Spirit, Soul, and City: Shakespeare's 'Coriolanus'Spirit, 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. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accusers action aedile anger answer Antium appears Aristotle asks Aufidius Aufidius's banishment battle belly blame blood Brutus cause Cicero Citizen city's claims Cominius Cominius's command 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 honor insult kill Livy Martius Martius's Menenius says Menenius's minius mixed regime mother nature never Nicanor Nicomachean Ethics noble olanus olanus's one's patricians peace people's Phocion plebeians Plutarch political praise pride punishment Quintilian refuses revenge reward Rhetoric Romans Rome Rome's rule scene seeks seems Senate Servingman Shakespeare shame Sicinius Sicinius's soldiers soul speak speech spirit suggests sword synecdoche t]he tells thee thou tribunes tries Valeria victory Virgilia virtue voices Volscians Volumnia votes wants wishes words wounds