payment page
Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial
Already have an account? Log in
Original Text |
Modern Text |
|
Rome. A public place.
|
Rome. A public place.
|
|
Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS
|
Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS
|
|
MENENIUS See you yond coign o’ the Capitol, yond
corner-stone?
|
MENENIUS See you yond coign o’ the Capitol, yond
corner-stone?
|
|
SICINIUS Why, what of that?
|
SICINIUS Why, what of that?
|
|
MENENIUS If it be possible for you to displace it with your
5 little finger, there is some hope the ladies of
Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him.
But I say there is no hope in’t: our throats are
sentenced and stay upon execution.
|
MENENIUS If it be possible for you to displace it with your
little finger, there is some hope the ladies of
Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him.
But I say there is no hope in’t: our throats are
sentenced and stay upon execution.
|
|
SICINIUS Is’t possible that so short a time can alter the
10 condition of a man!
|
SICINIUS Is’t possible that so short a time can alter the
condition of a man!
|
|
MENENIUS There is differency between a grub and a butterfly;
yet your butterfly was a grub. This Martius is grown
from man to dragon: he has wings; he’s more than a
creeping thing.
|
MENENIUS There is differency between a grub and a butterfly;
yet your butterfly was a grub. This Martius is grown
from man to dragon: he has wings; he’s more than a
creeping thing.
|
|
SICINIUS 15 He loved his mother dearly.
|
SICINIUS He loved his mother dearly.
|
|
MENENIUS So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother
now than an eight-year-old horse. The tartness
of his face sours ripe grapes: when he walks, he
moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before
20 his treading: he is able to pierce a corslet with
his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a
battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for
Alexander. What he bids be done is finished with
his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity
25 and a heaven to throne in.
|
MENENIUS So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother
now than an eight-year-old horse. The tartness
of his face sours ripe grapes: when he walks, he
moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before
his treading: he is able to pierce a corslet with
his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a
battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for
Alexander. What he bids be done is finished with
his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity
and a heaven to throne in.
|
|
SICINIUS Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
|
SICINIUS Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
|
|
MENENIUS I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his
mother shall bring from him: there is no more mercy
in him than there is milk in a male tiger; that
30 shall our poor city find: and all this is long of
you.
|
MENENIUS I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his
mother shall bring from him: there is no more mercy
in him than there is milk in a male tiger; that
shall our poor city find: and all this is long of
you.
|
|
SICINIUS The gods be good unto us!
|
SICINIUS The gods be good unto us!
|
|
MENENIUS No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto
us. When we banished him, we respected not them;
35 and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us.
|
MENENIUS No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto
us. When we banished him, we respected not them;
and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us.
|
|
Enter a Messenger
|
Enter a Messenger
|
|
MESSENGER Sir, if you’ld save your life, fly to your house:
The plebeians have got your fellow-tribune
And hale him up and down, all swearing, if
The Roman ladies bring not comfort home,
40 They’ll give him death by inches.
|
MESSENGER Sir, if you’ld save your life, fly to your house:
The plebeians have got your fellow-tribune
And hale him up and down, all swearing, if
The Roman ladies bring not comfort home,
They’ll give him death by inches.
|
|
Enter a second Messenger
|
Enter a second Messenger
|
|
SICINIUS What’s the news?
|
SICINIUS What’s the news?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Good news, good news; the ladies have prevail’d,
The Volscians are dislodged, and Martius gone:
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
45 No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Good news, good news; the ladies have prevail’d,
The Volscians are dislodged, and Martius gone:
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins.
|
|
SICINIUS Friend,
Art thou certain this is true? is it most certain?
|
SICINIUS Friend,
Art thou certain this is true? is it most certain?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER As certain as I know the sun is fire:
Where have you lurk’d, that you make doubt of it?
50 Ne’er through an arch so hurried the blown tide,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark you!
|
SECOND MESSENGER As certain as I know the sun is fire:
Where have you lurk’d, that you make doubt of it?
Ne’er through an arch so hurried the blown tide,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark you!
|
|
Trumpets; hautboys; drums beat; all together
|
Trumpets; hautboys; drums beat; all together
|
|
The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries and fifes,
Tabours and cymbals and the shouting Romans,
Make the sun dance. Hark you!
|
The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries and fifes,
Tabours and cymbals and the shouting Romans,
Make the sun dance. Hark you!
|
|
A shout within
|
A shout within
|
|
MENENIUS 55 This is good news:
I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia
Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians,
A city full; of tribunes, such as you,
A sea and land full. You have pray’d well to-day:
60 This morning for ten thousand of your throats
I’d not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy!
|
MENENIUS This is good news:
I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia
Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians,
A city full; of tribunes, such as you,
A sea and land full. You have pray’d well to-day:
This morning for ten thousand of your throats
I’d not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy!
|
|
Music still, with shouts
|
Music still, with shouts
|
|
SICINIUS First, the gods bless you for your tidings; next,
Accept my thankfulness.
|
SICINIUS First, the gods bless you for your tidings; next,
Accept my thankfulness.
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Sir, we have all
65 Great cause to give great thanks.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Sir, we have all
Great cause to give great thanks.
|
|
SICINIUS They are near the city?
|
SICINIUS They are near the city?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Almost at point to enter.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Almost at point to enter.
|
|
SICINIUS We will meet them,
And help the joy.
|
SICINIUS We will meet them,
And help the joy.
|
|
Exeunt
|
Exeunt
|
Original Text |
Modern Text |
|
Rome. A public place.
|
Rome. A public place.
|
|
Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS
|
Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS
|
|
MENENIUS See you yond coign o’ the Capitol, yond
corner-stone?
|
MENENIUS See you yond coign o’ the Capitol, yond
corner-stone?
|
|
SICINIUS Why, what of that?
|
SICINIUS Why, what of that?
|
|
MENENIUS If it be possible for you to displace it with your
5 little finger, there is some hope the ladies of
Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him.
