Coriolanus | Why isn't Coriolanus considered to be one of Shakespeare's "great tragedies"?
Although Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's mature tragedies, it is not generally considered to be in the same league as Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello. The main reason for this lies in the nature of the title character, a highly unattractive, bloody elitist that critic Wyndham Lewis once described as a "cheerless snob." It is difficult to muster sympathy for Coriolanus. Our initial impression of the Roman general is dominated by his two-word response to the disorder of the plebians, "Hang em!" (I. i., l.190). Coriolanus is politically unsophisticated. He himself is incapable of...
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