Imperial Theme - Wilson Knight by Knight G. Wilson;

Author:Knight, G. Wilson;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1460986
Publisher: Routledge

The state of Rome is a ‘body’. The dissensions in Act I are concerned with ‘corn’ and ‘grain’. This is important. From start to finish the health of the state, its food, its very life, is involved. ‘Pride’ is early contrasted with ‘food’. Now Coriolanus’—and his mother’s—isolated aristocracy of pride in the cause of that honour to which both are devoted is a poison. Coriolanus’ worth is debilitated by its incapability of feeding the body of Rome. Though there is love between mother and son, yet this love exists not to rule, but in the cause of ambition. Coriolanus’ love is largely a love of his mother’s admiration. Volumnia’s is likewise impure in its desire of her son’s honour as an end in itself: it is partial, selfish, proud. The tribunes, during the later action, continually refer to Coriolanus’ pride as a disease. Nor is the image unjust. Coriolanus is noble; he is far superior to his community; he is an exquisite piece of humanity. Yet, merely by his failing in any way to mix with his setting, he is dangerous as a microbe, itself no doubt worthy enough, in an organism to which it is by nature alien. He wields an isolated and inimical virtue, a poisonings, disintegrating force, creating other prides around him, furthering civil strife.

‘Body’ metaphors or ‘disease’ metaphors are percurrent, twined in this way with the concept of political ‘order’. The first citizen is the ‘great toe’ of the assembly (I. i. 159). So Coriolanus himself addresses the tribunes:

Are these your herd?

Must these have voices, that can yield them now

And straight disclaim their tongues? What are your offices?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?

Have you not set them on?

(III. i. 33)

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