PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 2.2
SPEAKER: Cominus
CONTEXT:
COMINIUS
I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter’d feebly. It is held
That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
Most dignifies the haver: if it be,
The man I speak of cannot in the world
Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him: be bestrid
An o’er-press’d Roman and i’ the consul’s view
Slew three opposers: Tarquin’s self he met,
And struck him on his knee: in that day’s feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He proved best man i’ the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-enter’d thus, he waxed like a sea,
And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
He lurch’d all swords of the garland. For this last,
Before and in Corioli, let me say,
I cannot speak him home: he stopp’d the fliers;
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into sport: as weeds before
A vessel under sail, so men obey’d
And fell below his stem: his sword, death’s stamp,
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter’d
The mortal gate of the city, which he painted
With shunless destiny; aidless came off,
And with a sudden reinforcement struck
Corioli like a planet: now all’s his:
When, by and by, the din of war gan pierce
His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit
Re-quicken’d what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he; where he did
Run reeking o’er the lives of men, as if
‘Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call’d
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.

DUTCH:
Mijn stem bezwijkt wis; Coriolanus’ daden
Vereischen forsche klanken. — Dapperheid
Is, zegt men, de eerste deugd, die haar bezitter
Het hoogst verheft;

MORE:
Counterpoised=Equalled
Singly=By any single person
Mark=Target, aim
Made a head=Gathered an army
Dictator=Leader (not pejorative)
Amazonian chin=Beardless
O’er-press’d=Conquered
Meed=Reward
Waxed=Grew
Lurched=Robbed
Speak him home=Report his deeds at home
Fliers=Retreating Romans
Weeds=Seaweed
Gan=Began to
Ready=Alert
Fatigate=Tire
Spoil=Pillaging
Compleat:
To counterpoise=Tegenweegen
Mark=Wit, doel, doelwit
To get a-head=Zich vereenigen, of overeenstemmen
Dictator=Opperbevelhebber [by de aloude Romeinen]Meed=Belooning, vergelding, verdiensten
To wax (grow)=Worden
To lurch=Dubbeld in het spel winnen, loeren
He has lurched me=Hy heeft my geloerd; hy heeft my by de neus gehad
To fatigate=Moede maaken, vermoeijen
Spoil=Verwoesten, vernielen; steelen, rooven

Topics: equality, value, courage, merit