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Coriolanus is a classic tragedy by William Shakespeare based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Gaius Martius Coriolanus.
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Fast Facts
- Writer: William Shakespeare
- Written: 1608
- Setting: Various parts of Italy and the Roman Empire
- Primary source: Life of Coriolanus - Plutarch
- First publication: 1623
- ISBN 1903436648
- First performance: 1682 at Drury Lane
- Ran for 4 performances on Broadway in 1938
- Famous actors to portray Coriolanus: Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Gerard Butler, Ralph Fiennes
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Synopsis
Coriolanus tells the story of the proud Roman warrior Gaius Martius, who leads Rome to victory against its enemy the Volscians. The Senate offers to make Coriolanus consul. Before he can accept the position he must plead for the votes of the plebeians, whom he derides. Two Roman tribunes, Brutus and Sicinius view Coriolanus as an enemy of the people, and organize an opposition to him. Angered by this opposition, Coriolanus rails against the idea of popular rule and is exiled from Rome. Desiring revenge against Rome, Coriolanus appeals to his former enemy, the Volscian general Aufidius, and helps them lead a successful campaign against Rome. Coriolanus' mother Volumnia successfully convinces her son to end his march on Rome. Coriolanus and Aufidius return to Antium victoriously. Aufidius however, jealously declares Coriolanus's failure to take Rome as treachery and in the ensuing argument, some of Aufidius' men assassinate Coriolanus. -
Main Characters
- Caius Martius: later Coriolanus, A Roman general
- Volumnia: Coriolanus's mother
- Menenius: A Roman nobleman and a friend to Coriolanus.
- Brutus: A Roman tribune elected by the common people as their representative in the government.
- Sicinius: A Roman tribune and Brutus' ally
- Tullus Aufidius: A general of the Volscians, Rome's enemy.
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The Mahalo Top 7
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Wikipedia: Coriolanus
en.wikipedia.org -
SparkNotes: Coriolanus Study Guide
sparknotes.com -
GradeSaver: Coriolanus Study Guide
Crystal - Comprehensive and informative
gradesaver.com -
Royal Shakespeare Company: Exploring Shakespeare: Coriolanus
rsc.org.uk -
Project Gutenberg: Coriolanus Downloadable Full Text
gutenberg.org -
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet: Coriolanus Critical Essays
shakespeare.palomar.edu -
Internet Shakespeare Editions: Coriolanus Folio 1 (1623) Text
internetshakespeare.uvic.ca
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Wikipedia: Coriolanus
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Coriolanus on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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'Coriolanus' to take a stark look at war, economics, politics http://tinyurl.com/ybx9v5r
@daisy_jclcx | November 11, 2009 12:52 AM -
According to Variety, Gerard Butler will play Tullus Aufidius in Ralph Fiennes' forthcoming Coriolanus film http://bit.ly/3O017Z
@1623theatre | November 10, 2009 10:43 AM -
@CynthiaBarrett You know Gerard Butler is going to be in a remake of "Coriolanus" (snickering at name like I'm in jr. high)
@shannonfears | November 10, 2009 01:48 AM -
Gerard Butler spielt in Shakespeares "Coriolanus" - Kino-News 7910: In der Shakespeare-Verfilmung "Coriolanus", dem R... http://bit.ly/10u9Y
@kino_news | November 09, 2009 07:09 AM -
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Coriolanus on Amazon | View All
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Coriolanus (Oxford School Shakespeare) - $9.95
This edition is fully annotated, with the notes facing the text. There are helpful sections at the front, and at the back there is a very wide range of questions for students, as well as the background to "Shakespeare's England".
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Coriolanus (Dover Thrift Editions) - $2.00
A highly political play, Coriolanus concerns a military hero of ancient Rome who attempts to shift from his career as a general to become a candidate for public office--a disastrous move that leads to his collaborating with the enemy...
Amazon -
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Coriolanus by William Shakespeare. Published by MobileReference (mobi). - $0.99
This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every act and scene. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and ot...
Amazon -
Coriolanus (Signet Classics) - $5.95
The story of an Ancient Roman soldier whose political machinations and military might gain him heroic status, but ultimately lead to his assassination.
Amazon
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Ask a Question about Coriolanus 140 characters
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Coriolanus in TV and Films
- Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.
- 1965: Coriolanus (TV)
- 1979: Coriolanus (Morgan Freeman) (Denzel Washington)
- 1984: The Tragedy of Coriolanus (TV)
