Character Analysis (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Character Analysis
Coriolanus
Core identity: warrior first, citizen last
Coriolanus defines himself almost entirely through his identity as a soldier rather than as a political leader or private individual. His exceptional bravery at the Battle of Corioli earns him his honorary name and establishes him as Rome's greatest war hero. The qualities that make him extraordinary in battle—courage, directness, and unwavering commitment—prove disastrous when transferred to the political arena. Roman politics demands compromise, flattery, and performance, skills that Coriolanus not only lacks but actively despises. This creates the central tragedy: his greatest virtues become his fatal flaws.
Other characters view him as a thing of blood and an engine of war, suggesting he functions more as a military machine than a complete person. He feels truly comfortable only on the battlefield, whilst in the political forum he becomes awkward, resentful, or explosively angry.
Exam focus: Coriolanus functions as a tragic hero whose hamartia (tragic flaw) stems from an excess of martial virtue. His valour, honesty, and rigidity are admirable qualities in war but catastrophic in a world requiring negotiation, performance, and humility.
Pride, authenticity, and hatred of the people
The character combines genuine courage with extreme pride and contempt for the plebeians (common people). He believes honour must be earned through action rather than words, which leads him to refuse the traditional political ritual of showing his battle wounds to win votes for the consulship. This refusal reveals both his principled nature and his political incompetence.
Coriolanus views begging for votes as degrading and dishonest, making him appear simultaneously admirable in his principles and disastrous in his political judgement. His excessive pride convinces him that he stands above both the commoners and the political process itself. This arrogance directly causes his banishment from Rome.
The relationship between humility and pride in his character proves complex. He refuses public displays partly because of a proud insistence on inner authenticity—he will not act or speak against his own sense of self. This creates an interesting paradox: his refusal to perform humility stems from pride, yet it also reflects a genuine commitment to honesty.
Exam approach: You can interpret this character trait from multiple angles. Some critics see him as an admirable critic of populist politics who refuses to flatter or lie. Others view him as anti-democratic and dangerously contemptuous of ordinary citizens. Both interpretations have textual support.
Relationship with Volumnia: made by his mother
Volumnia, Coriolanus' mother, shapes his entire value system and remains the only person capable of controlling him. She raises him to seek honour in war above everything else, famously rejoicing more in his wounds than his safety. This upbringing creates a man fiercely committed to martial honour but emotionally dependent on his mother's approval.
The relationship contains a crucial duality: Volumnia both makes him a man and keeps him a boy through her dominance. Coriolanus constantly measures himself against her expectations, using her as his moral and emotional mirror. Her influence extends beyond childhood into his adult decision-making, ultimately determining his fate.
Critical perspective: Understanding Coriolanus as a product of Roman values and Volumnia's ideology complicates questions of blame for his downfall. He cannot be dismissed as a simple tyrant when his character has been deliberately shaped by the society that later rejects him.
Emotional opacity and lack of interiority
Unlike other Shakespearean tragic heroes such as Hamlet or Macbeth, Coriolanus delivers almost no introspective soliloquies. The audience rarely glimpses his inner doubts or moral struggles. Critics describe him as opaque, a thing of blood with minimal psychological self-analysis visible to viewers.
This absence of interior speech makes him appear inflexible and unreflective. However, it also aligns with his identity as someone who defines himself through action and disciplined behaviour rather than verbal self-dramatisation. He audits his actions strictly according to his own code but does not share that internal process with the audience.
This opacity frustrates the typical tragic pattern of confession, insight, and moral transformation. Some critics therefore categorise him as an anti-hero rather than a conventional tragic protagonist, since he lacks the self-awareness and growth usually associated with tragedy.
Interpretative debate: Critics remain divided on this characteristic. Some view him as a heroic Stoic who clings admirably to integrity. Others see him as emotionally stunted, incapable of genuine growth or empathy. Both readings engage productively with the text.
Exile, revenge, and the alliance with Aufidius
Following his banishment, Coriolanus delivers the famous reversal: I banish you! This moment demonstrates his rigid mindset—rejected by Rome, he redefines himself in opposition to his homeland by allying with former enemy Tullus Aufidius. The decision reveals both his inflexibility and his devotion to a pure, martial ideal embodied in Aufidius rather than any civic loyalty.
Exile transforms him into the lonely dragon, an isolated, almost mythical figure existing outside normal state structures. His collaboration with the Volscians proves that his loyalty belongs to honour and war itself rather than to Rome as a political community.
