Nature Versus Nurture In The Development Of Coriolanus

The tragedy of Coriolanus was said to have been written between 1605 and 1608, one of the many tragedies written by William Shakespeare. Coriolanus was a historical play based on the Roman general of 5th century BC. , Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Within this piece, gender roles played a central part in develoacping and shaping the personalities of each character—which was especially true for Coriolanus. During this time period, men were expected to be aggressive and violent; the appraisal of worth and respect for a man was largely determined by his military triumphs. Coriolanus lived by the principle that a man is only deemed a man after he has proven himself in warfare; it is this belief that leads to his downfall and eventual death at the end of the play. His character epitomizes vigor, courage, and heroism, but does so at the expense of compassion, cooperation, and compromise. This speaks to his embodiment of the gender norms of his time. While there is no doubt that Coriolanus’s character is built upon his successes in the military, the debate of nature versus nurture can be applied to his ability to excel in warfare. In the case of Coriolanus, while his innate nature does play a role in the way he acts, he is ultimately molded from his acquired experiences and the way he was nurtured. His personality and chosen actions are colorized by his upbringing and the social norms of his time.

. The debate of nature versus nurture refers to the theory that particular behaviors are either inherited biologically or acquired through life experiences and environmental factors. Nature would state that Coriolanus is innately aggressive and violent and that his temperament is what allows him to be triumphant in his battles against his enemies. In Act 1 Scene 1, the Second Citizen says, “What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous” (1. 1. 41-44). In this line, the Second Citizen is defending Coriolanus by stating that Corionalius is not fighting to be greedy, but is instead fighting for pride because it is in his nature to do so. Essentially, Coriolanus is not kind or compassionate toward the lower class because he only knows how to be aggressive and violent in warfare. The Second Citizen points to his aggression as something innate within Coriolanus, rather than a choice he consciously makes. Later in the play, Coriolanus’s mother Volumnia states, “Do as thou list. Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck’st it from me” (Coriolanus 3. 2. 129). In this quote, Volumnia is telling Coriolanus that he got his “valiantness” from her through her breast milk. She is ultimately stating that being valiant is a genetic trait that she was able to pass onto Coriolanus when he nursed from her breast as a child. This further emphasizes the foundations of Coriolanus’s character in his nature and what his parents bequeathed to him. These quotes support the belief that nature, a biological influence, is what shaped his personality and allowed him to develop into the character that he is.

In contrast to nature, nurture would state that Coriolanus is merely a product of how he was raised and what he was taught through his environment and life experiences. Throughout the play, it is apparent that Volumnia had the greatest impact on the development of his personality and character. As early as Act 1 Scene 3 of the play, there are two major instances where Volumnia reveals to the audience the type of relationship she has with Coriolanus, as well as her influence. In this part of the play, Volumnia says to Virgilia, “. . . 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). According to Volumnia, Coriolanus was only able to prove himself to be a man after fighting in a war. She is equating masculinity to the violence of warfare, which exemplifies the expectations during that time that in order for a man to prove his worth, he needed to be aggressive and violent. She continues her conversation with Virgilia by telling Virgilia that “It [blood] becomes more a man than gilt his trophy” (1. 3. 41). Volumnia believes that blood would be more appropriate in showing the true bravery and strength of a man than any form of medal or trophy ever could. This is the belief that she instills within Coriolanus and his upbringing, and reveals that Volumnia is more concerned with Coriolanus’s reputation than she is with his life. She lives vicariously through Coriolanus, feeling as though any of his accomplishments are her own, for she raised him to be a man. If Coriolanus was raised with the same beliefs as his mother, nurture would explain why his character had become a cold, apathetic man driven by a need for warfare and bloodshed.

While nature and nurture are both responsible for influencing the character development of Coriolanus, nurture was shown to prevail over nature at the end of the play. Throughout this piece, Coriolanus was depicted as a man who would pick war over his personal life and relationships. This pertains specifically to the relationships he had with other characters, especially concerning his relationship with his wife and son. The only relationship in this play that was strong enough to deter Coriolanus’s thirst for blood was his relationship with his mother Volumnia, who essentially controlled his life. His mother raised him to be a weapon of war, pushed him to attempt to become a political leader, and convinced him to spare Rome in his search for vengeance. His mother’s influence played the most pivotal and distinct role in the development of his character, as well as the central influence in many of his actions. The role of Volumnia in his life reflects the strong influence of nurture on Coriolanus’s character development, which explains his actions and mindset. Coriolanus was a stubborn, strong minded character who knew what he wanted. However, it was his loyalty and obedience to his mother’s commands that led to his tragic death. Therefore, it is the nurture and subsequent influences that play the most foundational role in Coriolanus’s life, something one should turn to when looking to understand his character, actions, and eventual demise.

Masculinity within the play is strongly defined by the social norms of the time, which were particularly colored by warfare and bloodshed. Coriolanus swiftly follows and embodies such masculinity in his cold, aggressive temperament. The need to prove himself in warfare meant that he sacrificed compassion and compromise for what he understood to be heroism and vigor. Upon examination of Coriolanus, one can apply the debate of nature versus nurture towards understanding his character development. While nature does play a role in Coriolanus’s personality, especially in the way he has been geared towards violence from a very young age, it is ultimately his nurture and upbringing that completes his outlook on life and influences his development. Internalizing his mother’s values and the societal expectations that surround him, Coriolanus is a product of his environment. He remains a stark example of how the journey and fight to prove one’s worth and pride can sometimes lead to one’s detriment.