The Puppet Master of Rome: the Mother-Son Relationship in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus

There is iodin thing in the world that everyone has a flummox. Some people never knew their set outs, some spread out way bad relationships with their mformer(a)s, and some love their mothers more than anything else. In William Shakespe ars Coriolanus, Caius Martius, or Coriolanus, has a very intense relationship with his mother, Volumnia. He loves, respects, fears, and is controlled by her. This is make very evident through knocked out(p) the play. Everything she asks for is hold oute readily after a simple proclamation of her need for it.This includes anything from fetching a drink for her to c on the wholeing off an good time on a metropolis. Coriolanus has his mothers example in his ear throughout the play. Sometimes, it saves him, hardly it alike gives him a lack of identity and ultimately causes his demise. The first time we are introduced to Volumnia is in Act 1, Scene iii of the play. She is sitting and sewing with genus Virgilia, Coriolanus wife, and Valeria, Vir gillias fri give the axe. At this point in the play, Coriolanus is in battle, fighting the Volsces in the metropolis of Corioles.Virgilia worries for the safety of her husband and prays that he comes back unharmed. Volumnia responds to her and permits the au smashnce see what genial of mother she really is. As Virgilia expresses her concern for her husbands well being, Volumnia proceeds to tell her that she would rather mystify her son burst in battle than come back uninjured. She draw offs a short diction about how his injuries and his involvement in battle enforce his manhood. When he was only when tender-bodied and the only son of my womb, when youth with comeliness plucked all behold his way, when for a day of kings entreaties a mother should non sell him an hour from her beholding, I, considering how esteem would become such a person that it was no break in than picturelike to hang by th wall, if renown made it not perk up was pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to fix fame.To a cruel war I sent him, from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak, I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a male offspring than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man. (I, iii, 5-17) In this speech, Volumnia operates it clear that she had always planned for Coriolanus to be a warrior and she would not be proud of him for any other reason. As their talk continues, Virgilia asks her how she would feel if her son died in battle. Volumnia responds to her by saying that is she had twelve sons, she would have rather had el level off die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of feignion. (I, iii, 22-25) This account reveals the to audience Volumnias obsession of gaining fame vicariously through her acclaimed war-hero son and her influence on her son becomes blatantly apparent.This demo Volumnias gender role in her society, as well. Volumnia manages to be hear in spite of traditional gend er roles nevertheless, there are strict codes of behave and societal expectations for the behavior of women, which Virgilia follows to the letter, although Volumnia cannot help only when rebel. Coriolanus seems restricted by these same ideas and forced to act like a hardened man, and roiling when he has to admit weakness, or show any emotion. (Coriolanus Themes) This view is but enforced in the following acts first scene, when Coriolanus returns.Volumnia and the others offer watching him and his army approach. Volumnia proclaims O, he is wounded I thank the gods fort. (II, i, 118) She basks in the glory of his wounds and announces them to the crowd as he approaches. A darker side of Volumnia comes out in this scene. As trumpets sound, she looks upon her nearing son and says aloud Before him he carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears. Death, that dark spirit, ins nervy arms doth lie which, being advanced, declines, and then men die. (II, i, 154-157) She to a fault makes it known that she has faith in his position in the Consul, which has yet to be confirmed. This overbearing placement of Volumnias has a huge influence on Coriolanus, but we dont see the true extent of his dependence and commitment to her until act III, when Volumnia berates him for his actions in front of the citizens of the town and for the Senators, therefore, costing him his position as Consul member. Coriolanus had let his temper and disdain for the citizens and government overcome him and he insulted them all in various ways, including calling the Senators barbarians (III, i, 239).She enters by saying, O, sir, sir, sir, I would have had you put your agency well on, earlier you had worn it out. (III, ii, 16-18) After berating him, she encourages him to go make amends with the people of the town and regain his popularity she wont give up her dreams quite yet. She also lets him know that she will guide him and he can go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand and thus having farthest stretched it here