But I say there is no hope in’t: our throats are
sentenced and stay upon execution.
|
MENENIUS If it be possible for you to displace it with your
little finger, there is some hope the ladies of
Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him.
But I say there is no hope in’t: our throats are
sentenced and stay upon execution.
|
|
SICINIUS Is’t possible that so short a time can alter the
10 condition of a man!
|
SICINIUS Is’t possible that so short a time can alter the
condition of a man!
|
|
MENENIUS There is differency between a grub and a butterfly;
yet your butterfly was a grub. This Martius is grown
from man to dragon: he has wings; he’s more than a
creeping thing.
|
MENENIUS There is differency between a grub and a butterfly;
yet your butterfly was a grub. This Martius is grown
from man to dragon: he has wings; he’s more than a
creeping thing.
|
|
SICINIUS 15 He loved his mother dearly.
|
SICINIUS He loved his mother dearly.
|
|
MENENIUS So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother
now than an eight-year-old horse. The tartness
of his face sours ripe grapes: when he walks, he
moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before
20 his treading: he is able to pierce a corslet with
his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a
battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for
Alexander. What he bids be done is finished with
his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity
25 and a heaven to throne in.
|
MENENIUS So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother
now than an eight-year-old horse. The tartness
of his face sours ripe grapes: when he walks, he
moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before
his treading: he is able to pierce a corslet with
his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a
battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for
Alexander. What he bids be done is finished with
his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity
and a heaven to throne in.
|
|
SICINIUS Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
|
SICINIUS Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
|
|
MENENIUS I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his
mother shall bring from him: there is no more mercy
in him than there is milk in a male tiger; that
30 shall our poor city find: and all this is long of
you.
|
MENENIUS I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his
mother shall bring from him: there is no more mercy
in him than there is milk in a male tiger; that
shall our poor city find: and all this is long of
you.
|
|
SICINIUS The gods be good unto us!
|
SICINIUS The gods be good unto us!
|
|
MENENIUS No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto
us. When we banished him, we respected not them;
35 and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us.
|
MENENIUS No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto
us. When we banished him, we respected not them;
and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us.
|
|
Enter a Messenger
|
Enter a Messenger
|
|
MESSENGER Sir, if you’ld save your life, fly to your house:
The plebeians have got your fellow-tribune
And hale him up and down, all swearing, if
The Roman ladies bring not comfort home,
40 They’ll give him death by inches.
|
MESSENGER Sir, if you’ld save your life, fly to your house:
The plebeians have got your fellow-tribune
And hale him up and down, all swearing, if
The Roman ladies bring not comfort home,
They’ll give him death by inches.
|
|
Enter a second Messenger
|
Enter a second Messenger
|
|
SICINIUS What’s the news?
|
SICINIUS What’s the news?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Good news, good news; the ladies have prevail’d,
The Volscians are dislodged, and Martius gone:
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
45 No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Good news, good news; the ladies have prevail’d,
The Volscians are dislodged, and Martius gone:
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins.
|
|
SICINIUS Friend,
Art thou certain this is true? is it most certain?
|
SICINIUS Friend,
Art thou certain this is true? is it most certain?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER As certain as I know the sun is fire:
Where have you lurk’d, that you make doubt of it?
50 Ne’er through an arch so hurried the blown tide,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark you!
|
SECOND MESSENGER As certain as I know the sun is fire:
Where have you lurk’d, that you make doubt of it?
Ne’er through an arch so hurried the blown tide,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark you!
|
|
Trumpets; hautboys; drums beat; all together
|
Trumpets; hautboys; drums beat; all together
|
|
The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries and fifes,
Tabours and cymbals and the shouting Romans,
Make the sun dance. Hark you!
|
The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries and fifes,
Tabours and cymbals and the shouting Romans,
Make the sun dance. Hark you!
|
|
A shout within
|
A shout within
|
|
MENENIUS 55 This is good news:
I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia
Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians,
A city full; of tribunes, such as you,
A sea and land full. You have pray’d well to-day:
60 This morning for ten thousand of your throats
I’d not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy!
|
MENENIUS This is good news:
I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia
Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians,
A city full; of tribunes, such as you,
A sea and land full. You have pray’d well to-day:
This morning for ten thousand of your throats
I’d not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy!
|
|
Music still, with shouts
|
Music still, with shouts
|
|
SICINIUS First, the gods bless you for your tidings; next,
Accept my thankfulness.
|
SICINIUS First, the gods bless you for your tidings; next,
Accept my thankfulness.
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Sir, we have all
65 Great cause to give great thanks.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Sir, we have all
Great cause to give great thanks.
|
|
SICINIUS They are near the city?
|
SICINIUS They are near the city?
|
|
SECOND MESSENGER Almost at point to enter.
|
SECOND MESSENGER Almost at point to enter.
|
|
SICINIUS We will meet them,
And help the joy.
|
SICINIUS We will meet them,
And help the joy.
|
|
Exeunt
|
Exeunt
|
Test your knowledge
Take the Act 5, scenes ii-vi Quick Quiz
Read the Summary
Read the Summary of Act 5, scenes ii-vi.
Shakespeare’s Life & Times
Dive into our comprehensive guide to ace your Shakespeare assignments
Did you know you can highlight text to take a note?
x
