Enter AGAMEMNON, Ajax, Menelaus, NESTOR, DIOMEDES, If in his death the gods have us befriended, SCENE XI. Another Part of the Field. Enter ENEAS and Trojan Forces. Ene. Stand, ho! yet are we masters of the field.1 Never go home: here starve we out the night. Enter TROILUS. Tro. Hector is slain. gestreckt wurde. nan selbst fallen. All. Ene. My lord, you do discomfort all the host. 4 Make wells and Niobes of the maids and wives, No [Exeunt ENEAS and Trojan Forces. As TROILUS is going out, enter, from the other side, PANDARUS. 5) Unmittelbar auf Hektor, der die Königsburg des Priamus bisher geschützt hat, mag diese Das next der Qs. fehlt in der Fol., die also Пion dreisylbig lesen und den Nachdruck auf thou legen muss: so, wie Hektor, falle auch Du! Für now Troy haben die Qs. come Troy. 6) So die Fol.; die Qs. haben retire. 7) Dass das Gespann der Nacht am Himmel von Drachen gezogen wird, hat Sh. auch in Midsummer-Night's Dream (A. 3, Sc. 2) For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast. 8) stickler =Schiedsrichter, bei einem Zweikampfe, dessen Dazwischenkunft und Schiedsurtheil dem Kampfe ein Ende macht, von to stickle = im Streit entscheiden, wie in Drayton's Polyolbion: to stickle all these stirs. Schwert hat sich erst halb satt gegessen. So in Macbeth (A. 5, Sc. 5) I have supp'd full with horrors. 10) bit lesen die späteren Folioausgg., die erste Fol. hat bed, und die Qs. bait. dainty bits hat Sh. auch in Love's Labour's Lost (A. 1, Sc. 1), während er bait überall nur = Köder, gebraucht. 1) So die Fol.; die Qs. as good a man as he. 9) Sein 1) Die Qs. lassen hier schon Troilus auftreten und theilen ihm die folgenden Worte zu. 2) Die Götter sollen, müssig auf ihren Thronen dasitzend, zu Troja's Missgeschick lächeln. Hanmer las smite all Troy und Warburton smite at Troy. 3) Wenn die Götter über Troja das Elend rasch hereinbrechen lassen, so ist das eine Barmherzigkeit. 4) So in Hamlet (A. 1, Sc. 2) like Niobe, all tears. - In der nächsten Zeile hat die Fol. cool für cold. 5) Von to pitch. - Dasselbe veraltete Particip findet sich in Cymbeline (A. 5, Sc. 5) straight-pight Minerva. Für vile haben die Qs. proud. 6) scil. Diomedes. 7) Qs. und Fol. lesen frenzy's (frensies). 8) Diese drei Zeilen stehen in der Fol. schon an einer frühern Stelle (vgl. A. 5, Sc. 3, Anm. 20). Für broker lackey, wie Dyce und Staunton richtig verbinden, las die zweite Folioausg. brother lackey, woraus die spätern Folioausgg. brothel lackey machten. Für ignomy lesen die Qs. ignominy. Indess kommt ignomy auch in Measure for Measure (A. 2, Sc. 4) und in K. Henry IV. First Part (A. 5, Sc. 4) vor. 9) So die Fol.; die Qs. loved. 10) instance ist hier ein Beleg, ein Exempel für den ausgesprochenen Satz. wie er gleich als solch ein Full merrily the humble-bee doth sing, Or, if you cannot weep, yet give some groans, [Exit. Beispiel die Biene anführt. 11) Die Kuppler und Kupplerinnen sollen den vorhergehenden Denkspruch zur Warnung auf die gemalten Tapeten ihres Zimmers setzen, um ihn stets vor Augen zu haben. Die folgenden Verse sind ein Epilog, den Pandarus an das Publicum richtet. 12) Halb sind ihre Augen schon im Kupplerdienst verbraucht, wie es Measure for Measure (A. 1, Sc. 2) von der Kupplerin heisst you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service. 13) So wird in Pericles (A. 4, Sc. 6) der Kuppler angeredet Avaunt, thou damned door-keeper! 14) a Winchester goose ist sowohl eine gemeine Bezeichnung für eine öffentliche Dirne, als auch für die Lustseuche. Die erste Bedeutung passt hierher in dem Sinne, dass eine solche Dirne sich durch Pandarus (d. h. den Kuppler) verletzt oder angesteckt fühlen wird, wenn er jetzt sein Testament machen und seine Krankheit ihr vermachen würde. Lieber will er damit zwei Monate warten und sich bis dahin der Schwitzcur unterwerfen, um sein venerisches Uebel los zu werden. CORIOLANUS. Einleitung. Shakspere's Coriolanus erschien, ohne vorher in einer Einzelausgabe in Quarto veröffentlicht zu sein, zuerst in der Gesammtausgabe aller Dramen unseres Dichters, in Folio, im Jahre 1623. Das Stück eröffnet dort, unter dem Titel The Tragedy of Coriolanus, die Reihe der Tragedies, und ist in Acte, aber nicht in Scenen eingetheilt. Der Text ist im Ganzen ziemlich correct gedruckt, nur die Interpunction und die Versabtheilung ist, wie bei andern unmittelbar nach einer Handschrift in der Folioausgabe abgedruckten Dramen, sehr ungenau behandelt, and hat vielfacher Verbesserungen bedurft. Die Schwierigkeiten, welche einzelne Stellen des Schauspiels dem Verständniss