 Hello and welcome to our video, summarizing all you need to know about Coriolanus, a play by William Shakespeare. My name is Barney and in this video we will look at Coriolanus, specifically beginning with some context related to the author William Shakespeare, as well as ideas at the time this play was written that you will need to be aware of. We will then look into the play's plot in detail and examine the necessary information you will need to know about it, before looking at each character in the play in depth, key themes related to this play, as well as important symbols. This video is really useful, especially if you are studying Coriolanus as part of your English coursework or exams. As we will go into the details, you will need to know to get top marks. So let's get started. Overview Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of legendary Romans leader, Caes Marcius Coriolanus. The tragedy is one of the last two tragedies written by Shakespeare, along with Antony and Cleopatra. Coriolanus is the name given to a Roman general after his military success against various uprisings challenging the government of Rome. Following his success, Coriolanus becomes active in politics and seeks political leadership. His temperament is unsuited for popular leadership and he is quickly deposed, whereupon he aligns himself to set matters straight, according to his own will. The alliances he forges along the way result in his ultimate downfall. A full-throttle war play that revels in the sweat of the battlefield, Coriolanus transports us back to the emergence of the Republic of Rome. Moving on to plot summary, Minenius tries to calm a mutiny among the Roman citizens over the way they have been treated by the nobles. His friend Caes Marcius treats them with contempt and the citizens disperse. Marcius' attitude arises the anger of the tribunes, Cicinius and Brutus. News arrives that the Walses are in arms under Phidius, who has been sent into attack Rome. Volumnia in Virgilia proudly discusses Marcius' earlier feats and are visited by Villeria, reports Marcius' arrival at the Walsin city of Coriolis. The generals, Cuminius and Titus Larshus attack. Marcius plays a major role in several skirmishes and there's a fight between him and Phidius, after which Coriolis is captured. For his part in the battle, Marcius is given the honorary title of Coriolanus. Coriolanus returns to Rome where he meets his family and finds himself nominated for a consulship. For the nomination to be valid, he needs to present himself humbly to the people and obtain their warts, a task which he carries out crudgingly. The people do give him their warts but Brutus and Cicinius then portray him as the people's enemy and they change their minds. When this is reported to Coriolanus, he cannot contain his anger. He speaks out against the people and is accused of being a traitor. A violent confrontation forces him to leave. After being advised by his family and friends, he returns to meet the people intending to speak mildly but is unable to control himself at their taunts and is banished while Lamnia delivers some harsh words to the tribunes. The Walsians meanwhile have taken up arms again. Coriolanus goes to offer his services to Phidius and he is made welcome. When the news of this alliance reaches Rome, there is panic and the people begin to regret what they have done. They send supplicants to ask Coriolanus to spare Rome. He rejects the approaches of Cominius and Minanius but eventually yields to Lamnia, Vigilia, Valeria and young Marshes who are received back in Rome with great joy. Meanwhile, the popularity of Coriolanus grows among the Walsians much to Phidius' dismay. He meets with a group of conspirators and when Coriolanus returns he is once again called a traitor and killed. Of Phidius immediately regrets his actions and the Walsians prepare to give him a noble funeral. Moving on to a detailed summary. Act 1, Scene 1. The play begins in the city of Rome where the common people or plebeians are writing against their rulers the patrician class whom they accuse of hoarding grain while the common people are starving. The plebeians demand the right to set the price of grain rather than accept a price imposed by the senate, the governing body run by the patricians and the single-lutt chaos Marshes, a patrician general and war hero as the chief enemy to the people. As they make their way to the capital they are intercepted by Minanius, a patrician and a friend of Marshes who tells the mob that the patricians have their best interests at heart. He compares the role of the senate in Rome to the role of the stomach in the human body. The stomach serves as a storehouse and collecting place for all the nutrients and then dispenses them throughout the rest of the body. Similarly, the patricians collect and dispense grain to the entire city. As Minanius and the writers argue K.S. Marshes himself comes in and delivers a general curse to the mob calling them dogs and cowards. He then tells Minanius that the senate has agreed to allow the plebeians to elect five tribunes or representatives to advocate for their interests in the Roman state. At that moment, a messenger dashes in, bringing word that the waltzes, one of Rome's enemies among the Italian tribes, are arming for war. Marshes declares that war will be good for the city and notes that the waltzes are led by a great general, Dolos Ophidius, whom he respects as a worthy adversary. A group of senators has come in and they now order Minanius, who is the consul or chief magistrate of Rome for the year, and Titus Luscious, another patrician, to command the impending war. Marshes will act as a lieutenant under Communus. The crowd disperses and the senators return to the capital to prepare for the campaign. Meanwhile, the plebeians have already elected their tribunes. Two of these, Cicinius and Brutus, have been watching Marshes' behavior and now they both comment on how proud and domineering he actually is. Cicinius wonders how he will bear being under the command of Communus, but Brutus points out that by being second in command, Marshes will escape blame if things go badly, yet he will receive all the credit if things go well. Act one, scene two. Dolos Ophidius consults with waltzian senators in the Senate House and Coriolis. A senator asks Ophidius to confirm his opinion that the Romans know the waltzians' plans. Ophidius confirms this, asking that the senators expect since nothing planned in Coriolis can be brought into action before Rome catches word of it and comes up with a countermeasure. He reads from a letter that he received four days ago, which reports that Rome has gathered an army. The report says that included in that army a Cominius, Chaos Marshes, who is Ophidius' old enemy and is hated by Rome more than Ophidius himself is, and Titus Loshus, a valiant soldier. This army is most likely moving towards Coriolis. The waltzian senator says that he has never had any doubt that Rome would be ready to respond, and Ophidius laments that the early discovery of their plan, taking as many times as possible before Rome found out, has hindered their ability to execute it. A second senator tells Ophidius to take his commission and leave them to defend Coriolis unless his army is desperately needed. But Ophidius says that some of the Roman army is already on their way, and he has no doubt that they're well prepared for the war. He tells the senators that he and Chaos Marshes have sworn to fight to death, if they ever fight again. The senators wish him luck in this battle, and he wishes them safety in the coming war. Act I, scene three. In Rome, meanwhile, Olamnia and Virgilia, Chaos Marshes' mother and wife, respectively, sit suing together. Olamnia tells her daughter-in-law how she raised Marshes to be a great soldier, and takes more enjoyment from his victories than she would from