MovieChat Forums > Coriolanus (2012) Discussion > Why was Coriolanus banned from Rome?

Why was Coriolanus banned from Rome?

posted 12 years ago by boywonderpowpunch
6 replies | jump to latest

I understood the movie and the general storyline but among the several scenes that were very hard to follow due to the use of early modern English in the film I totally missed understanding why he was banned from Rome. Funny how he seemed to be banned while appearing on a talk show.

Can someone explain why he was banished besides extreme views. What exactly did he do, who did this originally piss off, politicians or the people, and was there a planted audience member, someone to yell out supporting words to that British sounding Roman politician who seemed to have it in for Coriolanus.

[–] smorgasbord222 12 years ago

The politicians saw him as a threat. If he stood to be elected for consul (which he would after his brave deeds in war), he wouldn't act like a regular politician, threatening the power structure that Brutus and Sicinius have built up among the common people. So they decide to expose his contempt for the plebeians in front of the masses, and let them do the work.

[–] boywonderpowpunch 12 years ago

The Plebeians...who are they again...the people? and what contempt I missed more than I thought.

[–] inCOMA 12 years ago

First, the two tribunes convinced the plebeians that Coriolanus was mocking them when asking for their support.

Second, Coriolanus attacked one of the tribunes in front of the mob. No one in Rome could harm a tribune, because tribunes are sacrosanct; the punishment is death. The senator with glasses managed to convince the tribunes to waive the death penalty and allow Coriolanus to apologize. He made a mess of that and was banished.

[–] boywonderpowpunch 12 years ago

I get all that by whats with all the people yelling at him, attacking him on that tv show broadcast...kinda stupid why would they care about these politicians so much, no one cares about politicians that much in real life, dumb.

[–] smorgasbord222 12 years ago

Don't project.

Not everyone is apathetic about their political leaders.

[–] ldlamb74 12 years ago

In that time period Rome had just overthrown a king and established a senate. The senate supposedly took the average citizens views into account . The tribunes convinced the masses that Martius would be a tyrant and ignore anyone but the upper classes.