bieten, beruhen nicht so sehr auf Druckfehlern, obwohl es auch daran nicht fehlt, als vielmehr auf den eigenthümlichen elliptischen und anakoluthischen Licenzen, welche den Styl Shakspere's in seiner letzten Periode charakterisiren. Und dieser Periode, die etwa vom Jahre 1608 anfängt, gehört der Coriolanus unzweifelhaft an, obwohl in Ermangelang jeder Notiz über eine Aufführung des Dramas zu Shakspere's Lebzeiten sich bisher kein Anhaltspunkt ergeben hat, die Abfassung desselben auch nur annähernd einem bestimmten Jahre zuzuweisen. Seinen Stoff entlehnte der Dichter, wie bei den beiden andern römischen Dramen, dem Plutarch, dessen Biographieen er in der englischen Uebersetzung des Sir Thomas North kannte. The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes, compared together by that grave learned Philosopher and Historiographer, Plutarke of Chæronea ist der Titel dieses zuerst 1579 erschienenen und nachmals öfters wieder aufgelegten Werkes, das der englische Uebersetzer jedoch nicht unmittelbar aus dem Griechischen, sondern, laut Angabe auf dem Titelblatt, aus der französischen Uebersetzung des Amyot übertragen hatte. In welcher Weise, zam Theil, namentlich bei einigen grösseren Reden, wörtlich, unser Dichter seine Quelle benutzt hat, mögen Auszüge aus dem genannten Buche darthun. Za A. I, Sc. 1. Plutarch spricht von zwei verschiedenen Aufständen der Plebejer, deren einen, den wegen der Theuerung, er folgendermassen bespricht: Now, when this war was ended, the flatterers of the people began to stir up sedition again, without any new occasion or just matter offered of complaint. For they did ground this second insurrection against the nobility and patricians upon the people's misery and misfortune, that could not but fall out, by reason of the former discord and sedition between them and the nobility. Because the most part of the arable land within the territory of Rome was become heathy and barren for lack of ploughing, for that they had no time nor mean to cause corn to be brought them out of other countries to sow, by reason of their wars, which made the extreme dearth they had among them. Now those busy prattlers, that sought the people's good will by such flattering words, perceiving great scarcity of corn to be within the city, and, though there had been plenty enough, yet the common people had no money to buy it, they spread abroad false tales and rumours against the nobility, that they, in revenge of the people, had practised and procured the extreme dearth among them. Den andern Aufstand, zu dessen Beschwichtigung Menenius seine Fabel erzählt, schildert Plutarch so: Now, he being grown to great credit and authority in Rome for his valiantness, it fortuned there grew sedition in the city, because the senate did favour the rich against the people, who did complain of the sore oppression of usurers, of whom they borrowed money. · Whereupon their chief magistrates and many of the senate began to be of divers opinions among themselves. For some thought it was reason they should somewhat yield to the poor people's request, and that they should a little qualify the severity of the law; other held hard against that opinion, and that was Martius for one; for he alleged that the creditors losing their money they had lent was not the worst thing that was herein; but that the lenity that was favoured ras a beginning of disobedience, and that the proud attempt of the commonalty was to abolish law, and to bring all to confusion; therefore he said, if the senate were wise they should betimes prevent and quench this ill-favoured and worse-meant beginning. The senate met many days in consultation about it; but in the end they concluded nothing. · Of those, Menenius Agrippa was he who was sent for chief man of the message from the senate. He, after many good persuasions and gentle requests made to the people on the behalf of the senate, knit up his oration in the end with a notable tale, in this manner: That, on a time, all the members of man's body did rebel against the belly, complaining of it that it only remained in the midst of the body, without doing anything, neither did bear any labour to the maintenance of the rest; whereas all other parts and members did labour painfully, and were very careful to satisfy the appetites and desires of the body. And so the belly, all this notwithstanding, laughed at their folly, and said, It is trae I first receive all meats that nourish man's body; but afterwards I send it again to the nourishment of other parts of the same. Even