Coriolanus

Subtitles by explosiveskull

What's the matter?

You dissentious rogues.

That rubbing the poor itch of your opinion

make yourself scabs?

He that will give good words to thee will flatter

beneath abhorring.

He that trust to you where he should find you lions

finds you hares, where foxes, geese,

you are no surer, no, than is the coil of fire upon the ice

or hailstone in the sun.

Who deserves greatness deserves your hate.

Trust ye?

With every minute you do change a mind

and call him noble that was now your hate.

Him vile that was your garland.

What's the matter?

That in these several places of the city you cry against

the noble Senate who under the gods keep you in awe.

Which else would feed on one another?

So you all resolved rather to die than to famish?

Resolved, we are accounted poor citizens,

the patricians good, what authority surfeits on

would relieve us, if they would yield us

but their superfluity, while it were wholesome,

we might guess they relieved us humanely,

but they think we are too dear.

The leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery

is as a reminder to them of their abundance.

Our sufferance is a gain to them.

Let us revenge this with our pikes ere we become rakes.

For the gods know I speak this in hunger for bread,

not in thirst for revenge.

Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

Against him first,

he's a very dog to the common people.

Consider you what services he has done for his country?

Very well, and could be content to give him

good report for't, but that he pays himself...

Nay, but speak not maliciously.

For being proud, I saying unto you,

what he has done famously, he did it to that end.

Those soft conscienced men could be content to say

he did it for his country, , he did it

to please his mother and to be partly proud, which he is

even to the altitude of his virtue!

What he cannot help in his nature,

you account a vice in him.

You must in no way say he is covetous.

He hath faults with surplus to tire in repetition.

Our business is not unknown to the Senate.

They have had inkling this fortnight

what we intend to do which now will show 'em in deeds.

They say poor suitors have strong breaths.

They shall know we have strong arms too.

Why masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbors.

Why go you with bats and clubs, will you undo yourselves?

We cannot, sir, we are undone already.

I tell you friends, most charitable care

have the patricians of you, for the dearth,

the gods, not the patricians make it

and your knees to them, not arms must help,

alack, you are transported by calamity thither

where more attends you and you slander the helms

of the state who care for you like fathers.

When you curse them as enemies. Care for us! True indeed,

they ne'er cared for us yet,

suffer us to famish while their storehouse is crammed

with grain, if the wars eat us not up, they will.

That's all the love they bear us.

Either you must confess yourselves wondrous malicious,

or be accused of folly.

I will tell you a pretty tale, maybe you have heard it

but since it serves my purpose I will venture

to stale it a little more.

Well, I'll hear it, sir. You must not think

to fob off our disgrace with a tale.

There was a time when all the body's members

rebelled against the belly, thus accused it.

That only like a gulf it did remain in the midst

o' the body, idle and unactive, still cupboarding

the food, never bearing like labor with the rest,

while the other instruments did see and hear,

devise, instruct, walk, feel and mutually participate,

did minister unto the appetite and affection common

of the whole body.

And so the belly answered,

Well, sir, what answer made the belly?

Sir, I will tell you with a kind of smile

for look you, I may make the belly smile as well as speak.

Your belly's answer? What?

Sir, I will tell you if you'll bestow a small What could the belly answer?

of what you have little patience a while.

You're long about it.

your most grave belly

was deliberate, not rash, like his accusers

and thus answered.

'True is it, my incorporate friends, ' quoth he,

'That I receive the general food at first

which you do live upon and fit it is because I am

the storehouse and shop of the whole body,

but if you do remember, I send it through the rivers

of your blood, even to the court, the heart,

the seat of the brain? Aye sir.

Well, well?

Though all at once cannot see what I do deliver out

to each, I can make my audit up that all from me do back

receive the flour of all and leave me but the chap,

what say you to it? It was an answer.

How apply you this?

The senators of Rome are this good belly

and you the mutinous members, for examine their councils

and their cares, digest things rightly, touching the weal

of the common, and you shall find no public benefit

which you receive but it proceeds or comes from them

to you and no way from yourselves, what think you,

you the great toe of this assembly?

I the great toe.

Why the great toe?

Well that being the lowest, basest, poorest

of this most wise rebellion, thou goest foremost.

What's their seeking?

Corn at their own rates, whereof they say

the city is well stored.

Hang 'em.

They say.

They'll sit by the fire and presume to know

what's done in the capitol, who's like to rise,

who thrives and who declines.

They say there's grain enough.

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth

and let me use my sword, I'll make a quarry

with thousands of these quartered slaves

as high as I can pick my lance.

Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded,

for though abundantly they lack discretion,

yet are they passing cowardly,

but I beseech you, what says the other troop?

They said they were an hungry, sighed forth proverbs

that hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,

that meat was made for mouths,

that the gods sent not corn for the rich man only,

with these shreds, they vented their complainings

which being answered and a petition granted them,

they threw their cats as they would hang them

on the horns of the moon, shouting their emulation.

And what is granted them?

Two tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms

of their own choice, Junius Brutus and Sicinius Velutus,

'Sdeath.

The rabbles should have first unroofed the city

ere so prevailed with me.

It will in time win upon power and throw forth

greater themes for insurrection's arguing.

Marcius! This is strange.

'Tis true that you have lately told us,

the Volsces are in arms.

They have a leader!

Tullus Aufidius that will put you to it.

I sin in envying his nobility.

And were I anything but what I am,

I would wish me only he. You fought together?

Were half to half the world by the ears

and he upon my party, I'd revolt

to make my wars only with him.

He is a lion that I am proud to hunt.

Then worthy Marcius, attend upon Cominius

to these wars.

It is your former promise. Sir, it is.

And I am constant.

Your company to the capitol, where I know our greatest

friends attend us, noble Marcius.

Lead you on. Ah, the Volsces

have much corn, take these rats thither to gnaw

their garners, worshipful mutineers, your valor

puts well forth, pray, follow.

Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius?

He has no equal.

When we were chosen tribunes for the people...

Marked you his lip and eyes?

Nay. But his taunts.

Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods.

Be-mock the modest moon.

The present wars devour him.

But I do wonder his insolence can brook

to be commanded under Cominius.

Fame, at the which he aims in whom already

he's well graced cannot be better held

nor more attained than by a place below the first.

For what miscarries shall be the general's fault,

though he performs to the utmost of a man

and giddy censure will then cry out of Marcius,

oh, if he had borne the business.

And if things go well, opinion that so sticks on Marcius

shall of his great merits rob Cominius.

Let's hence and hear how the dispatch is made

and in what fashion more than his singularity

he goes upon this present action.

Let's along.

So your opinion is, Aufidius,