKED congestion at inwards Soldiers Rome. (1) door. A pause with alarums covers the time required to conquer the city; congestion also marks the time-lapse. Soldiers They carry their booty to the camp. Coriolanus CORIO. ...what noise the general Coriolanus emerges to join in the Lartius makes. To him! (9) main battle. Trumpet Coriolanus CORIO. To Aufidius thus I will appear He exits to join in the main battle. and fight. (19-20) Lartius COR. ...take Convenient numbers to Lartius returns to secure the Trumpet make good the city...(11-12) conquest of Corioles. I.vi Cominius Enter Cominius, as it were in retire, Cominius makes a tactical retreat Soldiers with soldiers. from the main battlefield. COMINIUS Breathe you, my friends. (1) Messenger MESSENGER The citizens of Corioles He brings news from the direction have issued... (10) of Corioles. Coriolanus COR. Come I too late? (24) Now arriving from outwards to the field. All COR. Please you to march. (83) All exit to resume the fight on the main battlefield. I.vii Lartius LARTIUS So, let the ports be guarded. Lartius, having secured Corioles ... Lieutenant (1) 3 Soldiers Lieutenant LIEUT. Fear not our care, sir. (5) ... leaves officers in charge ... Lartius LARTIUS ...come; to th’ Roman camp ... and exits outwards to join the Soldiers conduct us. (7) main army. I.viii Coriolanus Alarum, as in battle’. Enter Martius and MINIMAL congestion minimised Aufidius Aufidius at several doors. by offstage sound effects. Binary battle pattern. Volscian certain Volsces come in aid of Aufidius . Stage left identified as the Volscian Soldiers side. Coriolanus Martius fights till they be driven in Coriolanus again carries battle into Aufidius, breathless enemy territory. Volscian Soldiers I.ix Cominius Enter, at one door, Cominius, with the MINIMAL congestion covered by Romans Romans; at another door, Martius . offstage sound effects of fighting. Coriolanus Coriolanus completes a backloop. Lartius Enter Titus, with his Power, from the Lartius has witnessed Coriolanus’ Soldiers pursuit. most recent deeds against Aufidius. Cominius COM. So, to our tent... You, Titus Fork in the road: Lartius is being Coriolanus Lartius, Must to Corioles back. (71-4) sent back to Corioles, Cominius and Soldiers Coriolanus to their tent. Final exits Lartius from the battlefield, again specifically locating the Roman camp and Corioles. I.x Aufidius AUF. The town is ta’en... Aufidius re-enters by the door Soldiers through which he exited in battle with Coriolanus. The congestion of Aufidius’ re-entry, crossing the solitary Lartius, together with the flourish and cornets which begin the scene, reset the stage. Aufidius ...Go you to th’ city... I am attended at This has the marks of a loop scene, Soldiers the cypress grove:... ‘Tis south the but the specification of separate city mills. (27, 30-1) destinations seems to demand separate exits, even though this creates congestion. II.i Menenius The augurer tells me we shall have news Back in Rome, they come out Sicinius tonight. (1) preparing for news from the battle. Brutus Volumnia VOL...my boy Martius approaches. For They are heading from home, Virgilia the love of Juno, let’s go. (99-100) where they have received letters, in Valeria the direction of the city gates. Cominius HER. Welcome to Rome, renowned Entering the city in triumph after a Lartius Coriolanus! (165) military campaign. Coriolanus Soldiers Herald Menenius COM. On, to the Capitol! (202) Procession ‘in state’ to the Capitol, Volumnia the city’s innermost sanctum. Virgilia Valeria Cominius Lartius Coriolanus Soldiers Herald Messenger MESS. You are sent for to th’ Capitol. (249) Sicinius BRU. Let’s to the Capitol... (257) Exit inwards. Brutus II.ii Two Officers Enter two Officers, to lay cushions, as it Minor characters, whose entry from were in the Capitol. DL avoids congestion. No entries or 1 OFF. Come, come, they are almost exits seem to occur inwards to or 4 here. (1) from the Capitol. Patricians MEN. ...Coriolanus, whom We met here Carousel move: processional entry Sicinius both to thank and to remember With to the Capitol. Brutus honours like himself. (46-8) Lictors Coriolanus Menenius Cominius Coriolanus COR. I had rather have my wounds to Coriolanus departs the Senate rather heal again Than hear say how I got than hear an oration in his praise... them. (75) Coriolanus 1 SEN. Call Coriolanus. ...and re-enters. OFF. He doth appear. (130-1) Coriolanus MEN. It then remains that you do speak Processional exit of the Senate, in Menenius to the people. (132-3) preparation for Coriolanus’ Cominius appearance in the Market-place. Patricians Lictors Sicinius BRU. On th’ market-place I know they The Tribunes exit for the Market- Brutus [the people] do attend us. (159-60) place. II.iii Citizens 1 CIT. Once if he do require our voices, The Citizens enter from inwards, we ought not to deny him. (1-2) establishing the new location as the Market-place.