Coriolanus | Aufidius (Character Analysis)

He is the Volsces' preeminent military hero. Like Coriolanus, his identity is closely tied to his fame as a warrior. The two men share a long-standing rivalry; their personal combat in I.viii represents the fifth time they have met on a battlefield. Though their hatred of each other is intense, so is their mutual admiration. As many commentators have pointed out, Aufidius's speech at IV.v.101-35—when he discovers that his uninvited guest is Coriolanus—has strong elements of homoeroticism. "Let me twine / Mine arms about that body" (IV.v.106-07), cries Aufidius. The sight of...

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