"Coriolanus" by William Shakespeare

"Coriolanus" is said to be the most political of all Shakespeare plays. it is about a great Roman war hero who knows his way around the battlefield but not into the hearts of his own people. Refusing to soften his image and conform to social customs, he turns the people against him and causes his own downfall.

The image of a politician is perhaps even more important that what he and his party stands for. We live in a culture full of celebrities and false idols. What the play shows, which remains true until today, is that one's good deeds are not enough; one has to magnify and display them for all to see. Politicians lie, whether or not they want to, because they have to; they will do whatever it takes to be liked because they can achieve nothing without. Coriolanus is willing to not be liked, unable to foresee that being liked is necessary for him to keep his position. As the play goes to show, he cannot continue to serve Rome because he refuses to comply with the people's will.

The play is not one of the best cases of character studies. While Coriolanus is well-developed enough, he pales in comparison to other Shakespeare tragic heroes. He has many great fiery moments, but the tenderer, more humane ones are not sufficiently explored. Aufidius, the main villain, is inconsistent and shallow, and never quite grows into a well-rounded person. The most interesting character is Volumnia, the mother of Coriolanus, who raises him to be a war hero and later persuades him to reconcile with Rome after everybody else had failed. Through Volumnia Shakespeare once again shows his value of women and his ability to create strong female characters that triumph over men.

I enjoyed reading this play a lot more than the previous tragedies based on Roman histories, including "Julius Caesar" and "Antony & Cleopatra." It moves at a fast pace and focuses only on the main story line (no clowns or whores here). This play is not nearly as well-known as it should be, but it is one that, I believe, will always be relevant.