Lang and Lit Rainier Fourie

Power in Coriolanus – Coriolanus, Aufideus, Voluminia Power is the main theme in the play Coriolanus by William Shakespeare. Set in 491 B.C.E., when early Republican Rome has just transitioned from being ruled by a monarchy to a democratic political system with elected Rulers. When the last tyrant king (Tarquin) is overthrown, with the help of Coriolanus, there's tension and uncertainty on how to rule Rome and if it’s the right choice for everyone. The elected tribunes want the plebeians to have more power while Coriolanus feels the one with the most strength should have power and the easily manipulated plebeians should have none. There is 3 main characters that have different types of power. Coriolanus has all the military power; he is a Roman general, and is given the name "Coriolanus" after he leads the Roman armies to victory against the Volscian city of Corioles. He is everything a warrior should be,Brave, fearsome in battle, and extremely

Characterization in Shakespeare : Coriolanus act 1 Shakespeare names the character "Caius Martius," but, after he leads an army that defeats the city of  Corioles , he earns himself a new nickname: "Coriolanus".   We see how Shakespeare uses characterization in the play to make the audience not like Coriolanus as a person and build his character into a tragic hero. One of the first pieces of characterization we get is in Act 1 Scene 1 when we see Martius as an aggressive, brutally honest, arrogant military general that doesn ’t care about the phelbians and believes they shouldn ’t have any power in Rome. In the same act we find out that when he was a young man, he took down Rome's tyrant King Tarquin and has many battle scars. Volumnia, his bloodthirsty and patriotic mother,   brags about her son's wounds and victories to Virigilia and Valeria. Declaring that 'He had, before this last expedition, twenty-five wounds upon him'