Analytical angles: His defection can be interpreted as either a logical consequence of rejection by a civic world he cannot navigate, or as ultimate proof that his rigid code destroys all bonds, including patriotic ones. Consider which interpretation best fits the textual evidence.
Final change: mercy, tears, and death
In the play's climactic scene, Volumnia persuades Coriolanus to spare Rome through emotional and familial appeals. He finally yields, choosing his mother, wife, and child over revenge. He weeps and agrees to a treaty—an action some critics interpret as his first genuine move towards compassion and moral complexity.
His tears signify more than simple weakness. They represent a shift from pure Stoic hardness to recognition of others' claims upon him. However, this compassionate decision seals his fate: Aufidius and the Volscians interpret the mercy as betrayal and kill him.
Concluding interpretations:
- He achieves tragic hero status because his greatness and rigidity cause his fall, yet he reaches moral height through his final act of mercy
- Alternatively, he never truly changes internally; the world shifts around him, and his strict code inevitably leads to destruction regardless of his final choice
Supporting characters
Volumnia
Volumnia functions as the architect of her son's warrior identity. She glorifies bloodshed and wounds as proof of honour, claiming she felt happier seeing him prove himself in battle than at his birth. Her character combines maternal love with political ambition, treating Coriolanus as an instrument of Roman glory rather than purely as her child.
In the final scene, her emotional and rhetorical power over him saves Rome but leads directly to his death. This makes her simultaneously the saviour of the state and, indirectly, the destroyer of her son. She embodies the Roman values that both create and ultimately consume Coriolanus.
Menenius
Menenius serves as a patrician elder and Coriolanus' friend, often mediating between the senate and the people. His character contrasts sharply with the protagonist: he displays wit, pragmatism, and political flexibility. He uses persuasive stories (such as the belly fable) rather than intimidation to manage the plebeians.
Unlike Coriolanus, Menenius understands that politics depends on performance and compromise rather than personal honour alone. His eventual inability to reconcile Coriolanus with Rome emphasises how far the conflict has progressed beyond moderate voices and reasonable negotiation.
The Tribunes (Sicinius and Brutus)
The tribunes represent the political leadership of the plebeians and embody anxieties about popular power in the play. They demonstrate skill in manipulating public opinion, using rhetoric to turn crowds against Coriolanus whilst claiming to defend liberty.
At times they appear self-serving and vindictive, exploiting Coriolanus' pride to eliminate a dangerous political opponent. However, they also articulate a coherent case for accountability, insisting that someone who despises the people should not rule them. This complexity prevents any simple reading of them as villains—they represent legitimate democratic concerns alongside personal ambition.
Aufidius
Tullus Aufidius, the Volscian general, functions as Coriolanus' mirror and rival. He is bound to the protagonist through a complex mixture of hatred, admiration, and almost intimate fascination. Aufidius craves the military glory Coriolanus has achieved and measures his own worth against his enemy.
When Coriolanus defects to the Volscians, Aufidius responds with excitement blended with jealousy, as his enemy-turned-ally threatens to overshadow him again. In the final act, Aufidius orchestrates Coriolanus' murder, presenting it as justice for betrayal. However, the killing clearly stems from wounded pride and competitive rivalry as much as from political principle.
The Citizens (Plebeians)
The plebeian citizens function both as individuals and as a collective voice that can be swayed by rhetoric. They open the play angry about grain shortages and aristocratic arrogance, yet they also prove capable of reasoned debate about their rights and duties.
Their rapid shifts—first supporting Coriolanus, then condemning him—highlight the instability of popular opinion once rhetoric and fear enter political discourse. Shakespeare uses them to explore both strengths and weaknesses of early democratic power, showing its capacity for justice alongside its vulnerability to manipulation.
Key Points to Remember:
- Coriolanus' tragic flaw: His martial virtues (courage, honesty, rigidity) become fatal flaws in political life requiring compromise and performance
- Mother's influence: Volumnia shapes his values and remains the only person who can control him, ultimately saving Rome but causing his death
- Lack of soliloquies: Unlike other tragic heroes, Coriolanus shows little introspection, making him appear opaque and emotionally rigid
- Political vs military worlds: He excels in battle but fails catastrophically in politics, where he refuses to flatter the plebeians or beg for votes
- Multiple interpretations: The play supports reading him as either a principled critic of populism or a dangerously anti-democratic figure—consider evidence for both views in your exam responses