most mortal to him. But let it come.Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,I’ll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,Were you in my stead, would you have heard A mother less? Or granted less, Aufidius? (L. 182-193 pp. 128-129)* In Scene Three of Act Five, Shakespeare provides the suspension of two possible outcomes. Volumnia, Virgilia, and Coriolanus’ son are the last line of defense against Coriolanus’ tyranny towards Rome. This passage proves their success and Rome’s safety. However, in these few lines Shakespeare spells out his twist on the concepts of ancient tragedies. Volumnia’s monologues have moved Coriolanus with her sound reasons and swayed him from war. His mentioning of the “gods laughing” brings reference to the god’s ultimate say of fate in ancient tragedy due to the hero’s tragic flaw. Because Coriolanus until this point has been too proud to change his strong heart, although Volumnia was close enough to make him try when he was sent to apologize to the Roman people, Shakespeare is providing an alternative to the tragic flaw of pride leading Coriolanus all the way to his demise. Instead, it is Coriolanus’ lack of conviction in his pride and his weakness in the face of his mother’s description of how his nobility will be warped that stops him from reeking revenge on his once beloved city. Coriolanus has essentially realized that all his emotional effort has been exerted to a motive "poisonous to his honor" (l. 146). It is a firm example that shows Coriolanus’ simple pride in war is tainted by the constant pressure and coercive ability of Volumnia. Therefore, against the grain of heroic tragedy in Greece or Rome, Coriolanus’ fall has a major co-catalyst in the form of his mother. His acknowledgment that the Gods are in shock of his change reveals the power than Coriolanus though...
