Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. It is one of his last two tragedies, written alongside Antony and Cleopatra. The play dramatizes the life of the legendary Roman general Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus, drawing primarily from Plutarch's Lives.
The story follows Caius Marcius, a brilliant but arrogant Roman general who earns the name Coriolanus after his military victory at the Volscian city of Corioli. Despite his battlefield heroism, his open contempt for the common people and his refusal to compromise with the plebeians and their tribunes lead to his political downfall and banishment from Rome. Consumed by revenge, he allies with his former enemies, the Volscians, and marches on Rome itself.
Coriolanus explores themes of pride, political manipulation, the fickleness of the masses, and the tension between aristocratic virtue and democratic populism. The title character is one of Shakespeare's most complex tragic figures — a warrior of immense courage whose inability to perform the rituals of political humility destroys him. The play has been noted for its unflinching examination of class conflict and the dangerous gap between military and civilian values.
Though less frequently performed than Shakespeare's major tragedies, Coriolanus has proven remarkably adaptable to different political eras. Its depiction of a society torn apart by internal strife and a leader who turns against his own people has resonated across centuries, inspiring numerous stage revivals and screen adaptations.
