SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's house. The Tragedy of Coriolanus  Shakespeare homepage  |  Coriolanus  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's house. 

 Enter CORIOLANUS in mean apparel, disguised and muffled  CORIOLANUS  A goodly city is this Antium. City, 

 'Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir 

 Of these fair edifices 'fore my wars 

 Have I heard groan and drop: then know me not, 

 Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones 

 In puny battle slay me. 



 Enter a Citizen  Save you, sir. 

 Citizen  And you. 

 CORIOLANUS  Direct me, if it be your will, 

 Where great Aufidius lies: is he in Antium? 

 Citizen  He is, and feasts the nobles of the state 

 At his house this night. 

 CORIOLANUS  Which is his house, beseech you? 

 Citizen  This, here before you. 

 CORIOLANUS  Thank you, sir: farewell. 



 Exit Citizen  O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, 

 Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart, 

 Whose house, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise, 

 Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love 

 Unseparable, shall within this hour, 

 On a dissension of a doit, break out 

 To bitterest enmity: so, fellest foes, 

 Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep, 

 To take the one the other, by some chance, 

 Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends 

 And interjoin their issues. So with me: 

 My birth-place hate I, and my love's upon 

 This enemy town. I'll enter: if he slay me, 

 He does fair justice; if he give me way, 

 I'll do his country service. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  Coriolanus  | Act 4, Scene 4 

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