Coriolanus: a Mother’s Son
As with many of Shakespeare’s plays, the themes presented in Coriolanus are timeless. One such theme, gender, plays a prevalent role throughout the play. Even in modern day society, all across the world, gender issues are argued and debated. Equal pay, women’s rights to education, and the role of women in society are just some examples of these issues all across the world. While this theme is still relevant today, Coriolanus by Shakespeare shows that the relevance can be traced back in history.
Throughout Coriolanus, both Coriolanus and Volumnia are influenced by gender roles; while Coriolanus’s adherence to gender norms leads to his tragic downfall, Volumnia’s break from gender norms results in her survival and heroine status at the end of the play. Coriolanus, as a character, displays a strict adherence to gender norms which eventually leads to his death. Coriolanus is characterized most strongly as a warrior: “To a cruel war I sent him, from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man,” (1. 3. 15-18). This quote illustrates how overjoyed Volumnia was as Coriolanus (then Caius Martius) only grew into a man after facing war and surviving, according to the mindset of his mother. In Volumnia’s mind, and therefore Coriolanus’s, masculinity can only be truly proven on the battlefield. It is this idea of masculinity that Coriolanus’s chases throughout the play. In fact, this concept of masculinity from battle is so vital to his pride, he is even willing to sacrifice the lives of his own soldiers to ensure he wins the battle: “All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! You herd of—Boils and plagues Plaster you o'er, that you may be abhorred Further than seen and one infect another Against the wind a mile! You souls of geese, That bear the shapes of men, how have you run From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and hell! All hurt behind. Backs red, and faces pale With flight and agued fear! Mend and charge home, Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe And make my wars on you,” (1. 4. 41-52). After winning the battle, Coriolanus is acknowledged by the Plebeians, who agree to vote for him. However, the qualities that characterize him as a stellar war hero, are the same that depict him as blunt, violent, and graceless, characteristics not found in a good politician. It is these qualities that got him votes, and the same qualities that led to the Plebeians choosing not to vote for him, leading Coriolanus further down the path of tragedy. In Coriolanus’s final conversation with Aufidius, it is clear how seriously Coriolanus takes his masculinity: “[Aufidius] Name not the god, thou boy of tears… [Coriolanus]
Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart Too great for what contains it. 'Boy'? O slave. . . Cut me to pieces, Volsces. Men and lads, Stain all your edges on me. 'Boy'? False hound! If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there That, like an eagle in a dovecote, I Fluttered your Volscians in Corioles, Alone I did it. 'Boy',” (5. 6. 120, 123-124, 133-138). Here, Aufidius insults Coriolanus by calling him a boy. Coriolanus retorts by citing his slaughter of Volscians in the battle of Corioles in order to prove that he is, in fact, a real man. His blunt use of the slaughter to justify his own masculinity leads to the public calling for his death, and his death by the conspirators. Volumnia’s norm-defying character, in contrast, displays an interesting juxtaposition against her son’s strict adherence. However, it is Volumnia’s break from gender norms that results in her survival and heroine status at the end of the play. Volumnia can be characterized as a generally ambitious, if not bloodthirsty character: “Thy valiantness was mine; thou suck'st it from me,” (3. 2. 157). Volumnia seems to imply that the bravery Coriolanus is known for, comes from her. This characteristic of valiancy is decidedly male in the time of this play, associated with the bravery and courage of battle. Volumnia’s own son, Coriolanus, also seems to acknowledge his mother’s gender-norm defying character. He states, “Nay, mother, Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say If you had been the wife of Hercules, Six of his labors you'd have done and saved Your husband so much sweat,” (3. 3. 19-23). Here, Coriolanus is praising his mother for her spirit, her ability to do the kind of work typically associated with males. His allusion to the deeds of Hercules also draws a comparison to Volumnia, as Hercules, a hero, was known for his valiant deeds. These characteristics of bravery and valiantness are what allow Volumnia to say what is on her mind when not only arguing with a tribune, but even convincing her son to sign a peace treaty. Coriolanus, after agreeing to his mother’s demands, states, “Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you.
All the swords in Italy, and her confederate arms, Could not have made this peace,” (5. 3. 213-234). Although Volumnia did not use physical force, her strategy against her own son granted her this victory, her display of mental agility unusual for a woman in this age. It is this result, brought about by her gender-defying norms, that leads to her warm welcome upon her return to Rome: “Behold our patroness, the life of Rome! Call all your tribes together, praise the gods, And make triumphant fires. Strew flowers before them, Unshout the noise that banished Martius, Repeal him with the welcome of his mother. Cry 'Welcome, ladies, welcome,” (5. 5. 1-7). Here, Volumnia is finally recognized as a heroine in her own right, as the characteristics that made her so unusual, were the ones that saved Rome, and ensured her survival and new status. Admittedly, it can be argued that it is in fact Volumnia who leads to her son’s downfall, rather than his own choices or decisions, and it is her abnormal character that leads to the tragic ending. It is clear that Volumnia has always carried some great impact on her son, as she states, “I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man,” (1. 3. 16-18). It seems that Volumnia aims to live out her goals through the deeds of Coriolanus.
However, while Volumnia did affect Coriolanus’s ideal of masculinity, his bluntness and political inability, the causes of his death, are entirely his own. Volumnia is only somewhat able to influence his thinking, and in the end, as his mother, she simply wants him to live. Despite this, Coriolanus makes his own choices, and his character meets the tragic but deserving end written for him. Gender is a timeless theme, presented in older literary works such as Coriolanus but also in more contemporary works, and is a subject of heated debate today. Issues such as equal pay, women’s rights to education, and the role of women in society are just a few of the related topics that are often argued. Gender plays an ongoing role throughout Coriolanus, as throughout Coriolanus, both Coriolanus and Volumnia are influenced by gender roles. Coriolanus’s adherence to gender norms leads to his tragic downfall, whereas Volumnia’s break from gender norms results in her survival and enduring existence as heroine at the end of the play.