a husband's embrace. She expresses the hope that he will crush the waltzians and Toulouse of Phidius in the coming war, and insists upon the beauty of bloody wounds. The two women are visited by Valeria, another Roman noble woman, and the three discuss Virgilia and Marshes' son, who takes after his father and his appetite for physical activity and fighting. Then Valeria tells them the news from the battlefield, while Cuminius has taken part of the Roman army to meet with Phidius' forces in the field. Titus Larshes and Marshes are leading the rest of the army in his age against Coriolis. Act I, scene four. At Coriolis, the waltzian senators come to the waltz to parlay with Marshes and Larshes, warning the Romans and Phidius' army will soon return to rescue their city. They send out what troops have stayed behind in a sortie against the besasures. The waltzians drive the Romans back to their trenches before Marshes, cursing his men for their carbidice, leads them back all the way up to the gates of the city. However, in the course of the battle, he is cut off from his troops and trapped within the walls of Coriolis. Larshes assumes that he is dead. However, Marshes single-handedly holds off the waltzians, forces the gate open and allows the Roman army to surge in and seize the city. Act I, scene five. Some Roman soldiers enter a street in Coriolis, carrying spoils they intend to bring back to Rome. Marshes and Larshes then enter and Marshes curses the soldiers for taking spoils even before the fighting is over. After they exit, a battle alarm is sounded in the distance, which Marshes recognizes as Cominius. Marshes believes that his enemy, the man of his soul's hate, Phidius, is the one attacking Romans on the other side of the city. He instructs Larshes to secure the city while he, along with those bold enough, goes to help Cominius to fight Phidius. Larshes points out that Marshes is bleeding, saying that he has been injured too much in the first violent episode to continue fighting. But Marshes says he has only just gotten started. He reassures Larshes that the blood he's losing is not dangerous, but is in fact curative to him. He will appear to and fight Phidius in his bloodied state. The two men wish each other luck and exit to carry out Marshes' plan of action. Act I, scene six. Near the Roman camp, Cominius enters with Roman soldiers. He commands his troops on a battle well fought, but warns them that the Walshians are likely to charge again. He believes that the Roman gods are causing their success, and he thanks the troops for their service. A messenger enters, reporting that Walshian soldiers drove Larshes and Marshes to their trenches over an hour ago. Even though the camp is only a mile away, the messenger was chased by a Walshian spies on his way and forced to take a longer route. The messenger exits. K.S. Marshes then enters the camp in a bloodied state that Cominius has seen many times before. Marshes repeatedly asks if he has come too late, and Cominius responds that he is only too late if he has come covered in his own blood, rather than the blood of Walshians. Marshes then embraces his general. In arms is sound as when he would, as merry as when his nuptial day was done. Act I, scene seven. Before the gates of Corioles, Larshes orders Roman soldiers to take up guard posts. If needed, these soldiers should come to aid the rest of the army, since a loss in the battlefield will mean the loss of the city. Lieutenant agrees to obey the orders, and Larshes orders the new guards to shut the gate, and then he heads to the Roman camp. Act I, scene eight. K.S. Marshes and Phidius enter at opposite sides of the battlefield near the Roman camp. Marshes says that he will fight with no one other than Phidius, whom he despises. Phidius hates Marshes equally. The first of Lee or try to escape the battle, they agree will die the other slave, or will be hunted down like an animal. Marshes prags that he fought for three hours within the walls of Corioles, and was able to do so easily. The blood that covers his body is not his own. He codes of Phidius to try his best for revenge, and Phidius says he will not let Marshes escape, no matter what. The two begin to fight, and waltzing soldiers come to aid Phidius. But Phidius complains that their support shames him. Marshes fights them all and beats them back. Act I, scene nine. Kuminius and the Roman soldiers are met by Marshes, whose arm is tied in a sling. Kuminius says the deeds Marshes has done that day are so spectacular that if recited, Marshes himself would not believe them. Kuminius wants to reward Marshes for his bravery. Kuminius offers him his choice of all of the horses they have taken in the war, but Marshes refuses, saying that he cannot consent to take a bribe for his sword. He refuses the gifts and asks for no more spoils than every other soldier who did his part. Act I, scene 10. A bloody talus of Phidius enters the waltzing camp with some waltzing soldiers. Phidius reports that the town has been taken, but a soldier believes that Rome will give the city back one good terms. Phidius says that he wishes he were a Roman. Since in being a waltzing, he cannot be himself. Furthermore, he doesn't believe Rome will agree to any such terms. He laments that he has fought with and lost against Marshes five times. And he knows that Marshes would beat him every time, even if they fought as often as they eat. Phidius swears by the elements that if he and Marshes meet again, beard to beard, one will kill the other. Yet no longer does their rivalry have honour. For while of Phidius once hoped to beat Marshes in hand-to-hand combat, he now hopes some craft or other method will help him win. A soldier calls Marshes the Devil, and Phidius says that Marshes is even bolder than the Devil, though less subtle. Nothing in the world he says can lift his hatred of Marshes, whom he still hopes to kill. He instructs the waltzing soldiers to gather information about the Roman occupation and they go their separate ways. Moving on to Act Two. Act Two, Scene One. In Rome, Brutus and Sassinius converse with Minanias as they await news from the battlefield. The two tribune criticise Kais Marshes, calling him overly proud and an enemy of the common people of Rome. In reply, Minanias tells them that they should look to their own faults before they criticise others. While he attacks them, Brutus and Sassinius points out that he is hardly a perfect public servant either. Indeed, he is better known as a witch and a gossip than as a great politician. The two tribunes stand aside as Willamnia, Vigilia and Valeria arrive with news of Marshes' victory. While Willamnia describes the wounds her son received in this campaign, Minanias gives thanks, both that his friend is alive and that Rome is victorious over the Walsians. Surrounded by his soldiers, Marshes, now Coriolanus enters Rome and greets his wife and mother. Then, accompanied by Cuminius, Titus Larshes and Minanias, he makes his way to the capital to greet the Senate. Left alone, Brutus and Sassinius worry that Coriolanus will be made consul in gratitude for his victories. They fear that once in power he will eliminate their office. However, they comfort themselves with the knowledge that the proud general is unlikely to go out in the marketplace and gain the votes of the common people, votes that he must have in order to be consul. Indeed, his contempt for the lower classes will likely destroy the popularity that his battlefield exploits have won him. Act II, Scene II. With these thoughts in mind, the two tribunes make their way to the capital where two officers are setting down cushions for the senators and discussing the likelihood of Coriolanus becoming consul. The senators come in and seat themselves and Minanias rises to recount Coriolanus' exploits against the Wallsians. The subject of his praise, embarrassed by the