Power in Coriolanus

The political play, Coriolanus, is written by William Shakespeare to represent how power can fall into the wrong hands and how power can be manipulated through various circumstances. It was a reflection of England at the time, a nod to King James I. Throughout the play, many characters portray some sort of power over the overarching plot, such as Coriolanus's mother or the power of the people, the commoners.

The commoners have little power that holds great responsibilities. They have voices that in the end, are heard as the subconscious. Coriolanus held the power of persuasion, which eventually gave power to the commoners to elect him as consul. It was also the people who then begged for the downfall.

Though, some may argue that Volumnia has her own way with words, her own power over her son, Caius Martius Coriolanus. Volumnia on her own persuaded Coriolanus to present his scars to the people, though he was unwilling. She was the woman who raised him to be who he was, and later she regret it and even managed to convince him to cease his attack against Rome. Ultimately, she holds that maternal force that is able to calm down the revenge seeking Coriolanus.

With power also comes with the loss of power. Coriolanus lost his power multiple times throughout the play. He gained it through serving his country in a war, then persuaded the people to vote for him. It worked out in his favor, however he later lost it due to his betrayal and banishment from his country and was later executed shortly after he had decided not to attack.