Coriolanus

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 168K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Coriolanus by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jun 1, 1999

Editor's review

Coriolanus is the sternest of Shakespeare's late Roman plays, telling of a general of outstanding military merit who moves toward destruction because of his arrogance and lack of political skill. The play brings the opposition between military honor and popular politics to the fore, depicting both courage on the battlefield and demagoguery and betrayal in the public square, with sharp character language and concentrated conflict. Compared with Antony and Cleopatra, this play focuses more on the power struggle within the city-state and human weaknesses, and is suitable for readers interested in political ethics, crowd psychology, and the tragedy of the hero. This electronic edition is a public-domain English text of refined length, suitable as extended reading for a thematic study of Shakespeare's tragedies, and also convenient for classroom analysis of speeches, public sentiment, and responsibility.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Shakespeare readers interested in political tragedy and the fate of heroes
Teachers and students who need the English original for classroom discussion
General readers concerned with crowd psychology and the rhetoric of speeches

Not a good fit for

Beginners with limited English reading experience who find the original's long sentences difficult
Casual readers who prefer warm-hearted stories or light comedies
Readers who want detailed annotations and background introductions

Reading tips

Before reading, first clarify the power relations among the Roman plebeians, the senate, and the generals, to better grasp the conflict.
Focus on several of Coriolanus's public speeches, noting how his wording intensifies the opposition.
Record changes in the protagonist's attitude act by act, and after finishing look back to see whether his ending was foreshadowed early on.
It can be read in comparison with Antony and Cleopatra, comparing how the two plays handle politics and the individual.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play related to Antony and Cleopatra?

Both are plays by Shakespeare on Roman history, and both themes involve the conflict between politics and personal character, but the stories and characters are different. They can be read in comparison but do not form a continuous plot.

Is the English original difficult to read?

The original has the vocabulary and sentence patterns of early modern English, which poses some difficulty for non-native readers. It is advisable to read alongside a plot summary, character list, and necessary historical background, in installments by act.

Is it suitable for classroom use?

Yes. Issues such as speeches, the direction of public sentiment, and political responsibility in the play are easy to organize discussion around; you can arrange role readings and group debates to help understand the characters' positions.

Comments

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.