Spirit, Soul, and City: Shakespeare's CoriolanusSpirit, Soul, and City offers a new reading of Coriolanus, Shakespeare's most political play and the last of his great tragedies. Portraying the founding of the Roman republic and the life and soul of its legendary warrior, Coriolanus, the play brings to light not only the hidden working of Rome's mixed regime but the inherent tragic tensions in the soul's spirited tendency to strive to go beyond itself in order to be true to itself. Distinguished scholar Jan H. Blits provides a fresh interpretation of this rich, complex, and often perplexing play, combining meticulous detail and insightful breadth. Proceeding line-by-line through the play, this book reaches its conclusions by closely examining Shakespeare's text--his plot, characters, language, structure, allusions, puzzles, and other devices. |
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accusers action aedile ambition anger Antium Aristotle asks Aufidius Aufidius's banishment battle blame Blits blood Brutus Brutus's cause Cicero Citizen city's claims Cominius Cominius's commoners consul Cori Coriolanus Coriolanus's Corioles courage death declares deeds defeat denies describes deserve Dionysius of Halicarnassus election enemy fame fear fight flatter friends gestures give gods hate hath hear heart hero honor insult kill Livy Martius Martius's Menenius Menenius's minius mixed regime mother nature never Nicomachean Ethics noble olanus olanus's one's patricians peace people's votes Phocion plebeians Plutarch political praise pray pride punishment Quintilian refusal revenge reward Rhetoric Roman Rome Rome's rule says scene seeks seems Senate Servingman Shakespeare shame Sicinius Sicinius's soldiers soul speak speech spirit suggests sword t]he tells thou tius's tribunes tries Valeria valor victory Virgilia virtue voices Volscians Volumnia wants wishes words wounds