| Description |
Coriolanus ends his speech to the tribunes and the plebeians in Act Three Scene Three with the words; "There is a world elsewhere." (III.iii 135) With this he attempts to make the final break from his mother and from Rome. he believes that he can turn his back on Rome and somehow achieve the independence tha the seeks throughout the play. Coriolanus banishes Rome rather than allowing it to banish him and in so doing claims control and makes his greatest attempt to negate his dependence on anyone or anything for being the man that he is . Ironically, Coriolanus' contempt for the plebeians and eventually for the Rome he has always served derives form is actual, absolute need for them. The issue of dependence and the struggle against it are at the center of the play. To argue this point I will initially look at the most obvious and dominant display of this conflict which is that of the play's hero, Coriolanus. I will then proceed to the large examples of dependence such as exist in the Roman society itself and Coriolanus' role within the society, as well as Rome's dependent relationship with other societies. Finally, I will look back at the tragic end of the hero and how his refusal to accept his dependent role brings about this tragedy. |
