Shakespeare's Corialanus -
Leadership and Ethics![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/a.jpg)
Corialanus
Key characters
Corialanus, Roman general and politician, previously known as Caius Martius.
Volumnia, his mother.
Menenius, politician.
Aufidius, Volscian general (from Rome’s neighbouring state, the Volsces).
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/cor6.jpg)
Fun facts
- The play shows the dangers of dictatorship and was praised by the Nazis.
- A 2011 film starred as Corialanus Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort in the Harry Potter films) - the film
poster is pictured right below.
- Many famous actors have played Corialanus including Ian McKellen, Gandalf in the
Lord of the Rings films.
Ian McKellen is pictured right in a 1984 production with Aufidius (Greg Hicks) above him.
The story
Rome’s starving people are in revolt and bad guy, Caius Martius, wants the rioting people
hanged but is restrained by another top politician, Menenius.
Martius is re-named Corialanus after brilliantly helping Cominius defeat the
Volscian army, led by Aufidius, now desperate for revenge.![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/cor2.jpg)
The hero, Corialanus, wants to become consul, Rome’s leader, but this is made impossible by his:
- opposition from many people (including Brutus and
Sicinius).
His mother, Volumnia, tells him to be nicer and more tolerant.
Furious at being rejected, he joins his old enemy, Aufidius, in an attack on Rome.
But Volumnia persuades him to give up his attack on Rome. The Volscians are incensed and kill him.
But his death is sadly regretted by Aufidius - despite initially hating each other, they had fallen in
love.
Lessons for leadership
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/change.jpg)
1. Change with different circumstances
Successful in war was Corialanus’s:
But these characteristics were disastrous in peacetime, showing that a leader must:
- be flexible.
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/cor4gerardbutlerauf.jpg)
- adapt to different situations.
As Aufidius says:
“Our virtues lie in th’ interpretation of the time”.
Aufidius (Gerard Butler), left, is pictured right with Corialanus (Ralph Fiennes) in the 2011 film.
2. Listen and respond to people’s needs![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/powerpeople.jpg)
Corialanus fails because he:
- is insensitive (living luxuriously whilst people are starving).
So Menenius can’t convince the people that the government cares for them.
Another politician, Sicinius, observes how dependent leaders are on the people. He asks:
“What is the city but the people?”
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/valour.jpg)
3. The importance of humility and valour
Corialanus shows how arrogant leadership can easily turn into dictatorship.
He was a poor peacetime leader, because he didn’t have the humility to put other people’s
interests before his own.
Cominius believes that valour (physical and moral courage) is vital.
“Valour is the chiefest virtue, and most dignifies the haver”, he says
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/cor1.jpg)
4. Success can easily turn into failure
Corialanus rapidly turns from a hero into a villain.
5. Honour and integrity
Despite his weaknesses, Corialanus still believes in honour based on
principle.
Honour and policy, he says, should be like “unsever’d friends”.
![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/unity.jpg)
6. Unity from a common threat
The hungry people soon forget their discontent when faced with the attack of the Volscian
army.
7. Evil begets evil
The killer Corialanus is murdered by the Volscians.
8. Results come from action![Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics Shakespeare's Corialanus - Leadership and Ethics](images/cor3tomhiddlestone.jpg)
“Action is eloquence”, Corialanus says.
Tom Hiddleston is pictured right as Corialanus in the 2013/4 National Theatre production.
Key quotes on ethics
Valour is the chiefest virtue, and most dignifies the haver, Cominius.
Ingratitude is monstrous, Third Citizen.
Key quote on success
Action is eloquence, Corialanus.
Key quote on
strategy
Our virtues lie in th’interpretation of the time,
Aufidius.
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