Pick of the week: An OWS-era “Coriolanus”

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

"Coriolanus" is a tough nut to crack, a violent and enigmatic puzzler that holds a special place in the hearts of Shakespeare performers, scholars and buffs. It sounds almost heretical to suggest that this brutal drama about a proud Roman general who betrays his own people might be Shakespeare's greatest play, or greatest tragedy, especially when you've got "Hamlet," "Macbeth" and "King Lear" next to it on the shelf. But T.S. Eliot, Frank Kermode and others might sign that petition. The story of Caius Martius Coriolanus, a controversial historical figure of the 5th century B.C., has been understood almost since its debut 400 years ago as a potent political allegory for times of crisis -- and when in modern political history do we not face a crisis?

Salon.com > Coriolanus

Pick of the week: An OWS-era “Coriolanus”