adulation, leaves the chamber while Minanias describes the battle and Coriolanus' great feats. Amazed by the account of his valor, the senators recall the war hero and declare that they are eager to make him consul. They advise him to dress himself in the toga of candidacy and go at once to the marketplace where he must describe his exploits and show his scars to the people and thereby gain their votes. Coriolanus begs to be allowed to avoid this custom since he finds the entire practice demeaning, but they insist that he must do it. Observing his reluctance and disdain for the common people, Brutus and Sassinius plot to stir up resentment against him. Act II, Scene III. In the marketplace, a collection of citizens discusses Coriolanus' candidacy, saying that if he uses his scars of battle and his appeal to them, they will probably make him consul. Then Coriolanus himself comes in, accompanied by Minanias, who offers encouragement and then leaves his rand alone with the crowds, which come to him in small groups. Coriolanus struggles and cannot conceal his customary arrogance, but by calling attention to his military service, he manages to convince a large body of the citizens to vote for him. Brutus and Sassinius will reluctantly acknowledge that he has passed the test and Minanias leads him back to the capital to be invested with the robes of office. When Coriolanus is gone, the plebians remark on his arrogance and the two tribunes demand to know why they voted for such an arrogant patrician. The plebians decide to retract their approval and deny Coriolanus the consulship. In late, Brutus and Sassinius tell the crowds to gather their friends and go to the capital. Covering their own backs, the two tribunes advise the crowds to say that they only voted for Coriolanus because the tribunes told them to and that now they have come to their senses and want to have the vote rendered invalid. Moving on to Act III, Act III, Scene 1. Meanwhile on the capital, Titus Larshus tells Coriolanus that Tullus of Phidius has raised a new army. Coriolanus worries that the Vulces will attack Rome despite the newly signed peace treaty, but Larshus assures him that they will have been broken and will not fight again. At that moment, the two tribunes arrive and tell the assembled senators that the people of Rome will not accept Coriolanus' consul. Furious, Coriolanus accuses Brutus and Sassinius of rallying the plebians against him and then begins to denigrate the common people, warning his fellow patricians that allowing the rabble to hold power to have tribunes will ultimately lead to the downfall of the Senate. Minenius urges him to return to the market and beg the people's pardon, but Coriolanus refuses and continues to denounce the plebians and the patricians for having ever agreed to allow them a share in Rome's governance. Brutus and Sassinius accuse him of treason and call in a crowd of plebians to seize him. He raves at them and the two tribunes declare that he must be executed. In response, Coriolanus draws his sword and the senators come to his aid. Coriolanus and the senators drive away the mob of plebians along with the two tribunes and Coriolanus flees to a senator's house. The mob returns in a renewed strength, but Minenius convinces the people to allow him to reason with Coriolanus and to bring the great soldier to the marketplace for a public airing of all the grievances. Act three, scenes two and three. Coriolanus tells a group of Roman nobles that he has no intention of changing his character to suit the desires of the mob. Volumnia comes in and berates him for his intransigence and then Minenius arrives with the senators and advises him to go to the marketplace and make peace with the people. He must recant what he has said about the plebians and their tribunes and then perhaps they will allow him to be consul. Coriolanus refuses, preferring to keep his honor, but his mother advises him to act humbly even if his humanity is dishonest and ask for pardon, even if he does not mean it. He remains obdurate for a long while but eventually relents and agrees to make peace with the plebians. In the marketplace, Brutus and Sinius prepare for Coriolanus' arrival, planning to bait him into losing his temper. The war hero enters, accompanied by Minenius and Communus and declares that he will submit to the will of the people. However, when Sinius accuses him of planning to tyrannize the Roman state, he immediately becomes furious and again launches into a tyrant against the tribunes and the plebians. As his friends watch helplessly, Sinius and Brutus, supported by the entire populace and over the protests of Communus, declare that he must be punished from Rome forever. Coriolanus replies that he will go gladly and he prepares to leave the city, pausing only to bid farewell to his wife, Virgilia, and to his mother and friends. Volumnia weeps and curses the city for casting him out, while Communius offers to accompany him for a time but Coriolanus refuses these offers and departs. Brutus and Sinius dismiss the people and then try to avoid encountering Volumnia, Virgilia, and Minenius, who are returning from bidding farewell to Coriolanus. Volumnia spots the two tribunes, however, and denounces them, saying that they have exiled the best man in Rome. Brutus and Sinius accuse her of having lost her wits and they depart, leaving the friends of Coriolanus to their grief. Meanwhile, a Roman in the pay of the Volcians meets up with other Volcians spy and reports that Coriolanus has been banished. The two men agree that this will give Tolisofides an excellent chance to gain some revenge against Rome for the defeats that he has suffered. At the same time, Coriolanus himself comes to the city of Antium, where Ophidias is staying. He informs the audience that he plans to ally himself with Ophidias against his native city and become Rome's greatest enemy. Act 4. Act 4, Scene 1. Outside a gate of Rome, Coriolanus is saying farewell to Volumnia, Virgilia, Minenius, Cuminius, and the young nobles of Rome. He tells them to leave their tears, asking for a brief farewell. The beast with many heads has banished him. He asks his mother to show her ancient courage and to demonstrate the precept that she always has taught him. Everyone can deal with commonplace events, but true character is tested during extreme circumstances. Virgilia cries out, O heavens, and Coriolanus tries to calm her. Volumnia cries out for Typhus to strike all of Rome. But Coriolanus says that he'll be loved when he is missed. Coriolanus tells his mother to go back to the spirit she had when she said if she were the wife of Hercules, she'd have done six of his tasks herself to save himself from the work. He tells Cuminius not to be sad and says goodbye to his wife and mother. He tells Minenius not to cry and asks his general Cuminius to teach the women how to be stunned in the face of horror. Coriolanus claims he must go alone, like a lonely dragon, and promises his mother that he'll be exceptional. Volumnia tries to convince Coriolanus to take Cuminius with him until he gets settled. And Cuminius says he's happy to go, especially since it'll be difficult to locate Coriolanus if the banishment is ever repealed and he's completely alone in the world. Coriolanus denies Cuminius' company, though and asks for everyone to come with him to the gates and smile when they say goodbye. He promises that they'll still hear from him. Minenius says if he was seven years younger, he'd accompany Coriolanus into his exile, and they all leave to prepare for Coriolanus' departure. Act IV, scene three. On the road to Andeum, a Roman named Nianco and Volcian named Adrienmeet recognize and greet each other. Adrien asks for news of Rome and says he has a note from the Volcian state to deliver. Nianco says that Rome has experienced insurrections of the common people against the patrician