Shakespeare develops the theme
of power in the play, mainly with the characters of Coriolanus, Volumnia,
Aufidius, Menenius, and the Tribunes as representative of different forms of
power. The titular character, Coriolanus, is a man from an older form of power,
the absolute kind, where rulers did not have to answer to the commoners. He
approaches politics the same way he approaches military matters: speaks his
mind/heart (i.e. insulting the commoners, but it’s what he genuinely thinks of
them), being true to himself, and insulting those he regards as enemies or
against Rome (in battle this is the Volsces, but he believes that giving the plebeians
a voice is a bad idea). In military, he is successful, because military power
is absolute, obey or die type of deal, at least in that time; however, politics requires a surgical
approach, and careful consideration of what to say, which the other characters
mentioned can do better. Menenius acts as a foil to Coriolanus’ skills, because
while he is not a military man, he is someone who can influence and even change
people’s choice of action by saying some words, for example, with his story of
the stomach and body, he is able to cast doubt in the plebeians, and slows them
down with them pondering the metaphor. He can perhaps be described as being
kind of a populist (it may not pay to be liked by everyone, but you won’t get
banished or killed for being well liked). Volumnia and Aufidius are both quite Machiavellian
people, manipulating Coriolanus, a son and an ally (later on), respectively.
They both exploit Coriolanus for their own personal gain. In Shakespeare’s
time, politics was a dangerous affair, in fact the previous ruler, Queen
Elizabeth I had her own cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, killed (she was involved
in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth), which meant that sometimes
politicians/rulers had to ‘get their hands dirty’. Finally, the Tribunes are an
extension of the common people (plebeians), a representative of them. It could be said that they show the rising power of the
commoner in society; in Shakespeare’s time people were slowly gaining more
power, even going against the king occasionally, most notably with the
Gunpowder plot in 1605, with Guy Fawkes along with others attempted to blow up Westminster
Palace.
Note: Written from a non-Ibo person perspective, however the person has knowledge of what the Ibo culture is and what their achievements are and is speaking on behalf of it at the Royal Colonial Institute’s annual dinner. Set in the Late Victorian era, as the assignment suggests. Words in-between this: [ ], are explanations of phrases, and would not be said in the actual speech. Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Royal Colonial Institute. As you all know, this is a time of great change in this world. In the span of 100 years we’ve gone from walking on foot and horseback, to being able to get to Edinburgh from London in only 8½ hours whilst sitting, in relative comfort. Despite losing America a century ago, the British Empire has grown immensely since then, acquiring massive territories in Africa. Truly, the Sun never sets on the British Empire. But despite your dominance and hegemony over the world, the human...
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