William Shakespeare
Coriolanus
The full script in Final Draft, Word & PDF
A proud Roman general wins glory against the Volscians but cannot court the citizens, and is banished to join his enemies.
PDFs Only
$4.99
- ✓ Stageplay PDF (144 pp.)
- ✓ Screenplay PDF (128 pp.)
- ✓ Instant download
Full Package
$12.99
- ✓ Final Draft (.fdx)
- ✓ Microsoft Word + RTF
- ✓ Screenplay + Stageplay PDFs
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All 37 plays in every format cost $99, less than 8 single Full Packages. PDFs only: $55 for all 37.
- Genre
- Tragedy
- Written
- c. 1608
- Setting
- Rome, Corioli and Antium
- Scenes
- 29
- Speaking roles
- 53
- Uncut running time
- ~3h 20m
What happens in Coriolanus
Caius Martius, a Roman warrior hated by the common people for his scorn of them, wins the title Coriolanus for his victory at the Volscian city of Corioli. Urged on by his mother Volumnia and the senator Menenius, he stands for consul. Custom requires him to show his wounds and ask the citizens' votes, but his contempt turns the people against him, and the tribunes Sicinius and Brutus have him banished.
Coriolanus goes to his old enemy Aufidius, leader of the Volscians, and joins forces with him to march on Rome. Menenius and his former friends beg him to stop and fail. Finally, Volumnia, with Coriolanus's wife Virgilia and his son, pleads for the city. He yields, knowing it may cost him his life, and Aufidius's followers kill him.
See the formatting
The first page of Act I, exactly as it appears in the files you download.
The biggest roles
Share of the play's spoken words, counted from the script. 53 characters speak; 37 of them have under 1% of the text — natural candidates for doubling.
| Role | Share of the text | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| Coriolanus | | 164 |
| Menenius | | 170 |
| Volumnia | | 58 |
| Aufidius | | 47 |
| Cominius | | 68 |
| Sicinius | | 119 |
| Marcius | | 42 |
| Brutus | | 94 |
For directors
Coriolanus holds about 18 percent of the words, with Menenius at 16, Volumnia at 9 and Aufidius at 8, so the burden is shared across several leads rather than resting on one. There are 53 speaking roles, 37 under 1 percent, and many are interchangeable citizens, soldiers and senators, which suits heavy doubling. The uncut estimate of 200 minutes is long, so a cut of one third or so is typical. Volumnia needs a strong actor.
Cutting notes
- Trim the repeated tribune scenes and the passages of plebeian debate that restate the same political argument.
- Compress the Volscian camp and battle scenes in Acts I and III, which are mainly narrative.
- Shorten Menenius's scene with the Volscian sentries in Act V, keeping the failed embassy.
For teachers
Students examine the relationship between the individual and the state, pride and honour, class conflict between patricians and plebeians, and the mother-son bond. Commonly taught material includes the citizens' opening debate, Menenius's fable of the belly, the scene of the consulship, and Volumnia's plea in Act V. It is often read alongside Julius Caesar for its treatment of Roman politics and public opinion.
Questions
Is this the complete, uncut text of Coriolanus?
Yes. Every file contains the full play — 29 scenes and about 26,700 spoken words. Cut it yourself in Word or Final Draft to fit your running time.
What is the difference between the stageplay and screenplay layouts?
The stageplay layout indents stage directions and sets dialogue full-width, like a theatre script. The screenplay layout follows film conventions: scene headings and action flush left, character names centred, dialogue in a narrower column. Both tiers include both layouts as PDFs; the Full Package adds editable Final Draft and Word files of each.
Can I use this Coriolanus script for a production or a class?
Yes. Shakespeare's plays are in the public domain, so there are no royalties to pay for staging them. Edit, stage, film or teach with these files.
How do I receive the files?
Right after checkout you land on a private download page, and the link is also emailed to you. It keeps working, so you can re-download any time.
