Summary Of Coriolanus

have a heart as little apt as yours, But yet a brain that leads my use of anger to better vantage.” (III, ii. 27-29). She is a mother of Rome. After one of the tribunes accuses Coriolanus for treachery, he is unable to contain his anger while the public insults him further. Volumnia instilled values of pride and martial accomplishment into Coriolanus but the traits are fragile and he is easily offended because protecting Rome is a duty he has been serving all his life. Coriolanus refuses to take orders from a nation that misunderstands at such a caliber. Many Romans beg for Coriolanus to return back and leave the Volscians but his mother is a step ahead. Volumnia knows that if Coriolanus returns to Rome, he will betray the Volscians which will

Hamlet follows the story of the mentally troubled Prince Hamlet in his mission to kill his uncle, the man who killed his father. To make matters worse, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, also becomes an extension of his anger and confusion, referring to her as an “incestuous/adulterate beast” (I, v, 42-43). She uses her motherly charm to hide her sexual activity and enjoyable lifestyle. The narration of Hamlet’s family dysfunctionality holds a powerful presence, especially after Hamlet’s pure view of women becomes corrupted after marrying his uncle. The act of marriage to the uncle was seen as complete evil and led him to question the validity of his mother’s marriage vows, causing him to be confused and depressed. From the mental damage done from his corrupt mother, the pure threads of his love interest begin to be stained. The image of Gertrude’s incestous behavior stains his image of women completely, causing Hamlet to violently cut off his relationship with Ophelia. From these problems, Shakespeare conveys a loss of self that is heavily influenced by a dysfunctional relationship with his mother, uncle, lover, and even his dead father. He is manipulated by everyone, confused on which path if not death itself. Although this is more on the extreme side, Coriolanus shares a similar dysfunctionality with the psychological control from his mother. Gertrude and Volumnia mask their true personalities with care and kindness, leading both protagonists to hold their mothers in high regard. Coriolanus was written only seven years after Hamlet, keeping Shakespeare’s psychological narrative of mothers consistent in both plays. He writes his tragedies using characters who have a twisted view on the simplest of matters, leading said character to affect the other characters in the play. This theme is