Never Fear, The Summaries are Here!

Before I begin trying to tie these works together using a single prevailing motif, I figure I should give a brief summary of each...

Here we go...

Coriolanus.

Coriolanus is essentially Shakespeare’s action movie. Seriously, here is some perspective: the first act has 10 scenes, almost all of which have some kind of uprising or battle in them. The protagonist Caius Martius (later Caius Martius Coriolanus) is a hardened and fierce soldier, he is yelling, killing or plotting for most of the play and everyone around him follows suit.

Basically, the common people of Rome (plebeians) are on the verge of rebellion because they are starving. They are attempting to blame their plight on the patricians (nobles), specifically Caius Martius, who is very proud and not very nice to them. They are granted some corn and two men to speak for them in the future (Sicinius and Brutus). Just as this uprising is settling, Caius Martius runs off to battle the Volscians led by his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius. The battle starts to turn south for the Romans when they can’t take the city of Corioles and most of their plebian army flees. Caius Martius is locked inside the city gates and presumed dead. Turns out, he was alive and kicking, and wins Corioles almost single handedly. For his bravery in this battle he is given the surname Coriolanus (Corioles) by his commanding officer. He returns to Rome where he is to run for consul. The nobles elect him, no problem. The plebeians elect him, some problems are had. Sicinius and Brutus view him as a threat so they convince the plebeians to rescind their votes. Coriolanus is a proud man and when the plebeians led by Sicinius and Brutus confront him…he says some things that lead all of Rome to brand him as a traitor. He is then exiled. With vengeance in mind, Coriolanus joins forces with the Volscians and they march on Rome. His old friends try to persuade him not to burn Italy to the ground, but in the end, his mother Volumnia prevails (after she threatens to disown him). He leads the Volscian armies back to their lands, where he is called a traitor for allowing Rome to stand (by Aufidius) and is stabbed to death by conspirators hired by Aufidius. After his death, everyone agrees that, despite his pride, his was a decent guy and great soldier.

The Tempest.

Prospero, the Duke of Milan, and his daughter Miranda are usurped of their titles by Prospero’s brother Antonio and Alonso, the King of Naples. They are run out of the country and end up on a island. During the twelve years they spend there, Prospero refines his magic and befriends/enslaves the spirits/creatures of the island. Then, a boat containing Antonio, Alonso, and most importantly Alonso’s son Ferdinand (among others) “happens” by the island. Prospero, along with a spirit in his service, Ariel, “crash” the ship on the island and strategically scatter the survivors. In the end, Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love and he offers to make her Queen of Naples. Alonso, possibly Antonio, and a few others are changed by Prospero’s plot and see the error of their ways. Prospero reveals that the ship and crew are safely in a harbor on the other side of the island (which the audience has known the entire time) and they all return to Italy (with the help of the audience’s applause--Tinkerbell style.) Prospero gives up his magic and his dukedom is returned to him. He frees Ariel and all ends well. I am leaving out some Caliban shenanigans, but that is the general gist.