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Coriolanus: Analysis

Coriolanus hasn't exactly won any popularity contests with audiences in the last 400 years or so—kind of like he doesn't win any popularity contests with the plebeians, who kick off the play by rioting in the streets and threatening to go after him with a bunch of clubs and pikes and what not. He may be the war hero who saves Rome from its enemies and who once helped to banish the old tyrant king Tarquin, but let's face it: Coriolanus just rubs people the wrong way.

First, he's a lower-class hating snob who thinks the plebeians don't deserve any political power (or even any food, apparently). He's the poster boy for the kind of aristocratic arrogance that dominates the play. Plus, he's got a seriously hot temper, an unwillingness to compromise, and a tendency to say the first thing that comes to his mind.

Result? One seriously flawed hero. Here he is in action, when the plebs riot on the streets of Rome and demand better access to the city's food supply:

What's the matter, you dissentious rogues,
That rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourself scabs? (1.1.174-176)

Translation: you guys are gross and probably shouldn't try to think for yourself. See? Not exactly how you go about winning friends and influencing people. Naturally, this kind of behavior gets Coriolanus into a ton of trouble, especially when he decides to run for Rome's highest political office. Ultimately, his snobbery, pride, hot temper, and trash-talking ways get him booted out of Rome and accused of treason.

Of course, there's always another way to look at it. Some people think that Coriolanus' refusal to pander to the plebeians is what makes him awesome, refreshing, and heroic. According to this argument, Coriolanus is admirable because he's not willing to compromise his values (even if his values are totally messed up) just so he can gain popularity with a group of people he doesn't respect.

Either way, Coriolanus is the ultimate model for the classic tragic hero: the kind of character who's so flawed that his downfall is completely inevitable.

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