Coriolanus Literary Elements

drama; tragedy

English

Ancient Rome

There is no singular narrator in the play, though it follows the thoughts and experiences of Coriolanus closely.

The tone is cynical and critical. The mood is ominous and desperate.

At various times throughout the play, Coriolanus operates as both the protagonist and antagonist, challenging audiences to decide where their sympathies lie.

The central conflict of the play is that the lower-class plebeians are becoming skeptical of the upper-class patricians and the power they wield over the Roman state.

The climax of the play occurs at the end of Act Three, when Coriolanus is exiled from Rome.

Volumnia's various claims about her severe parenting toward Coriolanus emphasize the connection between mother and son and foreshadow the end of the play, when Volumnia convinces Coriolanus not to attack Rome.

One unique feature of Coriolanus is that it is often most poignant through the use of deliberate silences. When Volumnia makes her case for why Coriolanus should not attack Rome, for example, Coriolanus is silent. His silence represents his fall from power and influence as he becomes a traitor to Rome.

The play makes frequent allusions to Ancient Roman history, given its setting. It also alludes to early modern English politics and social problems, such as the English food riots of 1607.

Important imagery in the play includes bodies, butterflies, animals, and upward mobility.

The central paradox of the play is Coriolanus himself, as plebeians (and the audience) are left to question whether Coriolanus is beneficial or detrimental to Rome.

In describing Young Martius's torture and murder of the butterflies, the play draws a parallel between him and his father, who also has a penchant for violence and bloodshed.

The play makes frequent use of zoomorphism, an inverse personification in which people are described with animal qualities. Characters usually employ zoomorphism to insult other characters by labeling them as subhuman.

Coriolanus makes use of a popular early modern theatrical convention, in which news of large-scale or important events is not dramatized but instead comes to other characters through a messenger. This use of reporting – usually employed to describe the results of a battle – helps keep the setting of the play unified and allows the play to skirt around the problem of representing large landscapes with thousands of people on a single stage.