The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (804 page)

BOOK: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
7.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

where to hide out, someplace that you’ll be able to stay in touch

Where thou shalt rest, that thou mayst hear of us,

with us, so that if in time your conviction

And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth

is overturned and you’re allowed to return, we won’t have to look

A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send

all over the world to find you,

O'er the vast world to seek a single man;

and maybe lose the opportunity for you to come back, which

And lose advantage, which doth ever cool

won’t last.

I' the absence of the needer.

 

CORIOLANUS.

Good luck to you.

Fare ye well:

You are old, and you have seen too much

Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full

of war to go wandering around with someone

Of the wars' surfeits to go rove with one

who hasn’t been properly wounded yet. You can walk me to the gate, no further.

That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but out at gate.—

Come, wife and mother, and

Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and

my friends. When I am going,

My friends of noble touch; when I am forth,

say good bye, and smile. Please, come.

Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come.

As long as I’m alive you’ll

While I remain above the ground, you shall  

hear from me, and you won’t hear anything about me

Hear from me still; and never of me aught

but what I was always like.

But what is like me formerly.

 

MENENIUS.

That’s well said.

That's worthily

Alright, let’s stop crying.

As any ear can hear.--Come, let's not weep.--

If I were only a little younger,

If I could shake off but one seven years

by God,

From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,

I’d go with you anywhere.

I'd with thee every foot.

 

CORIOLANUS.

Give me your hand.

Give me thy hand:--

Come.

Come.  

 

[Exeunt.]

 

 

 

 

 

[Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and an AEDILE.]

 

 

SICINIUS.

Tell them all to go home. He’s gone, it’s over.

Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further.--

The noblemen are upset; it seems they are

The nobility are vex'd, whom we see have sided

on his side.

In his behalf.

 

BRUTUS.

Now that we have proven our power,

Now we have shown our power,

let’s back down and look

Let us seem humbler after it is done

more humble.

Than when it was a-doing.

 

SICINIUS.

Tell them to go home.

Bid them home:

Say their enemy is gone, and they

Say their great enemy is gone, and they

have shown their old strength again.

Stand in their ancient strength.

 

BRUTUS.

Tell them to go home.

Dismiss them home.

 

[Exit AEDILE.]

 

Here comes his mother.

Here comes his mother.

 

SICINIUS.

Let’s avoid her?

Let's not meet her.

 

BRUTUS.

Why?

Why?  

 

SICINIUS.

They say she’s crazy.

They say she's mad.

 

BRUTUS.

They’ve seen us. Pretend you haven’t noticed them.

They have ta'en note of us: keep on your way.

 

[Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS.]

 

VOLUMNIA.

Oh, I’m glad we ran into you—I hope you

O, you're well met: the hoarded plague o' the gods

get a horrible disease!

Requite your love!

 

MENENIUS.

Quiet, don’t be so loud.

Peace, peace, be not so loud.

 

VOLUMNIA.

If I could stop crying long enough to speak, you would hear—

If that I could for weeping, you should hear,--

No, you’ll hear it anyway. [To BRUTUS.] Won’t you go away?

Nay, and you shall hear some.--[To BRUTUS.] Will you be gone?

 

VIRGILIA.

No, you will stay. [To SICINIUS] I wish I had the power

You shall stay too[To SICINIUS.]: I would I had the power

make my husband stay, too.

To say so to my husband.

 

SICINIUS.

Re you manly?

Are you mankind?

 

VOLUMNIA.

Yes, you fool. What’s wrong with that? Think about this, you idiot:

Ay, fool; is that a shame?--Note but this, fool.—

Wasn’t my father a man? Do you have the cunning

Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship

to banish the man who’s done more for Rome by fighting

To banish him that struck more blows for Rome

than you have by talking?

Than thou hast spoken words?--

 

SICINIUS.

Oh God!

O blessed heavens!

 

VOLUMNIA.

More fighting than you talked,

More noble blows than ever thou wise words;

all for the good of Rome. I’ll tell you what: go away.

And for Rome's good.--I'll tell thee what;--yet go;--

No, stay. I wish my son

Nay, but thou shalt stay too:--I would my son

were in the lawless desert, with your family lined up in front of him,

Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,  

and a weapon in his hand.

His good sword in his hand.

 

SICINIUS.

What then?

What then?

 

VIRGILIA.

What then!

What then!

He’d kill your whole family.

He'd make an end of thy posterity.

 

VOLUMNIA.

Bastards and all.

Bastards and all.--

Coriolanus is such a good man, and he was wounded for Rome!

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

 

MENENIUS.

Alright, that’s a enough, quiet.

Come, come, peace.

 

SICINIUS.

I wish he had continued serving his country

I would he had continu'd to his country

like he used to, and not undone

As he began, and not unknit himself

all the good work he’s accomplished.

The noble knot he made.

 

BRUTUS.

I wish he had,

I would he had.

 

VOLUMNIA.

I wish he had! It was you you riled up the mob.

I would he had! 'Twas you incens'd the rabble;--

You bitches, you can judge his worth

Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth

as well as I can judge the mysteries of heaven

As I can of those mysteries which heaven

which are a secret to mortals.

Will not have earth to know.

 

BRUTUS.

Sicinius, let’s go.

Pray, let us go.

 

VOLUMNIA.

Yes, please go away.

Now, pray, sir, get you gone:

You have done a brave deed. Before you go, listen to this:

You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this,--

My son (that lady’s husband)

As far as doth the Capitol exceed

is as far better than you all

The meanest house in Rome, so far my son,--

as the Capitol temple is

This lady's husband here; this, do you see?--

better than the smallest house in Rome.

Whom you have banish'd does exceed you all.

 

BRUTUS.

Well, we’ll leave you.

Well, well, we'll leave you.

 

SICINIUS.

Why should we stick around and be tormented

Why stay we to be baited

by somebody who’s lost her mind?

With one that wants her wits?

 

VOLUMNIA.

I’ll pray for you.

Take my prayers with you.--

 

[Exeunt TRIBUNES.]

 

I wish the gods had nothing better to do

I would the gods had nothing else to do

but carry out my curses! If I could see them

But to confirm my curses! Could I meet 'em

everyday, it would take a weight

But once a day, it would unclog my heart

off of my fettered heart.

Of what lies heavy to't.

 

MENENIUS.

You have talked to them bluntly,

You have told them home,

and I’m sure you have good reason. Will you have dinner with me?

And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup with me?

 

VOLUMNIA.

I eat anger, I east myself,

Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself,

and I’m so full of it that I may starve. Come on, let’s go.

And so shall starve with feeding.--Come, let's go:

Stop this weak whining and grieve like I do:

Leave this faint puling and lament as I do,

in anger, like Juno [vengeful queen of the Roman gods]. Come.

In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.

 

[Exeunt.]

 

MENENIUS.

Ah, this is terrible!

Fie, fie, fie!

 

 

 

 

[Enter a ROMAN and a VOLSCE, meeting.]

Other books

La calle de los sueños by Luca Di Fulvio
No Right Turn by Terry Trueman
Beyond The Horizon by Mason, Connie
The Disappeared by Roger Scruton
Night Work by David C. Taylor
The File on H. by Ismail Kadare
The Seven Madmen by Roberto Arlt
Torch by Lin Anderson
The Oxford History of World Cinema by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith