SCENE IV. Before Corioli. The Tragedy of Coriolanus  Shakespeare homepage  |  Coriolanus  | Act 1, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Before Corioli. 

 Enter, with drum and colours, MARCIUS, TITUS  LARTIUS, Captains and Soldiers. To them a Messenger  MARCIUS  Yonder comes news. A wager they have met. 

 LARTIUS  My horse to yours, no. 

 MARCIUS  'Tis done. 

 LARTIUS  Agreed. 

 MARCIUS  Say, has our general met the enemy? 

 Messenger  They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet. 

 LARTIUS  So, the good horse is mine. 

 MARCIUS  I'll buy him of you. 

 LARTIUS  No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you him I will 

 For half a hundred years. Summon the town. 

 MARCIUS  How far off lie these armies? 

 Messenger  Within this mile and half. 

 MARCIUS  Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they ours. 

 Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work, 

 That we with smoking swords may march from hence, 

 To help our fielded friends! Come, blow thy blast. 



 They sound a parley. Enter two Senators with others on the walls  Tutus Aufidius, is he within your walls? 

 First Senator  No, nor a man that fears you less than he, 

 That's lesser than a little. 



 Drums afar off  Hark! our drums 

 Are bringing forth our youth. We'll break our walls, 

 Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates, 

 Which yet seem shut, we, have but pinn'd with rushes; 

 They'll open of themselves. 



 Alarum afar off  Hark you. far off! 

 There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes 

 Amongst your cloven army. 

 MARCIUS  O, they are at it! 

 LARTIUS  Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, ho! 



 Enter the army of the Volsces  MARCIUS  They fear us not, but issue forth their city. 

 Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight 

 With hearts more proof than shields. Advance, 

 brave Titus: 

 They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts, 

 Which makes me sweat with wrath. Come on, my fellows: 

 He that retires I'll take him for a Volsce, 

 And he shall feel mine edge. 



 Alarum. The Romans are beat back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS cursing  MARCIUS  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 abhorr'd 

 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: look to't: come on; 

 If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives, 

 As they us to our trenches followed. 



 Another alarum. The Volsces fly, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates  So, now the gates are ope: now prove good seconds: 

 'Tis for the followers fortune widens them, 

 Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like. 



 Enters the gates  First Soldier  Fool-hardiness; not I. 

 Second Soldier  Nor I. 



 MARCIUS is shut in  First Soldier  See, they have shut him in. 

 All  To the pot, I warrant him. 



 Alarum continues 

 Re-enter TITUS LARTIUS  LARTIUS  What is become of Marcius? 

 All  Slain, sir, doubtless. 

 First Soldier  Following the fliers at the very heels, 

 With them he enters; who, upon the sudden, 

 Clapp'd to their gates: he is himself alone, 

 To answer all the city. 

 LARTIUS  O noble fellow! 

 Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword, 

 And, when it bows, stands up. Thou art left, Marcius: 

 A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, 

 Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier 

 Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible 

 Only in strokes; but, with thy grim looks and 

 The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds, 

 Thou madst thine enemies shake, as if the world 

 Were feverous and did tremble. 



 Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy  First Soldier  Look, sir. 

 LARTIUS  O,'tis Marcius! 

 Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike. 



 They fight, and all enter the city  Shakespeare homepage  |  Coriolanus  | Act 1, Scene 4 

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