Cominius A few of us are with you. Arms will be distributed. On my responsibility.
Citizens Long live Cominius!
(A Second Citizen enters)
Second Citizen Volumnia, his mother, and four women of the foremost families request a pass to see Caius Marcius. They want to plead with him to turn back.
Sicinius Request rejected.
Brutus Granted.
Sicinius You mean to let those traitors out of the city?
Brutus A few patrician families are living in fear of being stoned for their connection with him. They seem to have appealed to her. I don’t believe the old lady is afraid of us, but I doubt if she wants to see the Volscian senate meeting on the Capitol. She’s a patriot in her way: she’d rather see us plebeians trampled on by Romans than by Volscians. What do you think, Cominius?
Cominius Let them go, but … Do you see that cornerstone on the Capitol?
Sicinius Why, what of it?
Cominius If you can move it with your little finger, there is some hope that the ladies of Rome will get somewhere with him.
Brutus Her words may be powerless to move him—though that’s not so sure, she will be able to tell him certain things that are new to him. That stone you see there is immovable. Give me an earthquake and perhaps I’ll move it after all.
Cominius There’s no more mercy in him than milk in a male tiger.
Sicinius They say he loved his mother.
Cominius He loved me too. And he no more remembers his mother now than an eight-year-old horse would remember his.
Brutus The interview may give us a breathing spell. Tonight and tomorrow we’ll be short of men to defend the walls. (To the Citizen) They can go. But send one of their serving women with them, one you can trust, to report their conversation. Agreed?
Sicinius Agreed. Two hard days ahead of us.
Brutus
I have the feeling, shared, I’m told, by many
Others, that Rome’s a better place
With that man gone, a city worth defending
Perhaps for the first time since it was founded.
(All go out)
4
The Volscian camp.
Coriolanus, Aufidius, a sentry.
Sentry
No, sir, no smoke.
Aufidius
How long do you mean to wait?
Coriolanus
We’ll camp tomorrow before the walls of Rome.
Aufidius
Why not today?
Coriolanus
You are my partner in this action.
You must inform the lords in Antium
How loyally I’ve gone about this business.
Aufidius
Of course. Of course. You’ve been the very soul
Of loyalty.
Coriolanus
That old man now, whom I sent
Back to Rome broken-hearted, loved me more
Than had he been my father, worshiped me as
A god—sending him was their last resort.
Aufidius
Yet even that old man who worships you
Showed no submission, only entreaty and
An invitation to go and hang yourself.
(Shouts backstage)
Coriolanus
What’s the noise?
(A Soldier enters)
Soldier
A delegation, sir
Some ladies of the foremost Roman families
Are here in camp. It may be rumor, but
They say your mother’s here, sir, and your wife
And little boy.
Coriolanus (looking Aufidius in the eye)
Control your feelings! Clench
Your teeth, for fear the gods above will laugh
And say this scene’s unnatural. The
Volscians can plow up Rome and harrow Italy
Before you’ll see me bow to nature or
Grovel before my instinct.
(Volumnia, Virgilia with Young Marcius, and four Roman ladies have entered)
Virgilia
My lord and husband!
(Coriolanus approaches and greets them)
Coriolanus
Woman, these eyes are not the same as
They were in Rome.
Virgilia
Yes, troubles change a man.
Volumnia
You know this lady?
Coriolanus
Young Publicola’s
Illustrious sister. Rome’s chaste Luna.
My dear Valeria!
Virgilia
Here’s a small extract of yourself, which by
The interpretation of the years may grow
To be entirely like you.
Coriolanus
Yes, my boy
The gods, I trust, are busy making you
A fighter, who amidst the battle’s tumult
Will stand, for all who see you, like a beacon
Invulnerable to shame as well.
Volumnia
Kneel, child.
Coriolanus (preventing him from kneeling)
That’s my good boy, and now don’t ask me to
Call off my soldiers and negotiate
Again with Rome’s bricklayers. And don’t tell
Me that my conduct is unnatural.
Aufidius, and you Volscians, listen closely:
We want no private word from Rome. Your business!
Volumnia
If silence were possible, I should keep silent
For then I should say nothing that would stir
You or destroy you. Nor should I waste my words.
For I have not set out like other mothers
To save her child, but rather to corrupt him
That is, if he’s still human—and if he’s not
He’ll turn against me. Son, I cannot pray
The gods to give you victory, as under
Usual circumstances would be my duty
Nor to give victory to our city, as would also be
My duty. I must either forfeit Rome
Our family’s cradle, or forfeit you, our mainstay
In Rome. To me the outcome’s fatal
In either case, for either you’ll be led
Through Rome in chains as a traitor, or else in triumph
You’ll tread the orphaned ruins of your city
And thereupon be crowned with bronze for shedding
Your wife’s and children’s blood. For my part, son
I shall not wait until the war decides which
Misfortune is to strike me. If I can’t
Persuade you, you will not set foot in Rome
Before you’ve trampled on the womb of
The mother who bore you.
Virgilia
And on mine
That brought you forth this boy to keep your name
Living in time.
Young Marcius
You will not trample me.
I’ll run away until I’m bigger, then I’ll fight.
Coriolanus
Aha!
If you would not turn womanish and mild
Don’t look upon the face of woman or child.
I’ve sat too long.
(He stands up)
Volumnia
Not only in our presence.
Forget my petty trouble, that I’ll find
It hard to veil my face from this day on
Whenever I go out, because your father
Never gave me reason to. Enough of
Your childish sentiment. I’ve something else
To say. The Rome you will be marching on
Is very different from the Rome you left.
