Menenius

Family: Rome · Role: patrician · First appears: Coriolanus · Act I, Scene X

In Act I, Scene X, Menenius is an enemy of Sicinius Velutus, who knows him as “a humorous patrician” prone to haste over trivial matters. By Act IV, Scene I, Volumnia publicly condemns Junius Brutus and Sicinius Velutus for banishing Coriolanus, while Menenius and Coriolanus are friends; Coriolanus calls him “Thou old and true Menenius,” and in Act IV, Scene VII Menenius agrees to seek mercy for Rome, saying, “I’ll undertake’t. I think he’ll hear me.”

At the Volscian camp in Act V, Scene II, Menenius pleads for Rome, but Coriolanus refuses to pardon it and orders him to leave. He gives Menenius a written paper intended for him, saying it was written for his sake, then reveals that Tullus Aufidius was once his beloved in Rome. Earlier, Coriolanus had called Menenius father, though Menenius answers, “But what o’ that?”

Relationship record

Life events

• Volumnia publicly condemns Brutus and Sicinius for banishing Coriolanus.(Coriolanus · Act IV, Scene I · 📍 Rome)
  • With: Volumnia Virgilia Junius Brutus Sicinius Velutus
  • “As far as doth the Capitol exceed The meanest house in Rome, so far my son— This lady’s husband here, this, do you see?— Whom you have banished, does exceed you all.”
• Menenius agrees to seek Coriolanus's mercy for Rome.(Coriolanus · Act IV, Scene VII)
  • With: Coriolanus
  • “I’ll undertake’t. I think he’ll hear me.”
• Coriolanus rejects Menenius’s plea to pardon Rome and orders him to leave.(Coriolanus · Act V, Scene II · 📍 Volscian camp before Rome)
  • With: Coriolanus
  • “Therefore begone. Mine ears against your suits are stronger than Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee, Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,”
• Coriolanus gives Menenius a written paper intended for him.(Coriolanus · Act V, Scene II · 📍 Volscian camp before Rome)
  • With: Coriolanus
  • “Take this along; I writ it for thy sake, And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius, I will not hear thee speak.—This man, Aufidius,”
• Coriolanus reveals that Aufidius was once his beloved in Rome.(Coriolanus · Act V, Scene II · 📍 Volscian camp before Rome)
  • With: Coriolanus Tullus Aufidius
  • “This man, Aufidius, Was my beloved in Rome; yet thou behold’st.”

Coriolanus · Act I, Scene X

• enemies with Sicinius Velutus (Sicinius and Menenius exchange hostile personal accusations.) “SICINIUS. Menenius, you are known well enough, too. MENENIUS. I am known to be a humorous patrician and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying Tiber in’t; said to be something imperfect in favouring the first complaint, hasty and tinder-like upon too trivial motion;”

Coriolanus · Act IV, Scene I

• friends with Coriolanus “Thou old and true Menenius,”

Coriolanus · Act IV, Scene VI

• friends with Coriolanus “How? Was it we? We loved him, but like beasts And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters, Who did hoot him out o’ th’ city.”

Coriolanus · Act IV, Scene VII

• child: Coriolanus “He called me father, But what o’ that?”

Coriolanus · Act V, Scene II

• child: Coriolanus (Menenius explicitly calls himself Coriolanus’s father.) “The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son, my son!”
• friends with Coriolanus (Coriolanus explicitly states his affection for Menenius.) “Yet, for I loved thee, Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,”

Coriolanus · Act V, Scene IV

• friends with Coriolanus “So did he me;”

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Extracted from the original text of Shakespeare's Roman Plays. Made with Rho MD.