 First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius, and Brutus, | Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus, with the | | Cor IV.ii.1.1 | |
| with the Edile. | Aedile | | Cor IV.ii.1.2 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Bid them all home, he's gone: & wee'l no further, | Bid them all home. He's gone, and we'll no further. | | Cor IV.ii.1 | |
| The Nobility are vexed, whom we see haue sided | The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided | side (v.)take sides with, join | Cor IV.ii.2 | |
| In his behalfe. | In his behalf. | | Cor IV.ii.3.1 | |
| Brut. | BRUTUS | | | |
| Now we haue shewne our power, | Now we have shown our power, | power (n.)exercise of power, authoritative action | Cor IV.ii.3.2 | |
| Let vs seeme humbler after it is done, | Let us seem humbler after it is done | | Cor IV.ii.4 | |
| Then when it was a dooing. | Than when it was a-doing. | | Cor IV.ii.5.1 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Bid them home: | Bid them home. | | Cor IV.ii.5.2 | |
| say their great enemy is gone, / And they, | Say their great enemy is gone, and they | | Cor IV.ii.6 | |
| stand in their ancient strength. | Stand in their ancient strength. | ancient, aunchient (adj.)former, earlier, past | Cor IV.ii.7.1 | |
| Brut. | BRUTUS | | | |
| Dismisse them home. | Dismiss them home. | | Cor IV.ii.7.2 | |
| Exit Aedile | | Cor IV.ii.7 | |
| Here comes his Mother. | Here comes his mother. | | Cor IV.ii.8.1 | |
| Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius. | Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius | | Cor IV.ii.8 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Let's not meet her. | Let's not meet her. | | Cor IV.ii.8.2 | |
| Brut | BRUTUS | | | |
| Why? | Why? | | Cor IV.ii.8.3 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| They say she's mad. | They say she's mad. | mad (adj.)wild, uncontrollable, excitable, high-spirited | Cor IV.ii.9 | |
| Brut. | BRUTUS | | | |
| They haue tane note of vs: keepe on your way. | They have ta'en note of us. Keep on your way. | | Cor IV.ii.10 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Oh y'are well met: / Th'hoorded plague a'th' Gods | O, y'are well met. Th' hoarded plague o'th' gods | | Cor IV.ii.11 | |
| requit your loue. | Requite your love! | requite (v.), past forms requit, requited
old form: requit reward, repay, recompense | Cor IV.ii.12.1 | |
| Menen. | MENENIUS | | | |
| Peace, peace, be not so loud. | Peace, peace, be not so loud. | | Cor IV.ii.12.2 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| If that I could for weeping, you should heare, | If that I could for weeping, you should hear – | | Cor IV.ii.13 | |
| Nay, and you shall heare some. Will you be gone? | Nay, and you shall hear some. (To Brutus) Will you be gone? | | Cor IV.ii.14 | |
| Virg. | VIRGILIA | | | |
| (To Sicinius) | | Cor IV.ii.15 | |
| You shall stay too: I would I had the power | You shall stay too. I would I had the power | | Cor IV.ii.15 | |
| To say so to my Husband. | To say so to my husband. | | Cor IV.ii.16.1 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Are you mankinde? | Are you mankind? | mankind (n.)
old form: mankindeman-like woman, virago; or: mad, furious, infuriated | Cor IV.ii.16.2 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| I foole, is that a shame. Note but this Foole, | Ay, fool, is that a shame? Note but this, fool: | | Cor IV.ii.17 | |
| Was not a man my Father? Had'st thou Foxship | Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship | foxship (n.)[quality of a fox] low cunning, slyness, ingratitude | Cor IV.ii.18 | |
| To banish him that strooke more blowes for Rome | To banish him that struck more blows for Rome | | Cor IV.ii.19 | |
| Then thou hast spoken words. | Than thou hast spoken words? | | Cor IV.ii.20.1 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Oh blessed Heauens! | O blessed heavens! | | Cor IV.ii.20.2 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Moe Noble blowes, then euer yu wise words. | More noble blows than ever thou wise words, | mo, moe (adj.)more [in number] | Cor IV.ii.21 | |
| And for Romes good, Ile tell thee what: yet goe: | And for Rome's good. I'll tell thee what – yet go. | | Cor IV.ii.22 | |
| Nay but thou shalt stay too: I would my Sonne | Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son | | Cor IV.ii.23 | |
| Were in Arabia, and thy Tribe before him, | Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him, | Arabia (n.)region of SW Asia, thought of as a desert area | Cor IV.ii.24 | |
| His good Sword in his hand. | His good sword in his hand. | | Cor IV.ii.25.1 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| What then? | What then? | | Cor IV.ii.25.2 | |
| Virg. | VIRGILIA | | | |
| What then? | What then! | | Cor IV.ii.25.3 | |
| Hee'ld make an end of thy posterity | He'd make an end of thy posterity. | | Cor IV.ii.26 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Bastards, and all. | Bastards and all. | | Cor IV.ii.27 | |
| Good man, the Wounds that he does beare for Rome! | Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome! | | Cor IV.ii.28 | |
| Menen. | MENENIUS | | | |
| Come, come, peace. | Come, come, peace. | | Cor IV.ii.29 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| I would he had continued to his Country | I would he had continued to his country | | Cor IV.ii.30 | |
| As he began, and not vnknit himselfe | As he began, and not unknit himself | unknit (v.)
