Coriolanus: Rome's New Republic

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Coriolanus is a play set in the time of Rome’s new republic yet the politics are balanced, the hierarchy in which the country is run has a good chance of working, but the play doesn’t tell us about the new fledgling democracy it focuses on the struggle for power in the hierarchy, the fallacy of humans. This will be discussed below by looking at Coriolanus, the plebeians and the tribunes. Coriolanus is a tragic hero, which means he dies in the play, but this could also relate to his inability to compromise for the greater good of the country, as this is inevitably the reason why he dies. Coriolanus hates the plebeians, as he says “you dissentious rogues” in the first scene of the play, this hatred is due to his value system. He hates poor people .This is why he dislikes the plebeians because they want corn for free from the royal stock. “Corn for the rich men only” this shows his hatred and inability to compromise for the greater good of the country. …show more content…

This makes them vital in Rome’s new republic, but it is not their roles in the hierarchy that is emphasised in the play, it is how they abuse their power for the betterment of themselves and not the country. This fallacy is the down fall of the play as they manipulate the plebeians, “all revoke your ignorant election” this is Sicinus telling the plebeians to revoke their votes of Coriolanus for consul as he will take away everything that belongs to them, according to the tribunes. This action ultimately gets Coriolanus removed from Rome for the betterment of themselves. Coriolanus is the only person who sees what they are actually doing and that it is wrong, “have you not set them on?” this question that Coriolanus poses is a direct threat to Sicinius and Brutus as it is

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