class. Adrien says the Volcians believed this turmoil was still ongoing and has hoped to attack Rome in the midst of the chaos. Nianco responds that while the main drama of the insurrection has passed, it could easily be rekindled since the nobles are so upset about the banishment of Coriolanus and are therefore likely to try to remove power from the people and the tribunes. The state is almost ready for civil war to break out. Adrien thanks Nianco for the information that Coriolanus has been banished. Nianco believes that Ophidius would probably fare well in the coming war now that Coriolanus will not fight for Rome. The two leave for Rome together planning to discuss the strange events that have been taking place in the city. Nianco is thrilled to hear that the Volcian army is prepared to attack Rome when it is weakened by division. Act IV, scene four. Outside of Ophidius' house in Andeum, Coriolanus is disguised in mean apparel with his face covered. He calls Andeum a goodly city which says that he is responsible for creating its widows. Therefore, he has disguised himself so that the wives and children of men he's killed in war do not kill him. A citizen of Andeum enters and Coriolanus asks if Ophidius is in Andeum. The citizen responds that Ophidius is feasting with the Volcian nobles in his house that very night. When Coriolanus asks why Ophidius lives, the citizen points out that they are right outside his house. Coriolanus thanks the citizen who then departs. Alone, Coriolanus wonders at the slippery turns of the world which turn the closest of friends whose two bosoms seem to have won heart into the bitterest enemies. Likewise, they will turn the greatest foes whose hatred has kept them up dreaming of murdering each other into dear friends. He now hates his birthplace and loves his former enemy town. He decides to enter thinking that if Ophidius kills him, it will be justice. And if Ophidius spares him, he will fight alongside the Volcians. Act four, scene five. In Andeum, Coriolanus asks for admission to the house of Tollis Ophidius. Ophidius' servants refuse to allow him in as he is dressed in humble clothing but one of them fetches his master. The Volcin general does not recognize Coriolanus either so the Roman identifies himself and says that he has come to offer his friendship to Ophidius and support to the Volcin cause. But to be killed, it matters little to him. Ophidius, overcome with emotion, embraces him as a friend and welcomes him in promising him the opportunity to exact revenge on the Romans for his punishment. The two generals dine together and one of the servants brings word to his fellows that there soon will be war with Rome. Back in Rome, all is quiet and Brutus and Sassinius congratulate each other on the ease with which they are disposed of the troublesome Coriolanus. There has been no news from the exile for some time and they tell Minanius that the city is better off without him. Just then, a messenger brings word that Ophidius and the Volcians are preparing to make war on Rome again. Brutus refuses to believe the news but a second messenger brings even worse news. Not only is the army indeed marching on Rome but it is led by Coriolanus himself. Minanius is joined by Communus and the two friends tell the tribunes that this catastrophe is their fault, that their folly will bring down destruction on Rome. Brutus and Sassinius protest but now the plebians come in, panicked by the tidings and begin to say they were wrong to banish Coriolanus. The two tribunes, fearing for their own position, depart for the capital. Act 4, scenes 6 and 7. Meanwhile, Ophidius is beginning to have second thoughts about his alliance with his former adversary as the soldiers have become begun to show more devotion to Coriolanus than to him. He assumes that Rome will fall to an exiled general and he begins to plot a way to dispose of Coriolanus once the city has been taken. Coriolanus arrives on the borders of the city with his army and Communus goes out to plead with his old friend for mercy. Coriolanus turns him away, however to the greatest spare of the inhabitants of Rome. Brutus and Sassinius plead with the Minanius to make his own attempt and the old patrician reluctantly agrees. However, as he departs, Communus tells the tribunes that there is no hope. Coriolanus is immovable. Act 5, Act 5, scene 1. In a public place in Rome, Minanius, Communius, Sassinius and Brutus discuss Coriolanus. Minanius refuses to go beg Coriolanus for mercy even though he was like a father to Coriolanus since the soldier refused to hear Communius speak. Only one time did Coriolanus use Communius' name and he would not answer to Coriolanus or to any other names. He has become a kind of nothing title less until he makes a new name in the fire of Rome's burning. Minanius shouts the tribunes for causing the downfall of the city. Communius tried to petition for mercy but Coriolanus denied him, saying please for mercy a few times from the state that had banished him. Even the appeal of his close friends cannot stop Coriolanus from attacking the city. The tribunes beg Minanius to go to Coriolanus, believing his words will be more effective than any Roman army. Minanius doesn't want to go to Coriolanus and he is afraid that he might fail but he thinks that Coriolanus will listen. He guesses that Coriolanus had not eaten when he refused to hear Communius. Without food he says humans get cold blood and are likely to be unforgiving while well fed humans have a better temperament. Minanius plans to watch Coriolanus till he is eaten before going to meet him. Putus assures Minanius that he'll be successful and Minanius leaves but then Communius immediately says that he won't succeed. He describes kneeling before Coriolanus who faintly said rise and dismissed him with speechless hand. Afterwards Coriolanus sent a letter promising not to yield. Communius thinks the only hope is that Volumnia and Vigilia are able to convince Coriolanus to spare Rome. Act five, scenes two to six. At the Wallsian camp Minanius is halted by the Sandries who refuse to allow him to see their generals. Eventually Coriolanus and Tullosofidius emerge but Minanius' pleas fall on deaf ears and he is sent away after enduring the mockery of the guards. When he is gone, Fiddis remarks that he's impressed with Coriolanus' fortitude in ignoring the pleas of his oldest friends. The exiled soldier replies, henceforth, he will accept no more embassies from Rome. At that moment, however, a shout is raised in Vigilia, Volumnia, Valeria and young marshes Coriolanus' son arrive from Rome. Coriolanus vows to steal his heart against them but allows them to approach and his mother kneels before him and begs him to make peace. She tells him that she will block his paths to Rome. Thou shalt no sooner march to assault thy country than to tread on thy mother's womb that brought thee to this world. Meanwhile, his son pledges that when he's grown older, he will fight against his father. Coriolanus moved, starts to leave but his mother stops him and asks him again to make an honourable peace, one that rewards Romans and that all seems alike rather than destroy his native city. When he does not reply, she makes ready to return to Rome and die among our neighbours but Coriolanus has been one over. He pledges to make peace immediately. Seeing this, Phidius tells the audience that he now has an opportunity to eliminate the Roman general. In Rome, a resigned Mananius, unaware of what has just happened, tells the Sinnius that all is lost and that the tribunes have doomed their city with their folly. Just then, a messenger arrives with the news that the women have succeeded in their mission and that Rome is saved. The Romans burst into celebration and welcomed Ullamnia home as a saviour of her city. In the wall-since city of Antiochum, meanwhile, Phidius and a band of conspirators