old form: vnknit untie, undo, unravel | Cor IV.ii.31 | |
| The Noble knot he made. | The noble knot he made. | | Cor IV.ii.32.1 | |
| Bru. | BRUTUS | | | |
| I would he had. | I would he had. | | Cor IV.ii.32.2 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| I would he had? Twas you incenst the rable. | ‘ I would he had!’ 'Twas you incensed the rabble – | | Cor IV.ii.33 | |
| Cats, that can iudge as fitly of his worth, | Cats that can judge as fitly of his worth | fitly (adv.)justly, fittingly, aptly | Cor IV.ii.34 | |
| As I can of those Mysteries which heauen | As I can of those mysteries which heaven | | Cor IV.ii.35 | |
| Will not haue earth to know. | Will not have earth to know. | | Cor IV.ii.36.1 | |
| Brut. | BRUTUS | | | |
| Pray let's go. | Pray, let's go. | | Cor IV.ii.36.2 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Now pray sir get you gone. | Now, pray, sir, get you gone. | | Cor IV.ii.37 | |
| You haue done a braue deede: Ere you go, heare this: | You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this: | brave (adj.)
old form: braue noble, worthy, excellent | Cor IV.ii.38 | |
| As farre as doth the Capitoll exceede | As far as doth the Capitol exceed | Capitol (n.)geographical and ceremonial centre of ancient Rome, the seat of government | Cor IV.ii.39 | |
| The meanest house in Rome; so farre my Sonne | The meanest house in Rome, so far my son – | | Cor IV.ii.40 | |
| This Ladies Husband heere; this (do you see) | This lady's husband here, this, do you see? – | | Cor IV.ii.41 | |
| Whom you haue banish'd, does exceed you all. | Whom you have banished does exceed you all. | | Cor IV.ii.42 | |
| Bru. | BRUTUS | | | |
| Well, well, wee'l leaue you. | Well, well, we'll leave you. | | Cor IV.ii.43.1 | |
| Sicin. | SICINIUS | | | |
| Why stay we to be baited | Why stay we to be baited | bait (v.)harass, persecute, torment | Cor IV.ii.43.2 | |
| With one that wants her Wits. | With one that wants her wits? | | Cor IV.ii.44.1 | |
| Exit Tribunes. | Exeunt Tribunes | | Cor IV.ii.44 | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Take my Prayers with you. | Take my prayers with you. | | Cor IV.ii.44.2 | |
| I would the Gods had nothing else to do, | I would the gods had nothing else to do | | Cor IV.ii.45 | |
| But to confirme my Cursses. Could I meete 'em | But to confirm my curses. Could I meet 'em | | Cor IV.ii.46 | |
| But once a day, it would vnclogge my heart | But once a day, it would unclog my heart | | Cor IV.ii.47 | |
| Of what lyes heauy too't. | Of what lies heavy to't. | heavy (adj.)
old form: heauysorrowful, sad, gloomy | Cor IV.ii.48.1 | |
| Mene. | MENENIUS | | | |
| You haue told them home, | You have told them home, | home (adv.)bluntly, to the point, forthrightly | Cor IV.ii.48.2 | |
| | tell (v.)rebuke, admonish, reprove | | |
| And by my troth you haue cause: you'l Sup with me. | And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup with me? | sup (v.)have supper | Cor IV.ii.49 | |
| | troth, by myby my truth [exclamation emphasizing an assertion] | | |
| Volum. | VOLUMNIA | | | |
| Angers my Meate: I suppe vpon my selfe, | Anger's my meat. I sup upon myself, | | Cor IV.ii.50 | |
| And so shall sterue with Feeding: Come, let's go, | And so shall starve with feeding. (To Virgilia) Come, let's go. | | Cor IV.ii.51 | |
| Leaue this faint-puling, and lament as I do, | Leave this faint puling and lament as I do, | puling (n./adj.)whimpering, whining, complaining | Cor IV.ii.52 | |
| | leave (v.)
old form: Leauecease, stop, give up | | |
| | faint (adj.)feeble, half-hearted | | |
| In Anger, Iuno-like: Come, come, come. | In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come. | Juno (n.)Roman supreme goddess, wife of Jupiter, associated with the Moon, childbirth, marriage, and female identity | Cor IV.ii.53 | |
| Exeunt | Exeunt Volumnia and Virgilia | | Cor IV.ii.53 | |
| Mene. | MENENIUS | | | |
| Fie, fie, fie. | Fie, fie, fie. | | Cor IV.ii.54 | |
| Exit. | Exit | | Cor IV.ii.54 | |