so (quoth he), O you, my masters and citizens of Rome, the reason is alike between the senate and you; for, matters being well digested, and their counsels thoroughly examined, touching the benefit of the commonwealth, the senators are cause of the common commodity that cometh unto every one of you. These persuasions pacified the people, conditionally that the senate would grant there should be yearly chosen five magistrates, which they now call Tribuni plebis, whose office should be to defend the poor people from violence and oppression. So Junius Brutus and Sicinius Velutus were the first tribunes of the people that were chosen, who had only been the causers and procurers of this sedition. Zu A. 1, Sc. 4 etc. Den Kampf in und um Corioli fand Shakspere bei Plutarch in dieser Darstellung: In the country of the Volsces, against whom the Romans made war at that time, there was a principal city, and of most fame, that was called Corioles, before the which the consul Cominius did lay siege. Wherefore, all the other Volsces fearing lest that city should be taken by assault, they came from all parts of the country to save it, intending to give the Romans battle before the city, and to give an onset on them in two several places. The consul Cominius, understanding this, divided his army also into two parts, and, taking the one part with himself, he marched towards them that were drawing to the city out of the country; and the other part of his army he left in the camp with Titus Lartius (one of the valiantest men the Romans had at that time), to resist those that would make any sally out of the city upon them. So the Coriolans, making small account of them that lay in camp before the city, made a sally out upon them, in the which at the first the Coriolans had the better, and drove the Romans back again into the trenches of their camp. But Martius being there at that time, running out of the camp with a few men with him, he slew the first enemies he met withal, and made the rest of them stay upon the sudden, crying out to the Romans that had turned their backs, and calling them again to fight with a loud voice. For he was even such another as Cato would have a soldier and a captain to be; not only terrible and fierce to lay about him, but to make the enemy afeared with the sound of his voice and grimness of his countenance. Then there flocked about him immediately a great number of Romans: whereat the enemies were so afeared, that they gave back presently. But Martius, not staying so, did chase and follow them to their own gates, that fled for life. And there perceiving that the Romans retired back, for the great number of darts and arrows which flew about their ears from the walls of the city, and that there was not one man amongst them that durst venture himself to follow the flying enemies into their city, for that it was full of men of war, very well armed and appointed, he did encourage his fellows with words and deeds, crying out to them that Fortune had opened the gates of the city more for the followers than the flyers: but all this notwithstanding, few had the hearts to follow him. Howbeit, Martius, being in the throng amongst the enemies, thrust himself into the gates of the city, and entered the same among them that fled, without that any one of them durst at the first turn their face upon him, or offer to stay him. But he, looking about him, and seeing he was entered the city with very few men to help him, and perceiving he was environed by his enemies that gathered round about to set upon him, did things, as it is written, wonderful and incredible, as well for the force of his hand as also for the agility of his body, and with a wonderful courage and valiantness he made a lane through the midst of them, and overthrew also those he laid at: that some he made run to the furthest part of the city, and other for fear he made yield themselves, and to let fall their weapons before him. By this means, Martius, that was gotten out, had some leisure to bring the Romans with more safety into the city. The city being taken in this sort, the most part of the soldiers began incontinently to spoil to carry away, and to look up the booty they had won. But Martius was marvellous angry with them, and cried out on them, that it was no time now to look after spoil, and to run straggling here and there to enrich themselves, whilst the other consul and their fellow-citizens, peradventure, were fighting with their enemies: and how that, leaving the spoil, they should seek to wind