Themes (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes

Themes

Shakespeare's Coriolanus explores several interconnected themes that reveal the complex relationship between personal identity, family bonds, and political life in ancient Rome. These themes help us understand the tragic downfall of the protagonist and the tensions within Roman society.

Family as the foundation of the Republic

The play presents family relationships as fundamental to the strength and stability of the Roman state. Shakespeare weaves together personal and political through the language of family, showing how domestic bonds mirror and support the republic's structure.

Volumnia's influence on Coriolanus

The most significant family relationship in the play is between Coriolanus and his mother, Volumnia. She has raised her son to embody military values, training him from childhood to seek glory in battle. Her approach to motherhood is entirely shaped by her dedication to Rome's strength.

Volumnia's control over her son proves decisive at key moments in the play. She uses her maternal authority to manipulate Coriolanus's decisions, first pressuring him to pursue political office despite his reluctance, and later convincing him to abandon his vengeful attack on Rome. Her influence demonstrates how family bonds can be leveraged in service of the state, even when this causes personal conflict.

Menenius as a father figure

The patrician Menenius extends the family metaphor to explain Rome's political structure. In the opening scene, he attempts to calm angry citizens by describing the patricians as fathers to the plebeians, who are like children in this imagined family. This metaphor serves a political purpose—it suggests that social hierarchy is natural and that the common people should trust their patrician "parents" to make decisions for them.

Menenius also adopts a paternal role towards Coriolanus himself, offering guidance as he navigates political challenges. Later, when Coriolanus has turned against Rome, Menenius approaches him using the language of fatherhood, attempting to reawaken his sense of filial duty. He appeals directly to their bond:

The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son, my son!

The ambiguous power of speech

One of the play's central concerns is how language functions in political life, and how speaking can both empower and destroy those who use it unwisely.

The double meaning of voice

The connection between these two meanings reflects Rome's recent transformation from monarchy to republic. In this new system, citizens have political "voices"—the right to vote—which makes speech and persuasion newly important. The action centres on Coriolanus's candidacy for consul, which requires him to seek the plebeians' votes.

Although the common people initially grant him their voices, the tribune Brutus warns them that Coriolanus, once in power, will reduce them to having no more voice than dogs. Here, Brutus suggests that Coriolanus will silence their political participation entirely, stripping them of both speech and voting rights.

Coriolanus's failure with political speech

The play subjects Coriolanus's speech to intense scrutiny. His fellow patricians advise him to address the plebeians with grace and refinement, using the sophisticated rhetoric expected of politicians. However, Coriolanus fundamentally rejects this form of communication. He excels at inspiring soldiers during battle with fierce, direct language, but finds the elaborate, flattering speech of peacetime politics dishonest and objectionable.

Menenius defends Coriolanus by arguing that he cannot "speak 'em fair" because he is "ill schooled in bolted language"—essentially claiming that Coriolanus lacks training in refined political speech. Yet this defence fails. Coriolanus's inability to control his speech has unpredictable consequences, ultimately leading to his banishment from Rome. The theme demonstrates how speech in politics is double-edged, capable of backfiring in unexpected ways.

The inauthenticity of political theatre

Shakespeare uses theatrical metaphors throughout the play to present politics as a form of performance, highlighting the contrast between authentic identity and the roles politicians must adopt.

Coriolanus's resistance to performance

Coriolanus has been shaped by his mother to be a warrior, and he feels most genuine when surrounded by fellow soldiers. The senate, by contrast, is alien territory where success depends on words rather than actions, and social grace matters more than physical strength. Because his identity is so firmly rooted in military life, the refined manners required by politics strike Coriolanus as fundamentally fake. He hates the idea of performing a role that conflicts with his true self.

When his fellow patricians ask him to don a toga and appear humbly before the common people, Coriolanus resists with all his being. Eventually, he yields to pressure, but his performance is disastrous because he cannot hide his true feelings.

Expert political performers

Whilst Coriolanus lacks the skill to succeed in political theatre, other characters are masterful performers who thrive in the public arena. The tribunes Brutus and Sicinius demonstrate exceptional talent for political deception.

After successfully engineering Coriolanus's banishment, the tribunes recognise they must adjust their performance to maintain good relations with the patricians. As Brutus advises:

Let us seem humbler after it is done / Than when it was a-doing.

This calculated display of false modesty shows their sophisticated understanding of political theatre.

Later in the play, Tullus Aufidius proves equally skilled at performance. He pretends to support Coriolanus whilst secretly growing resentful and plotting his assassination. These characters succeed in politics precisely because they can separate their true feelings from their public performances—an ability Coriolanus entirely lacks.

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