IOC

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Annotated Version Of the Passage (Act 1 Scene 4) (Line 41-82) Page 53-55

This passage is an extract from Shakespeare political play Coriolanus, this specific piece of text was taken from the end of Act 1 Scene 4. 

Coriolanus was believe to be written in the 1600, more specially between 1607-1608. It was a political play that tackled. . set in the aftermath of the fall of Tarquin, the last king of Rome (who is referred to in the text several times), and Shakespeare does a good job in focusing on the struggle between the plebeians and patricians during Rome's transition from monarchy to republic state. And we defiantly see that throughout the play. 

Referring back to the passage, as mentioned previously, this passage was extracted from Act 1 Scene 4, just to give a brief summary of where the plot is at this part of the play: We were introduced to many of the main characters and we’ve seen the plebeian vs patricans conflict, in addition we are introduced to Coriolanus or at this part of the play known as Caius Martius. Shakespeare demonstrated  him as a character who isn’t necessarily pleasant to speak with if you're a plebeian, as evident in the opening scene, we see him dehumanise and verbally abuse the plebeians within the use of vicious animal and body imagery. However in Act 1 Scene 4, which is where this passage is extracted from, Shakespeare know shines a different type of light on Caius Martius which shows the audience the other side of him, which is a hero in the battle field in correspondence of being labeled a the common enemy back in Rome, although he is fighting for Rome, which is quite ironic. Act 1 Scene 4, is in the middle of war for Corioles against the Volscens who were enemies of Rome. Basically, Caius Martius is let down by his group of soldiers who refuse to fight out fear. Shakespeare, as he commonly does give Coriolanus Demi-god like powers to single handily take the city of Corioles and conquer in name of the Rome, if we refer back, is the same city that highlighted him as the “common enemy”.

B: Throughout The structure of this passage, we are able to identify Shakespeare  consist use of figurative language and  that is used as a way of further characterisation as well as effect it has on both the audience and the way it contributes to the plot of the story. As mentioned before this passage is in the middle of the war against the Volsces where Caius Martius is trying to motivate his men to fight for Rome. The passage starts off with him delivering a motional speech in hopes to motive his men to get up and fight rather than give up. Caius Martius says:  Go tot the script. 

1)All the continuation of the south light on you: Diseases (Body politic)

2)Boils and Plagues: Disease (You shames of Rome) abusing them for their lack of courage. 

3)abhorred and one infect another ( Disease imagery) Infecting and ruining Rome, Shakespeare leaves the effect on the reader on how Caius Martius treats those who show no courage (Plebeians)  

4)You souls of Geese: Animal Imagery (We begin to see how he uses animal imagery yet again) Previously we see him compare the plebeians to rats. 

5)Pluto and Hell : Religious or god related, which makes sense as Pluto god of the underworld. 

6) We’ll beat them to their wives: Characterisation as the audience are now much more familiar with this side of Caius Martius, which is his vicious and barbaric blood thirsty attitude, all in hope to find some way to motivate these soldiers to fight with him. 

7) Not for the fakers: mark me, and do the like:This is not for the voices, this is for us, not the cowards, Follow me. 

8)Clapp’d to their gates: Him against the army. 

9) Outdates his senseless sword: As a human,he is incapable of sensation. (Foreshadowing) and even underlying his god like abilities as he does manage to win it all and does the “incapable”

10) A Carbuncle entire, as big as thou art. Even to Cato’s wish : He is precious like a red stone (Foreshadowing) to when he is banished and exiled from Rome, he is also compared Cato who was military hero. So is discusses how important is it to have someone like Coriolanus, someone with his brave and courageous attitude. 

11)   The Thunder-like percussion of thy sounds, Thou midst thine enemies shake, as if the world were feverous and did tremble. (God like abilities) 
The passage more or less focuses on Shakespeare demonstration of Coriolanus, he displays him with similar attributes to military hero and gods. The focus is really on how we see Coriolanus now in action, so it gives the reader a better idea on who he is and creates some confusion in the plot. As audience are left thinking: This is your so called “Common Enemy?’ he single handily defeats the volsces and gains Coriles in the name of Rome. So, regarding the way the plot will lay after this, is that Caius martius is rewarded with the name of Coriolanus “conqueror of Corioli” which is where the theme of power is really going to show in the sense of politics. Because Coriolanus adopt such a heroic manner in the battlefield but develops the plot to see if Coriolanus major internal conflict(Relationship with plebeians) will effect his political stance.