Coriolanus (2011)

Gerard Butler: Tullus Aufidius

Photos 

Quotes 

• Caius Martius Coriolanus : I'll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee.

  Tullus Aufidius : We hate alike.

• Tullus Aufidius : What's thy name?

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears, and harsh in sound to thine.

  Tullus Aufidius : Say... what's thy name? Thou has a grim appearance. What's thy name?

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : [taking a step forward]  Know'st thou me yet?

  Tullus Aufidius : I know thee not. Thy name?

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : My name is Caius Martius, who hath done to thee particularly, and to all the Volsces, great hurt and mischief. Thereto witness my surname... Coriolanus. Only that name remains. The cruelty and envy of the people who have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest and suffered me by the voice of slaves, be whooped out of Rome. Now this extremity hath brought me to thy hearth. Not out of hope, mistake me not to save my life. For if I had feared death, of all men in the world I would have avoided thee. But, in mere spite, to be full quit of those my banishers, stand I before thee here. I will fight against my cankered country with the spleen of all the under fiends. But if thou dares not this, then I present my throat to thee and to thy ancient malice. Which not to cut would show thee but a fool, since I have ever followed thee with hate, and cannot live but to thy shame, unless it be to do thee service.

• Tullus Aufidius : Our virtues lie in the interpretation of the time. One fire drives out one fire. One nail, one nail. Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail. When, Caius, Rome is thine, thou art poorest of all. Then shortly art thou mine.

• Volsce Politician : So your opinion is, Aufidius, that they of Rome are entered in our counsels and know how we proceed?

  Tullus Aufidius : Is it not yours? 'Tis not four days gone since I heard thence. By the discovery, we shall be shortened in our aim.

  Volsce Politician : And it is rumored Martius, your old enemy, leads on this preparation.

  Tullus Aufidius : If we and Caius Martius chance to meet, 'tis sworn between us we shall ever strike 'till one can do no more. If ever again I meet him beard to beard, he's mine, or I am his.

• Tullus Aufidius : Five times, Martius, I have fought with thee. So often has thou beat me, and would do so, I fear, should we encounter as often as we eat. For where I thought to crush him in an equal force, true sword to sword, I'll potch at him some way. Or wrath or craft may get him.

  Volsce Lieutenant : He's the devil.

  Tullus Aufidius : Bolder, though not so subtle. Nor sleep, nor sanctuary, being naked, sick, the prayers of priests, nor times of sacrifice shall lift up their rotten privilege and custom against my hate to Martius. Where I find him, were it at home, upon my brother's guard, even there, will I wash my fierce hand in his heart.

• Tullus Aufidius : Do they still fly to the Roman?

  Volsce Lieutenant : I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but your soldiers use him as the grace before meat, their talk at table, and their thanks at end. And you are darkened in this action, sir.

  Tullus Aufidius : He bears himself more proud, even to my person, than I thought he would when first I did embrace him.

  Volsce Lieutenant : Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome?

  Tullus Aufidius : I think he'll be to Rome as is the osprey to the fish, who takes it by sovereignty of nature.

• Volsce Lieutenant : How is it with our general?

  Tullus Aufidius : As with a man by his own charity slain.

  Volsce Lieutenant : Our soldiers will remain uncertain whilst 'twixt you there's difference, but the fall of either makes the survivor heir of all.

  Tullus Aufidius : I know it, and my pretext to strike at him admits a good construction. I raised him, and I pawned mine honor for his truth, who, being so heightened, he watered his new plants with dews of flattery, seducing so my friends. At the last, I seemed his follower, not his partner, and he waged me with his countenance as if I had been mercenary.

  Volsce Lieutenant : So he did, my lord. The army marveled at it. And in the last, when he had carried Rome and that we looked for no less spoil than glory...

  Tullus Aufidius : There was it! For which my sinews shall be stretched upon him. At a few drops of women's rheum, which are as cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labor of our great action. Therefore shall he die, and I'll renew me in his fall.

• [last lines] 

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : I am returned your soldier, no more infected with my country's love than when I parted hence, but still subsisting under your great command. We have made peace with no less honor to the Volscians than shame to the Romans.

  Tullus Aufidius : Tell the traitor, in the highest degree, he hath abused your powers.

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : Traitor? How now?

  Tullus Aufidius : Aye, traitor, Martius.

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : Martius?

  Tullus Aufidius : Aye, Martius. Caius Martius. Dost thou think I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stolen name Corioloanus?

  [to his soldiers] 

  Tullus Aufidius : Perfidiously he hath betrayed your business and given up, for certain drops of salt, your city, Rome. I say "your city", for his wife and mother, breaking his oath and resolution like a twist of rotten silk. Never admitting counsel of the war, but at his nurse's tears, he whined and roared away your victory.

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : Hear'st thou, Mars?

  Tullus Aufidius : Name not the god, thou boy of tears.

  Caius Martius Coriolanus : Measureless liar, thou has made my heart too great for what contains it. "Boy"? O slave. Cut me to pieces, Volsces! Men and lads, stain all your edges on me! "Boy"? If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there that, like an eagle in a dovecote, I fluttered your Volscians in Corioles. Alone I did it. "Boy".

  Tullus Aufidius : [to his soldiers]  Let him die for it.

• Tullus Aufidius : I raised him, and I pawned mine honor for his truth. Who, being so heightened, he watered his new plants with dews of flattery, seducing so my friends. At the last I seemed his follower, not partner. And he waged me with his countenance as if I had been mercenary.

• Tullus Aufidius : [to Coriolanus]  Know thou, I loved the maid I married, never man sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here, thou noble thing... more dances my rapt heart than when I first my wedded mistress saw bestride my threshold.