prepare to dispose of the returning Coriolanus who's been given a hero's welcome by the people of the city. When the general arrives and is greeted by Antium Senators, Phidius denounces him, accusing him of betraying the wall-since army by giving in to the Roman women and failing to take Rome. Coriolanus predictably loses his temper and curses of Phidius, whose conspirators are now stirring up the people against the Roman, reminding them of how he once led Roman armies against them. As the Phidius shouts at him and the Senators try to intervene, the conspirators stab Coriolanus and he falls dead, declaring that he was a great and noble man, the Senate orders a hero's burial. Now, remorseful, Phidius joins his men in carrying the body through the city. In the end, it is Ullamnia who becomes the hero, acclaimed as a saviour of Rome and cheered by all the city, while Coriolanus must slink back to Antium and explain himself. Each in either side will give the all hail to thee, as she promises, as if he will be the victor. But in fact, the real struggle is not between the Romans and the Valsians, but between Coriolanus and his mother. Although the audience does not want Coriolanus to destroy Rome, we are nonetheless pained to see the great hero dominated by his mother all his life, given to her for the last time. Coriolanus himself recognizes the disgrace of his surrender to her and he cries out, Oh mother, mother, what have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope. The gods look down and this unnatural scene they laugh at. Oh, my mother, mother, oh, you have won a happy victory to Rome. But for your son, believe it or believe it. Most dangerously, you have with him prevailed. If not, most mortal to him, but let it come. The hero's strength crumbles, Ullamnia has mastered him. In the final scene, in Antium, Coriolanus has recovered enough of his old confidence to mount a defense of his behavior. But Aphidius takes center stage as we watch the final working out of his jealousy. Aphidius knows exactly how to taunt his former adversary, calling him, thou boy of tears, which indeed Coriolanus is. And then after Coriolanus' death, Shakespeare offers us a telling stage direction. Aphidius stands on him, having endured so much defeat in the past, the man finds the gesture irresistible now. This done, Aphidius can say honestly, my rage is gone and I am struck with sorrow. With Coriolanus lying dead at his feet, he's finally able to bury his jealousy with his oldest adversary. Moving on to character analysis. Chaos Marshes. Chaos Marshes called Coriolanus is a Roman general of aristocratic birth, a deeply proud man of deep integrity and an astounding lack of social skills. He has been a soldier all his life and does not understand civilian life. He dislikes being praised for what he's done. He expects to be honoured for his achievements by being given high office and despises the common people. And since he's unable to hold his tongue, they are well aware of it. An extreme right winger, he cannot play politics as he is incapable of hypocrisy and only once in his life attempts to practice it with ludicrous results. He is an extraordinary soldier of unmatched bravery and huge physical power and despises those who are less than him. He particularly dislikes cowardice and sees no reason why everyday people should have any say in government when they do nothing for the defense of the city. The only emotion he's truly capable of is expressing his anger. Though he has an unbounded respect for his mother, Volumnia, his care for his own wife, Vigilia, and for his son, Young Marshes, is much less than his love for his mother. Beyond them, his only friends are his commanding officer, Cominius and old Minanius, who has loved him as a father. Perhaps his strongest bond is with his enemy, Aphidius, with whom he's fought a dozen times, always winning but never able to put him fully out of action. His respect for Aphidius is so strong that it is to him that Coriolanus flees when he's banished from Rome. Titus Larshus. Titus Larshus is a Roman senator and general who fights with Coriolanus at Coriolis, though he's less audacious than his fellow commander. He's a meticulous officer who plans well, but does not have the stroke of genius that characterizes Coriolanus. He's left to take control of Coriolis after victory is achieved but is unable to keep the Volsians properly contained. Cominius is the chief Roman general, a senator in overall command of the war against the Volsians. An older man and a good soldier, he's driven to huge enthusiasm by case marshes exploits and gives him the honorary name of Coriolanus when he refuses any further reward. He offers the official speech about Coriolanus' worthiness to be consul to the Senate and realizing that speaking nicely is not the young man's strong suit also offers to help coach him in speaking to the commons. When Coriolanus is banished, he offers to go with him for a month to see that he's well set up elsewhere but is rejected. He is sent by Rome to try and bargain with Coriolanus when the latter attacks the city but is pushed aside. Cominius is an honorable man who's aware that Coriolanus has his faults but still thinks him ill-used. Minnanius is an old Roman patrician beloved by the people due to his charming honesty about his own failings. He enjoys drinking, isn't overly fussed about his job, stays up too late, talks both rightly but doesn't hold a grudge. The regard the commons have for him allows him to disguise the fact that he doesn't like them very much. Still, he's able to quell a riot simply by telling the rioters a story. He's very fond of Coriolanus though not blind to his faults. He does all he can to have Coriolanus named consul but also tries to tutor the young man in the political arts. Coriolanus' failure disheartens him and he lets his displeasure with the commons be known. Generally, good-natured and afraid of being hurt Minnanius is at first unwilling to beg with the rebelling Coriolanus when he returns to sack the city. Coriolanus' refusal to listen to him still shocks Minnanius to the core. Minnanius' good-nature camouflages his deep, unthinking belief in aristocracy and its rights. Cicinius is an old-bearded man named as one of the tribunes of the Roman people after the latter's riots forced the establishment of that office. He is disturbed by Coriolanus' clear disdain for the common people and worries that he will take away their rights if he is named consul. He therefore plots with his fellow tribune, Brutus, to bring about Coriolanus' downfall. Not without reason, he refuses to trust Coriolanus' attempts at humility but to achieve his end of destroying the man, he slips into duplicity and subterfuge, pushing Coriolanus into public anger. He makes the mistake of merely banishing him instead of killing him, thereby putting all of Rome at risk. He proves to be a useless, self-satisfying and deluded leader, refusing to face facts when informed that Coriolanus is advancing on Rome within army and reduced to begging with his enemies to go and plead with the rebel and hiding from the mob that is want to kill him slowly if Volumnia and others do not succeed in turning Coriolanus back. For all that he acts in the public's best interest, he does not actually like them all much himself. Junius Brutus. Brutus is an old-period man named as one of the tribunes of the Roman people after the latter's riots forced the establishment of that office. Disturbed by Coriolanus' popularity and the likelihood that he will be named consul, he begins to plot with his fellow tribunes a sinuous to bring about Coriolanus' downfall. He is irritated at the common's decision to accept Coriolanus' consul and rejection of his own advice as how to prevent this. He is duplicitous enough to take the blame for Coriolanus' nomination. Part of his reason for wishing to be rid