Read the full text of Coriolanus Act 1 Scene 9 with a side-by-side translation HERE.
- As the scene opens, the Romans are celebrating their victory with flying chest bumps and stuff.
- Caius Martius is super embarrassed by all the attention and refuses to take his share (one tenth) of the war spoils.
- This, of course, makes him an even bigger rock-star. While the crowd of soldiers cheers him on, Martius gives a modest little victory speech about how he was just doing his military duty.
- Cominius declares that Caius Martius is so getting a new nickname name for his service to Rome. From here on out, he'll be called "Caius Martius Coriolanus." You know, after the city he just destroyed.
- (Ah ha! Now we know why this play is titled Coriolanus.)
- Next, Caius Martius Coriolanus says he really wants to help out a Volscian guy (some poor plebian) who was nice to him during his stay in Corioles. The only problem is, he can't remember the dude's name.
- Then he's all, "Oops! Oh, well" and runs off to wash all the sticky blood from his face.