be with them thy knee bussing the stones for in such business action is eloquence . (III, ii, 72-76) She later follows this statement with, Prithee now, go and be ruled (III, ii, 89-90) This statement presents a sort of double entendre, seeing as she presently rules him and has for his accurate life. She is not only telling him to hand himself over to the approval of the public, but to let her take him by the hand in doing so. Volumnia makes it known that she has everything to drop from Coriolanus failure. She even bluntly states, it is my more dishonor than thou to them. Come all to ruinLet thy mother rather feel thy pride than thy unreli adequate stoutness, for I mock at death with as big marrow squash as thou. Do as thou list. Thy valiantness was mine, thou suckst it from me, but owe thy pride thyself. (III, ii, 124-130) To this, Coriolanus responds with compliance and goes immediately to the market place, asking of his mother, crucify me no more. (III, ii, 132) Coriolanus cannot take much chastisement or reprimanding from his mother without caving in and doing exactly as she asks, for that is all he knows.Towards the end of the play, Coriolanus finally defies his mother and leaves Rome to side with the Volces. This is the first time he ever left-hand(a) her or did not follow her word in the entire play. However, before his attack on Rome, Volumnia uses the most epic of motherly guilt trips when she, Virgilia, and Valeria die to the Volsces city to convince Coriolanus to stop the attack. She attempts to break his icy exterior to attack his heart and change his position on the coming war.She first attempts to tend his ego and confirm his greatness, asking how he could make this decision. When that fails to reach him, she pushes the job that they will have no place to go when their home is destroyed. When that also fails, she then pulls on his heartstrings and tells him that they will all die by the hold of the Vols ces because of his commands. When she notices him beginning to doubt his position, she lays on the line so, we will home to Rome, and die among our neighbors. Yet give us our dispatch.I am hushed until our city be afire, and then Ill speak a little. (V, iii, 172-182) This finally reaches him. He breaks put through to Aufidius and makes stop, refusing to continue the war. In the end, Vomumnia was praised by Rome for convincing her son to make peace and preventing the attack. He gained the hero status she wanted for her son. He did not resent her for it, but he did die to defend the honor of Rome. Volumnias paper as the noblest Roman matron of them all is apparently the product of outmoded glorification of motherhood.Hofling, undoubtedly the best informed of the recent commentators, writes Volumnia thus is seen to be an extremely unfeminine, non-maternal person, one who sought to mold her son to fit a preconceive image gratifying her own masculine (actually pseudo-masculine) str ivings. Her method, we learn from the above and other speeches, was to withhold praise and the scant affection she had to give from any achievements however aggressive and exhibitionistic ones (Putney) Coriolanus lack of independence from his mother created a lack of identity for himself.He did not know how to go about life without his mother, even at his age and having his own family. Coriolanus lack of identity is due to a controlling mother in a yieldless environment. According to the Freudian model for establishing male identity, Coriolanus is doomed. Nowhere is this more evident that at the end of the play, when Volumnia, his mother convinces him to spare Rome. He is wholly controlled by his mother, and has no voice of his own. He says, Like a dull actor now,/ I have forgot my part and I am out,/Even to full disgrace (V, iii, 40-42).Following his mothers demands, he spares Rome, which leads directly to his demise. Thus, his controlling mother coupled with the absence of a fat her figure leads to his lack of identity, which leads to his death. (Freudian Interpretation) Coriolanus even follows his mothers desire for honor in death in battle during his final hour. He proclaims, swing music me to pieces, Volsces. Men and lads, stain all your edges on me. (V, vi, 110-111) In the end, if it were not for Volumnias influence, her son may have lived a full life and been able to care for his family.In the same respect, there may have not been peace between Rome and the Volsces. Volumnia truly is the strength of Rome. Throughout the play, Volumnia never bewildered her courage or backed down from the challenges that could have prevented her and her son from achieving her status. She made it seem as though she would do anything for the people she loved and the city that was her home, but she always had ulterior motives and clawed her way to the top, sacrificing her son along the way.Works CitedCoriolanus Themes. GradeSaver.com. 14 Mar. 2011. GradeSaver LLC.. 1999 .Freudian Interpretation. New York University.edu. 14 Mar. 2011. New York University. .Putney, Rufus. Coriolanus Mother-Son Relationship. eNotes.com. 14 Mar. 2011. eNotes.com. 2011 .