Coriolanus

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 156K words
Chapters: 16

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 Shakespeare. Author: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Language: Finnish. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Dec 26, 2006

Editor's review

Coriolanus is a late Roman tragedy by Shakespeare, telling of a general of outstanding military achievement who, through arrogance and political missteps, falls from city hero to exile and ultimately death. The play is sharply drawn in its portrayal of power, public opinion and personal pride, alternating crowd scenes with senate debate, and remains an important text for understanding the relationship between politics and human nature. This Project Gutenberg edition is in Finnish, a public-domain electronic text that preserves the play's dramatic structure, suitable for comparative reading or language study. Its value in reading lies in: first, observing how Shakespeare handles historical material and political conflict; second, the Finnish translation offering a sample for studying translation language and the rendering of dramatic dialogue. Note that the plot is heavy and the dialogue dense, and this edition is not the English original; readers should choose according to their language ability and reading purpose.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers familiar with Shakespeare who wish to expand into his Roman plays
Readers studying Finnish literary translation or the language of translated texts
Advanced readers interested in political tragedy and themes of power
Teachers and students who need a public-domain dramatic text for coursework or research materials

Not a good fit for

Beginners new to Shakespeare who need introductions and annotations
Readers who do not read Finnish and only wish to read the English original
Readers who prefer light entertainment and have no interest in tragedy

Reading tips

Start with a plot summary and character relationships before entering the dialogue to lower the threshold of understanding.
Focus on the crowd scenes and the protagonist's monologues, taking notes on the themes of power and public opinion.
If studying the translation, select key passages for side-by-side comparison with the English original.
Read act by act, reviewing the changes in the protagonist's situation after each act.

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

What language is this edition in?

According to Project Gutenberg's information, the book is in Finnish; it is a Finnish translation, not Shakespeare's English original, so confirm your language needs before choosing to read it.

Can I read it without any Shakespeare background?

You can, but it is quite difficult. The play has many characters and a complex political background, and this is a Finnish translation; it is advisable to first build a framework with a plot summary and character list, then read act by act.

What is this play mainly about?

It tells of the Roman general Coriolanus, renowned for military achievement but whose arrogance offends the people; exiled, he joins an enemy state and is ultimately destroyed between family loyalty and politics. Its core is the conflict among pride, public opinion and power.

Is it suitable as material for a drama course?

It is suitable as a public-domain dramatic text, especially for studying the language of translation or for comparative reading. For classroom teaching, teachers are advised to supplement historical background and explanations of character relationships.

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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.