themselves out of danger and peril. Howbeit, cry and say to them what he could, very few of them would hearken to him. Wherefore, taking those that willingly offered themselves to follow him, he went out of the city, and took his way toward that part where he understood the rest of the army was, exhorting and entreating them by the way that followed him not to be faint-hearted; and oft holding up his hands to heaven, he besought the gods to be gracious and favourable unto him, that he might come in time to the battle, and in a good hour to hazard his life in defence of his countrymen. Now the Romans, when they were put in battle ray, and ready to take their targets on their arms, and to gird them upon their arming coats, had a custom to make their wills at that very instant, without any manner of writing, naming him only whom they would make their heir in the presence of three or four witnesses. Martius came just to that reckoning, whilst the soldiers were doing after that sort, and that the enemies were approached so near as one stood in view of the other. When they saw him at his first coming all bloody and in a sweat, and but with a few men following him, some thereupon began to be afeared. But soon after, when they saw him run with a lively cheer to the consul, and to take him by the hand, declaring how he had taken the city of Corioles, and that they saw the consul Cominius also kiss and embrace him, then there was not a man but took heart again to him, and began to be of good courage, some hearing him report from point to point the happy success of this exploit, and other also conjecturing it by seeing their gestures afar off. Then they all began to call upon the consul to march forward, and to delay no longer, but to give charge upon the enemy. Martius asked him, how the order of their enemy's battle was, and on which side they had placed their best fighting men. The consul made him answer, that he thought the bands which were in the vaward of their battle were those of the Antiates, whom they esteemed to be the warlikest men, and which for valiant courage would give no place to any of the host of their enemies: then prayed Martius to be set directly against them. The consul granted him, greatly praising his courage. Then Martius, when both armies came almost to join, advanced himself a good space before his company, and went so fiercely to give charge on the vaward that came right against him, that they could stand no longer in his hands; he made such a lane through them, and opened a passage into the battle of the enemies. But the two wings of either side turned one to the other, to compass him in between them: which the consul Cominius perceiving, he sent thither straight of the best soldiers he had about him. So the battle was marvellous bloody about Martius, and in a very short space many were slain in the place. But in the end the Romans were so strong that they distressed the enemies and brake their array; and, scattering them, made them fly. Then they prayed Martius that he would retire to the camp, because they saw he was able to do no more, he was already so wearied with the great pain he had taken, and so faint with the great wounds he had upon him: but Martius answered them that it was not for conquerors to yield, nor to be faint-hearted: and thereupon began afresh to chase those that fled, until such time as the army of the enemies was utterly overthrown, and numbers of them slain and taken prisoners. The next morning, betimes, Martius went to the consul, and the other Romans with him. There the consul Cominius, going up to his chair of state, in the presence of the whole army, gave thanks to the gods for so great, glorious, and prosperous a victory. Then he spake to Martius, whose valiantness he commended beyond the moon both for that he himself saw him do with his eyes, as also for that Martius had reported unto him. So in the end he willed Martius that he should choose out of all the horses they had taken of their enemies, and of all the goods they had won (whereof there was great store), ten of every sort which he liked best, before any distribution should be made to other. Besides this great honourable offer he had made him, he gave him, in testimony that he had won that day the prize of prowess above all other, a goodly horse with a caparison, and all furniture to him: which the whole army beholding did marvellously praise and commend. But Martius, stepping forth, told the consul he most thankfully accepted the gift of his horse, and was a glad man