Coriolanus

Caius Martius Coriolanus is the protagonist of the play and a tragic hero. He is a Roman patrician who is originally called Caius Martius until he receives the honorific agnomen “Coriolanus” to commemorate his deeds in capturing the city of Corioles.

In the early parts of the play, he is referred to as Martius, a name derived from Mars, the Roman god of war. This name contributes to his characterization as a natural soldier who values military glory and bravery over any other virtue. Shakespeare portrays Coriolanus as a man whose most admirable virtues are also his greatest faults. While his ferocity, anger, and stubbornness are beneficial on the battlefield, they are catastrophic when he attempts to enter the world of politics. Shakespeare also hints that Coriolanus embodies the traits traditionally associated with the aristocracy, making him an unbeatable leader but also causing him to damage his own career through uncompromising pride.

Many characters who encounter Coriolanus remark about his frightening appearance when he is angry or in battle. One of his fellow Roman commanders describes him in such terms as he observes him in battle:

LARTIUS. Thou wast a soldier

Even to Cato’s wish, not fierce and terrible

Only in strokes, but with thy grim looks and

The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds

Thou mad’st thine enemies shake, as if the world

Were feverous and did tremble (1.