of Coriolanus is to demonstrate to the aristocracy that the tribunes possess genuine power. Having made the mistake of banishing Coriolanus rather than killing him, Brutus proves to be a used-ess, self-satisfying and eluded leader, refusing to face facts, when informed that the exiled man is returning with an army to conquer Rome. Reduced to begging his old enemies to plead with Coriolanus, he loses all popularity and is captured by a morgue that threatens to kill him slowly if the attack carries on. Vagilia is Coriolanus' wife, a young woman who loves her husband and is terrified at the thought of anything happening to him. She is ruthlessly dominated by her mother-in-law, Vullamnia, who has no patience with the fear of Coriolanus being wounded or killed. She is rather quiet, though she attempts to show some spirit on occasion, but spends most of her time crying. She is completely overborn by Vullamnia and makes little mark on Coriolanus. Vullamnia is Coriolanus' mother, a stiff-packed, haughty, proud and unbending woman. She loves her son Dali, but particularly loves his honor and would rather see him dead than lose that honor. She's brought him up to share these ideals and she therefore bears a great deal of responsibility for how he's turned out and the character traits that doom him. A ruthless matron, she's delighted to hear that her grandson is torturing butterflies, as this makes him like his father and presages well for the future and has absolutely no patience with her daughter-in-law with Vagilia's weeping weakness and fear. She's delighted to hear that Coriolanus has been wounded as it offers visible proof of his bravery. She instructs him in how to win people over, knowing just how to play on him to convince him to do so. Vullamnia despises the common people if possible even more than her son, but is spared by them due to her gender. Still, when it comes down to it, she loves the idea of Rome more and sacrifices Coriolanus to it when she convinces him to abandon his attack on the city. Tullosofidius is the leader of the Walsin army and Rome and Coriolanus' greatest enemy. Refusing to give in to the fact that he's constantly beaten in battle by the Romans, he fights them time and again, meeting Coriolanus in single combat a dozen times, though never winning. This engenders in him a powerful hatred for his enemy, though he respects him. The risk-respect allows him to greet Coriolanus as a friend when the latter is banished and comes to join the Walsins in their new campaign against Rome. He is soon envious, however, at how his soldiers begin to take the Roman as their commander and he plans to use Coriolanus as a weapon against Rome and to destroy him afterwards. A plan in which he is successful, he is not entirely displaced when Coriolanus chooses not to attack Rome as it gives him an excuse to bring the Roman down. Refidius seems, at times, to be the Walsin equivalent to Coriolanus, but unlike the Roman, he is capable of deceit and can work within the framework of governance. Moving on to theme analysis. The theme of politics in class. Coriolanus is a complex, masterful play. The simplest way into this confusing play is politics. And for this reason, journalists often cite the Coriolanus effect to describe the difficulties of a military figure turned politician. Rather than the large metropolitan Rome at the center of a growing empire, Rome in Coriolanus is simply a town in the center of Italy. The population of the smaller Rome consists mostly of two classes. The poor, hungry masses, the Pebeans, and the ruling wealthy few, patricians or the aristocrats. The inequality and the struggle for balance between these classes creates a power vacuum and struggle and the place political landscape. The play begins amidst plebeians riots over green shortage. Sassinius and Brutus harness the power of the mob, often characterized as one multitude, and the two men are named tribunes of the people. Minanius, a patrician, tries to calm the Roman citizens during the riots. He explains the proper relationship between the government and the governed by discussing the body politic. As a classic analogy in which a king is a ruler and the subjects are different body parts. In Minanius' fable of the belly, the Senate is the belly which takes up all the food in order to properly distribute it to other limbs, which he says are made up of the commoners. But the military hero and therefore patrician, K.S. Marshes, later named Coriolanus, for an impressive achievement on the battlefield, views the common people with contempt, deflates Minanius' speech and opposes the tribunes of the people. The theme of language. Language is important to politics within the play, as language is politics. Throughout the play, the Plobeans are called voices, referring both to their opinions and voices, meaning votes. It's these voices or votes that Coriolanus must seek to be named consul. The two tribunes harness the voice of the public, and they become the tongues of the common mouse. They're able to use language to turn the public against Coriolanus and enact his punishment, showing that language can be an act with powerful consequences. Minanius masterfully uses language to manipulate, to obscure the truth, to debate, to compromise, to prop man up and to bring them down. In other words, he uses language to politic. And Minanius too, despite being a military figure, is able to use language to politic. His brilliant oration describing Coriolanus' heroic deeds is a perfect example. Note that this speech begins with a classic rhetorical move of claiming ineptitude, one that Egoismach Antony's claim to be a terrible orator in Julius Caesar. Quote, I shall lack voice. Unquote. The theme of war, violence, and masculinity. Even as a 16-year-old boy, young, beardless, case marshes, fought against the bearded men supporting a dictator. When he might have acted the woman, he became a man. Since then, he's fought in 17 battles until he became a thing of blood and entered and captured this entire city of Coriols. It is with this magnificent bloody deed that he earns the title of Coriolanus. The wounds he receives in this battle are viewed by his mother Olamnia as a commodity. She even urges him to show his wounds, evidence of his violent deeds, in order to better convince the common people to vote for him to be consul. In other words, it's military excellence and violence, both enacting and receiving it that lends Coriolanus his credibility. And by the end of the play, his military force is so great that it even threatens to conquer Rome itself. As seen as communist's speech, violence is intimately tied to masculinity. It is what distinguishes a man from a woman or a boy. Cominus uses acting the woman to present what's considered the cowardly past. And when a Fides call Coriolanus a boy, it is taken as a final outrageous insult. And not only are violence and war tied to masculinity, they also individually tie men together. It is through violence that we see male homosocial bonding. In other words, violence is what creates and defines the social relationships between men in the play. Upon seeing General Cominus, his ally on the battlefield, for example, Coriolanus says he wants to hold the general in his arms like when he would, as happy to see the general as he was on his wedding day. Another example is between Coriolanus and a Fides, who have a fierce military rivalry. As fierce as it is, they're sworn to fight in hand-to-hand combat each time they meet in war. They're bound and brought together by this rivalry, with rhetoric in which violence and war are replacements for love and marriage. When Coriolanus has been banished from Rome and goes to see a Fides, a Fides greets his formal rival by saying that he wants to take him in his arms. Even going as far to say that he's happier to see Coriolanus than he was to first see his wife, across