besides that his service had deserved his general's commendation: and as for his other offer, which was rather a mercenary reward than an honourable recompense, he would have none of it, but was contented to have his equal part with the other soldiers. Only, this grace (said he) I crave and beseech you to grant me: among the Volsces there is an old friend and host of mine, an honest wealthy man, and now a prisoner, who, living before in great wealth in his own country, liveth now a poor prisoner in the hands of his enemies: and yet, notwithstanding all this his misery and misfortune, it would do me great pleasure if I could save him from this one danger, to keep him from being sold as a slave. The soldiers, hearing Martius's words, made a marvellous great shout among them. After this shout and noise of the assembly was somewhat appeased, the consul Cominius began to speak in this sort: We cannot compel Martius to take these gifts we offer him if he will not receive them, but we will give him such a reward for the noble service he hath done as he cannot refuse. Therefore we do order and decree that henceforth he be called Coriolanus, unless his valiant acts have won him that name before our nomination. And so ever since he still bare the third name of Coriolanus. Zu A. 2, Sc. 2. Zu der Lobrede des Cominius auf den Coriolan entlehnte der Dichter ebenfalls einige Züge aus Plutarch. The first time he went to the wars, being but a stripling, was when Tarquin, surnamed the Proud, (that had been King of Rome, and was driven out for his pride, after many attempts made by sundry battles to come in again, wherein he was ever overcome,) did come to Rome with all the aid of the Latins, and many other people of Italy, even, as it were, to set up his whole rest upon a battle by them, who with a great and mighty army had undertaken to put him into his kingdom again, not so much to pleasure him as to overthrow the power of the Romans, whose greatness they both feared and envied. In this battle, wherein were many hot and sharp encounters of either party, Martius valiantly fought in the sight of the dictator; and a Roman soldier being thrown to the ground even hard by him, Martius straight bestrid him, and slew the enemy with his own hands that had before overthrown the Roman. Hereupon, after the battle was won, the dictator did not forget so noble an act, and therefore, first of all, he crowned Martius with a garland of oaken boughs: for whosoever saveth the life of a Roman, it is a manner among them to honour him with such a garland. Die Bewerbung Coriolan's um das Consulat stellt Plutarch so dar: Shortly after this, Martius stood for the consulship, and the common people favoured his suit, thinking it would be a shame to them to deny and refuse the chiefest noble man of blood, and most worthy person of Rome and specially him that had done so great service and good to the commonwealth; for the custom of Rome was at that time that such as did sue for any office should, for certain days before, be in the market-place, only with a poor gown on their backs, and without any coat underneath, to pray the citizens to remember them at the day of election; which was thus devised, either to move the people the more by requesting them in such mean apparel, or else because they might show them their wounds they had gotten in the wars in the service of the commonwealth, as manifest marks and testimonies of their valiantness. Now, Martius, following this custom, showed many wounds and cuts upon his body, which he had received in seventeen years' service at the wars, and in many sundry battles, being ever the foremost man that did set out feet to fight; so that there was not a man among the people but was ashamed of himself to refuse so valiant a man; and one of them said to another, We must needs choose him consul, there is no remedy. Zu A. 2, Sc. 3. Was Brutus über das Geschlecht der Marcier sagt, bildet bei Plutarch die Einleitung zu dem Leben des Coriolan: The house of the Martians at Rome was of the number of the patricians, out of the which have sprung many noble personages, whereof Ancus Martius was one, King Numa's daughter's ton, who was King of Rome after Tullus Hostilius. Of the same house were Publius and Quintus, who brought to Rome their best water they had by conduits. Censorinus also came of that family, that was so rarnamed because the people had chosen him censor twice, through whose persuasion they made a law that no man from thenceforth might require or enjoy the censorship twice. |