001 - Dramatis Personae episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 23, 2026 · 2 MIN

001 - Dramatis Personae

from Coriolanus · host William Shakespeare

Shakespeares fascination with Roman history comes alive in his gripping tragedy, Coriolanus, likely penned between 1605 and 1607. The play chronicles the tumultuous journey of Caius Martius, a formidable Roman general who earns the title Coriolanus after his triumph at Corioli. What sets this work apart is its powerful representation of the common citizens of Rome. As the narrative unfolds, we witness their uprising over soaring food prices and their ongoing conflict with Coriolanus, whose disdain for the plebeians fuels the drama. Join us as we explore themes of power, pride, and the voice of the people in this captivating tale. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)

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001 - Dramatis Personae

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Coriolanus by William Shakespeare Loyal Books Shakespeare was passionately interested in the history of Rome, as is evident from plays like Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. His tragedy Coriolanus was probably written around 1605-07, and dramatizes the rise and fall of a great Roman general, Caius Martius (later surnamed Coriolanus because of his military victory at Corioli). This play is unusual in that it provides a strong voice for the ordinary citizens of Rome, who begin the play rioting about the high price of food, and who continually clash with Coriolanus because of his contempt for plebians. Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) LibriVox Shakespeare was passionately interested in the history of Rome, as is evident from plays like Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. His tragedy Coriolanus was probably written around 1605-07, and dramatizes the rise and fall of a great Roman general, Caius Martius (later surnamed Coriolanus because of his military victory at Corioli). This play is unusual in that it provides a strong voice for the ordinary citizens of Rome, who begin the play rioting about the high price of food, and who continually clash with Coriolanus because of his contempt for plebians. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastCaius Martius Coriolanus: thebicyclethiefCitizen: Patti CunninghamFirst Citizen/Second Officer/Second Patrician: Chuck WilliamsonCominius: Bob Gonz Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Vol. 4 Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus Immerse yourself in the captivating realm of Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, a distinguished series that pairs the biographies of iconic figures to uncover their intertwined virtues and flaws. In this fourth volume of an 11-volume translation from the Loeb Classical Library, we explore the lives of Alcibiades and Coriolanus—two notorious turncoats—alongside Lysander and Sulla, military leaders who dramatically reshaped their nations governance. Plutarchs goal transcends mere historical recounting; he delves into how character influences destiny. Though many original texts have faced truncation and alteration over time, this edition beautifully restores their essence, presenting the Greek lives in chronological order. Discover the timeless wisdom of this classic work, thoughtfully reimagined for modern readers. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline) Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Vol. 4 Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings. The surviving lives contain twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired, single lives. Plutarch was not concerned with writing histories, as such, but in exploring the influence of character, good or bad, on the lives and destinies of famous men. The first pair of lives the Epaminondas-Scipio Africanus no longer exists, and many of the remaining lives are truncated, contain obvious lacunae and/or have been tampered with by later writers. In this copy-right expired 11-volume translation from the Loeb Classical library, the order of the paired lives is rearranged to present the Greek lives in chronological order. Vol 4 presents the paired lives of Alcibiades & Coriolanus, two notorious turncoats, and Lysander & Sulla, two military commanders who imposed drastic chan

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This episode is 2 minutes long.

When was this Coriolanus episode published?

This episode was published on February 23, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Shakespeares fascination with Roman history comes alive in his gripping tragedy, Coriolanus, likely penned between 1605 and 1607. The play chronicles the tumultuous journey of Caius Martius, a formidable Roman general who earns the title Coriolanus...

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