You are no longer indispensable
Merely a deadly threat to all. Don’t expect
To see submissive smoke. If you see smoke
It will be rising from the smithies forging
Weapons to fight you who, to subject your
Own people, have submitted to your enemy.
And we, the proud nobility of Rome
Must owe the rabble our salvation from the
Volscians, or owe the Volscians our
Salvation from the rabble. Come, we’ll go now.
The fellow had a Volscian for a mother
His wife is in Corioli, and this child
Resembles him by chance.
(The women go out)
Coriolanus
O mother, mother! What have you done?
5
Rome. A guarded gate.
Brutus and Sicinius. A Messenger.
Messenger
News!
The Volscians have withdrawn and Marcius with them!
Brutus
The stone has moved. The people takes
Up weapons, and the old earth shakes.
(Both go out)
6
Corioli. The city gate.
Aufidius with Attendant and Officers.
Aufidius
Stand over there and give the senators
This paper when they come to welcome me.
Tell them I’ll vouch for the truth of what it says
Before them and before the people. Right
Here at the gate I will accuse him, when
He comes to clear himself with empty words.
Go now.
(The Attendant stands off to one side and gives the arriving Senators Aufidius’ paper)
Senators
Most welcome home!
Aufidius
Why welcome?
I haven’t earned your welcome. Have you read
My message?
First Senator
Yes.
Second Senator
And with dismay. His old
Misdeeds can pass. But stopping where he should
Have started, throwing away the advantage
Leaving us nothing but the bill to pay
That’s unforgivable.
Aufidius
He’s coming. Hear what he says.
(Enter Coriolanus with drums and banners. Citizens with him)
Coriolanus
Hail, gentlemen. I’m back. Your soldier
No more infected with the love of my country
Than when I marched off under your
Supreme command. Through bloody fields I’ve carried
Your battle to the very gates of Rome.
The spoil that we’ve brought back accounts for more than
A third of what the campaign cost.
Aufidius
Don’t read
The inventory. Tell the traitor he has grossly
Abused your trust, and …
Coriolanus
Traitor? Why? What’s wrong?
Aufidius
Yes, traitor, Marcius.
Coriolanus
Marcius?
Aufidius
Did you think
I’d bow to your theft, your stolen name, and call
You Coriolanus in Corioli?
You lords and senators of this state, this man
Is perjured. He has betrayed your cause. For a
Few drops of salt he has given away your Rome
(Your Rome, I say) to his wife and mother
Breaking his oath like a thread of rotten silk.
Without so much as calling a council of war
At the mere sight of his nurse’s tears, he whimpered
And whined away your victory. The drummer
Boys blushed, the men
Looked at each other in silence.
Coriolanus
I whimpered?
Aufidius
Like a milksop.
Coriolanus
Oh, you barefaced liar!
Milksop! Forgive me, gentlemen, I’ve never railed
Before in public. Worthy gentlemen
I’ve thrashed such welts into this cur
He’ll take them to his grave.
Peace, both of you!
Coriolanus
Cut me to pieces, Volscians. Let the children
Redden their penknives in me. Milksop!
You lying dog! If ever your chronicles
Should tell the truth, they’ll say that like
An eagle in a dovecote, I fluttered
Your Volscians in Corioli. Milksop!
Aufidius
Enough! More than enough! Gentlemen
Will you allow this braggart to remind you
Of his luck in battle that was your disgrace?
Officer That’s his death warrant!
Citizens Tear him to pieces.—He killed my son.—My daughter.—He killed my cousin Marcus.—He killed my father.
Aufidius
Kill him!
(Aufidius’ officers draw and kill Coriolanus)
7
Rome. The senate.
Consul, Senators, tribunes.
Consul
The tribunes’ motion to restore the lands
Taken from the inhabitants of Corioli
To their owners, is enacted into law.
Senator
Motion: that we construct an aqueduct
From the third hill to the eastern gardens.
(A Messenger brings in a dispatch)
Consul
This message says that Caius Marcius
Was stabbed to death in Corioli
Yesterday morning.
(Silence)
Menenius
Motion: He’s dead now, therefore let his name
So great before misfortune fell upon
It, be inscribed in the Capitol
As that of a Roman and a …
Brutus
Motion: let the senate proceed
With current business.
Consul
Question:
His family has petitioned that its women
As stipulated in the law of Numa
Pompilius concerning the survivors
Of fathers, sons and brothers, be permitted
To wear mourning in public for ten months.
Brutus
Rejected.
(The senate resumes its deliberations)
The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen, 1431
After a Radio Play by Anna Seghers
Collaborator: B. Besson
Translators: Ralph Manheim and Wolfgang Sauerlander
The proceedings were recorded day by day in the Latin language. The original of the trial record was prepared for Bishop Cauchon of Beauvais and is preserved at the Chamber of Deputies in Paris. The radio play is based on these trial records as well as on the testimony and information furnished by contemporaries. Bertolt Brecht used the radio play for his dramatization for the Berliner Ensemble.
A. S.
Characters
Joan of Arc Jacques Legrain
Bishop Cauchon of Beauvais Peasant
Jean Beaupère Peasant Woman
Jean De La Fontaine Son
Jean De Chatillon (Chation) Sister-in-Law
Guillaume Erard Child
Nicolas Midi Fishwife
Guillaume Manchon Dr. Dufour
Jean D’Estivet His Two Nieces
Jean Lefèvre Well-Dressed Gentleman
Jean Massieu Loose Woman
Raoul De Rinel Wine Merchant
A Clerk Innkeeper
The Executioner Young Curate
Nuns War Cripple
An English Observer Grandfather Breuil and His
His Adjutant Grandson
Guards of Joan of Arc Children
English Soldiers People
Two Peasant Girls
1