Characterisation purpose -Act 1

Being one of Shakespeare's final plays, Coriolanus is set in Ancient Rome in its stages of an early Republic. In his play, Shakespeare reflects on the political context of England during the authoritarian rule of King James I (1603 - 1625). The play heavily discusses social and political issues. In this setting, Act I the characters are introduced and the main external conflict is constructed. Shakespeare builds Coriolanus' struggle for power through his lack of verbal self-control. In his characterization of Coriolanus in Act I, Shakespeare displays Coriolanus' lack of political insight, leading to the larger purpose - to draw a strong parallel between the two figures Coriolanus and King James I.

In Act I, the Roman plebeians riot against the patricians due to food shortages. Shakespeare introduces two contradictory characters Menenius and Coriolanus through direct and indirect characterization. Coriolanus is presented as the 'chief enemy to the people. The plebeians mention Coriolanus with hatred as if he is the main cause of their starvation and food shortage. This contempt brings about the first conflict of the play - Coriolanus is hated by the common people. 

In contrast to Coriolanus as a politician, Shakespeare places Coriolanus in the battlefield where he is respected as a demi-god figure. Shakespeare depicts Coriolanus as a brave and great warrior, respected by all soldiers and generals. From this portrayal of Coriolanus on the battlefield, we can see how his heroic traits as a warrior are directly shown in the capitol. Although he is also shown as ignorant, self-centred and ill-tempered by the plebeians, he is portrayed as a hero and courageous warrior by the generals and soldiers.


Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 4, 2018 at 10:03 PM

    You have commented well on the setting of the play which helped you analyse certain scenarios and helped understand the purpose of it being portrayed by Shakespeare. With the background information that you understood, such as the parallel drawn between King James and Coriolanus itself, you were able to connect your understanding with the originality of the text. One thing you could add on is the political ideologies that is being portrayed through this play, and that this isn't just a tragedy. I believe that commenting on this would help you further understand Shakespeare's motives.

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  2. UnknownMarch 4, 2018 at 10:04 PM

    This is a really effective post as it really highlights how he was portrayed by the common people, and how Shakespeare not only uses his dialogue to characterise him, but also how he is seen by the people around him. Next time, you could maybe only focus on Act 1 and how he was shown there, rather than venture off into other parts

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