the threshold on his wedding day. The ties between Coriolanus and a Fides and between male soldiers in general blur the lines between war and love. Violence is at once a bloody cleaver and a homosexual twine. And passions for one's allies and even for enemies seem to outweigh passions for one's lover. The theme of heroism versus humanity. Coriolanus also explores the questions of what makes someone a hero and whether or not one can be both a hero and a real human. Coriolanus is a man of immense pride and he's fatally attached to his Roman values. He's uncompromising in his values and believes politics and acting are lying and dishonest. So he refuses to take part in them. In this way, Coriolanus is similar to Julius Caesar, who is killed just after explaining that he wishes he could be convinced to change his opinion like other men. Caesar, though, says he's constant as the northern star, meaning he's unshakable in his values more so than any other human. Coriolanus, too, is unshakable and he refuses to beg or to play the political part. So he's banished from Rome. He tries to pretend to love the common people as instructed by his mother, but when the tribunes call him a traitor, Coriolanus is infuriated. His passion for the city and his tremendous pride are so great that he cannot help revealing his true self and his contempt for the commoners. Given Coriolanus' pride and ideals, it makes sense that his heroism is also one of solitude and individuality. He fights by himself on the battlefield and there only for honor, glory, and Rome. When the other soldiers abandon him in Coriols to loot, he captures the city single-handedly. In the war violence and masculinity theme, we saw how Menendez's speech outlines Coriolanus becoming a man in battle, then eventually a thing of blood. By the end of the speech, Coriolanus has become a planet. Coriolanus is a hero, but throughout the play, he's described as more than human. As a thing of blood, a planet, a god, a thing made by some deity, other than nature, an engine. Heroism in the play is thus defined as contradictory to humanity. It's only when he's confronted by his family that he compromises his values and changes his mind, thereby both being humanized and losing his power as a hero. At the end of the play, it's Willumnia who has saved Rome. Willumnia, whose worth of consuls, centres, patricians are city full. Willumnia is a hero, the patroness, the life of Rome. Moving on to William Shakespeare's biography, William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died on 23rd April 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon. William Shakespeare, often called England's national poet, is considered the greatest dramatist of all time. His works are loved throughout the world, but Shakespeare's personal life is shouted in mystery. William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor of the Renaissance era. He was an important member of the Kingsman Company of theatrical players from roughly 1594 onward. Known throughout the world, Shakespeare's writings capture the range of human emotions and conflict and have been celebrated for more than 400 years. There are two primary sources that provide historians with an outline of his life. One is his work, the plays, poems and sonnets, and the other is official documentation such as church and court records. However, these provide only brief sketches of specific events in his life and yield little insight into the man himself. Shakespeare's births. No birth records exist, but an old church record indicates that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26th April 1564. From this, it is believed that Shakespeare was born on or near April 23rd 1564, and this is the date that scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday. Located about 100 miles northwest of London, during Shakespeare's time, Stratford-upon-Avon was a bustling market town bisected with the country road and the river Avon. William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local landed heiress. William had two older sisters, Joanne and Judith, and three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard, and Edmund. Before William's birth, his father became a successful merchant and held official positions as alderman and bailiff, an office resembling a mayor. However, records indicate John's fortunes declined sometime in the late 1570s. Scant record exists of William's childhood in virtually none regarding his education. Scholars have surmised that he most likely attended the King's New School in Stratford, which taught reading, writing, and the classics. Being a public official's child, William would have undoubtedly qualified for free tuition, but this uncertainty regarding his education has led some to raise questions about the authorship of his work and even about whether or not William Shakespeare really existed. William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on 28th November 1582 in Worcester in Canterbury Province. Hathaway was from Chotery, a small village a mile west of Stratford. William was 18 and Anne was 26 and, as it turns out, pregnant. Their first child, a daughter they named Susanna, was born on 26th May 1583. Two years later, on 2nd February 1585, twins Hamnett and Judith were born. Hamnett later died of unknown causes at age 11. Shakespeare's lost years. There are seven years of William Shakespeare's life when no records exist after the births of his twins in 1585. Scholars have called this period the Lost Years and there is wide speculation on what he was doing during this period. One theory is that he might have gone into hiding for poaching game from the local landlord, Sir Thomas Lucy. Another possibility is that he might have been working as an assistant schoolmaster in Lancashire. It's generally believed he arrived in London in the mid to late 1580s and may have found work as a horse attendant at some of London's finer theaters. A scenario updated centuries later by the countless aspiring actors and playwrights in Hollywood and Broadway. The King's Men. By the early 1590s, documents show William Shakespeare was a managing partner in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting company in London with which he was connected for most of his career. Considered the most important troupe of its time, the company changed its name to The King's Men, following the crowning of King James I in 1603. From all accounts, the King's Men company was very popular. Records show that Shakespeare had works published and sold as popular literature. Although the theater culture in 16th century England was not highly admired by people of high rankings, some of the nobility were good patrons of the performing arts and friends of the actors. William Shakespeare as an actor and playwright. By 1592, there is evidence that Shakespeare earned a living as an actor and a playwright in London and possibly had several plays produced. The September 20th, 1592 edition of The Stationer's Register, a guilt publication includes an article by London playwright Robert Green that takes a few jabs at William Shakespeare. Quote, there is an upstart crow beautified with our feathers, that with his tiger's heart wrapped in a player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse at the best of you. And being an absolute Johannes Factoritum is, in his own conceit, the only Shakespeare scene in a country. Unquote, Green wrote of Shakespeare. Scholars differ on the interpretation of this criticism, but most agree that it was Green's way of saying Shakespeare was reaching above his rank, trying to match better known and educated playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nash of Green himself. Earlier in his career, Shakespeare was able to attract the attention of Henry Rithosley, the Earl of Southampton, to whom he dedicated his first and second published poems. Venus of Adonis published 1593 and The Rape of the Grease published 1594. By 1597, Shakespeare had already written and published 15 of his 37 plays. Civil records show that at this time, he purchased the second largest house in Stratford, called Newhouse for his family. It was a four-day ride by horse from Stratford to London, so it is believed that Shakespeare spent most of his time in the city writing and acting and came home once a year during the 40-day Langton period when the theaters were closed. Globe Theatre. By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe Theatre. In 1605, Shakespeare purchased leases of real estate near Stratford for 440 pounds, which doubled in value and earned him 60 pounds a year. This made him an entrepreneur as well as an artist and scholars believe these investments gave him the time to write his plays uninterrupted. Shakespeare's writing style. William Shakespeare's early plays were written in the conventional style of the day with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that did not always align naturally with the story's plot or characters. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words. With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare primarily used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of undrived Iambic pentameter or blank verse to compose his plays. At the same time, there are passages in all the plays that deviate from this and use forms of poetry or simple prose. Shakespeare's plays. While it's difficult to determine the exact chronology of William Shakespeare's plays over the course of two decades, from about 1590 to 1613, he wrote a total of 37 plays revolving around several main themes, histories, tragedies, comedies, and tragic comedies. With the exception of the tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare's first plays were mostly histories. Henry VI, parts one, two, and three, Richard II and Henry V dramatize the destructive results weak or corrupt rulers and have been interpreted by drama historians as Shakespeare's way of justifying the origins of the Tudor dynasty. Julius Caesar portrays the upheaval in Roman politics that may have resonated with viewers at a time when England's aging monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, had no legitimate heir, thus creating the potential for future power struggles. Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period, The Whimsical, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Romantic, Majestic Venice, the wit and wordplay of much ado about nothing and the charming as you like it and Twelfth Night. Other plays written before 1600 include Titus and Ronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, Love's Labors Lost, King John, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Henry V. Works after 1600. It was in William Shakespeare's later period after 1600 that he wrote the tragedies Hamlet of Fellow, King Lea, and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeare's characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and universal. Possibly the best known of these plays is Hamlet, which explores betrayal, retribution, incest, and moral failure. These moral failures often drive the twists and turns of Shakespeare's plots, destroying the hero and those he loves. In William Shakespeare's final period, he wrote several tragic comedies. Among these are Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest. Though grave are in tone than the comedies, they're not the dark tragedies of King Lea or Macbeth, because they end with reconciliation and forgiveness. Other plays written during this period include All's Well that Ends Well. About 150 years after his death, questions arose about the authorship of William Shakespeare's plays. Scholars and literary critics began to float names like Christopher Marlowe, Edward Devere, and Francis Bacon, men of more known backgrounds, literary accreditation or inspiration, as the true authors of the plays. Much of this stemmed from the sketchy details of Shakespeare's life and the death of contemporary primary sources. Official records from the Holy Trinity Church and the Stratford Government Record, the existence of a William Shakespeare, but none of these attest to him being an actor or playwright. Skeptics also questioned how anyone of such modest education could write with the intellectual perceptiveness and poetic power that is displayed in Shakespeare's works. Over the centuries, several groups have emerged that questioned the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. The most serious and intense skepticism began in the 19th century, when adoration for Shakespeare was at its highest. The detractors believed that the only hard evidence surrounding William Shakespeare from Stratford upon Avon described a man from modest beginnings who married young and became successful in real estate. Members of the Shakespeare-Oxford Society, founded in 1957, put forth arguments that English aristocrat and poet Edward Devere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of the poems in plays of William Shakespeare. The Oxfordian site, there varies extensive knowledge of aristocratic society, his education, and the structural similarities between his poetry and that found in the works attributed to Shakespeare. They contend that William Shakespeare had neither the education nor the literary training to write such eloquent prose and create such rich characters. However, the vast majority of Shakespearean scholars contend that William Shakespeare wrote all his own plays. They point out that other playwrights at the time also had sketchy histories and came from modest backgrounds. They contend that Stratford's new grammar school, curriculum of Latin and the classics could have provided a good foundation for literary writers. Supporters of Shakespeare's authorship argue that the lack of evidence about Shakespeare's life does not mean his life didn't exist. They point to evidence that displays his name on the title pages of published poems in plays. Examples exist of authors and critics at the time, acknowledging William Shakespeare as the authors of play such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Comedy of Errors, and King John. Royal records from 1601 show that William Shakespeare was recognized as a member of the Kingsman Theatre Company and a groom of the Chamber by the Court of King James I, where the company performed seven of Shakespeare's plays. There's also strong circumstantial evidence of person relationships by contemporaries who interacted with Shakespeare as an actor and a playwright. Shakespeare's literary legacy. What seems to be true is that William Shakespeare was a respected man of the dramatic arts who wrote plays and acted in some in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. But his reputation as a dramatic genius was not recognized until the 19th century. Beginning with the romantic period of the early 1800s and continuing through the Victorian period, a claim and reverence for William Shakespeare and his work reached its zenith. In the 20th century, new movements in scholarship and performance have rediscovered and adopted his works. Today, his plays are highly popular and constantly studied and reinterpreted in performances with diverse cultural and political contexts. The genius of Shakespeare's characters and plots are that they represent real human beings in a wide range of emotions and conflicts that transcend their origins in Elizabethan England. So, that's all for now. If you found this video useful, we would really love it if you could give it a thumbs up. Also, do subscribe to our channel where we offer lots of free material that you can use as part of your studies to get a better understanding of specific areas that you might find challenging. 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