Full Description
This Roman play is one of Shakespeare's last tragedies, best known for its political and military themes. Its hero, Coriolanus, is a proud General who does not hesitate to show his arrogant and outspoken contempt of the Roman rabble. The Tribunes banish him and he raises an army to take his revenge on Rome. He finally concedes to the pleas of his mother to spare the city and leaves only to be publicly killed by his former allies. Peter Holland is a former Director of the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford upon Avon and President of the Shakespeare Association of America. He is a pre-eminent international scholar. His comprehensive Introduction and commentary notes open up the language, themes and ideas in this complex yet richly rewarding play for the student and teacher. The play is discussed in its historical and critical contexts and its theatrical history is analysed too.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Coriolanus in the 1930s
Beginnings
Reading
Dating: Writing and Performance
Voting and Citizenship
Coriolanus and Early Modern Politics
Shaping the Play
Coriolanus Rethought: Brecht, Osborne, Grass
Filming Coriolanus (2011)
THE PLAY
Longer Notes
Textual Analysis
Appendices:
1. Coriolanus in Performance: A Skeletal History
2. Casting Coriolanus
Abbreviations and References
Index
